“When the fate of the world hangs in the balance, you want to keep an eye on anyone whose career-defining moment involves consorting with the enemy.” (page 187)
I began to see a theme of trust emerging in the novel from its very onset, or rather a lack of trust. Vampires, prospects, other worlds, home and foreign locations all seem to evoke a sense of “on your toes” living situation and manage its way into the minds of this society or community. Since the community is under constant evolution, new experiences are thrown into their view, creating a reactive type approach rather than a prepared approach. This being said, a leader has to emerge, Bates, as far as I can see is the leader of this community, whether some oppose it or support it. Amanda Bates comes off as the most dominant character, soothing in a calm voice to those disheveled while inside Rorschach. The consistent mentioning of sight I found interesting, but could only relate it back to their sincere need for a leader. While I felt Bates took on this role, I also couldn’t help but notice she had to be leading them completely blindly, or was she? Was she leading them because she had a sense of familiarity in the so called foreign space structure. Did she feel connected to it in a sense that compelled her to its overall being? Why wasn’t she embarrassingly terrified of the structure and its overly cruel exterior?
“Career-defining moment.. keep an eye on them”… No one knows who to trust; no one knows how to handle the situation; no one understands why their sight has disappeared, but yet they are “seeing” things, understanding things. Since this “adventure” is so groundbreaking, a career defining moment is on the verge– why trust anyone? To be honest, this one sentence gives me chills. I find it to be the most disturbing sentence yet because it taps into your own psyche, it is relatable, it is reality after all.