#honeydancer

Plus 5000 things I didn't include below because the yapping never stops

Something that caught my eye when I initially watched Honeyed Night was how similar Theodore and Milly were. It was very vindicating rewatching the event because it is absolutely all over the text.

I think their most obvious similarity is their "sincerest love, for you!" Or well for Sallie in this case. They point out the same or very similar traits they like about her.

They both protect her, putting Sallie's well-being over theirs, even comforting her in the same way - how sweet!

(Just because there's not a lot of context here, the Milly line is when she returns after being beaten by Mr. E, having taken the punishment for Sallie)

It's their naivete and sincerity and stupidly (as Sallie puts it) that makes her trust them so easily.

One example which makes me smile evil style is this line where Theodore says he wants to stay by Sallie's side. Theodore wants to but doesn't, Milly says she will and she does.

I'd like to point out in particular, that the flashback where Theodore is shown protecting Sallie and saying the 'stay by your side' line is immediately followed by Milly saving Sallie from Merlot and then saying the same thing to her.

There's something to be said with both Milly and Theodore's background contrasting with Sallie and causing rifts between them, but I can't quite think how to argue this particularly strongly on Milly's side

With Theodore this is much more pronounced. His position in life and those around him repeatedly hurt Sallie. His inability to leave that life is the reason she was left abandoned by him.

Milly came from nothing, and Sallie accidentally and purposely hurts her with this. Her love of the world despite everything she's been through drives Sallie up. the. wall.

The biggest difference between them of course is Theodore's cowardice and Milly's bravery. It's a little funny how often Sallie calls him a coward in fact. Sadly I don't think there's an instance where Sallie calls Milly brave or fearless but we know how brave Milly is through her actions the entire event.

There's an irony that when he does at last protect Sallie on Euphoria, it's from Sallie's and his own actual saviour. But it's the thing that allows Sallie to utilize Milly's power, believing in love again.

Then of course there's the scene that solidified the connection to me.