Board Thread:The Last Sovereign Discussion/@comment-27713488-20181103233945/@comment-39332473-20190731122746

(Literary analysis ahead, batten down the hatches and H O L D  F A S T)

This might be obvious to some, but I think I've located the central theme of TLS (this has something to do with the Anak, give me a minute). The central theme is that connections to other people are good, they keep us sane, and they make us better people (poetically, one might say that the central theme is Love). What separates Simon from others isn't just his pragmatism, tolerance, or empathy. Simon is constantly making connections to others, refusing to use his status to dominate and instead using it to forge strong bonds, and these bonds are constantly being contrasted with people who do not connect with others (for variable reasons), and end up becoming isolated. This brings us to the most repeated motif in the story, Isolation.

We see Isolation as a character trait constantly, and it is always to that characters severe detriment. Every Incubus King we meet, when we get to know them, is profoundly isolated. The Arsehole of Arclent was almost totally alone, and he fell as soon as his one loyal servant turned on him. The Fucklord is Simon, but inverted. He has a giant harem, and is surrounded with people who could be his companions, but these seeming connections are all false. Estaven was unable to engage with anyone else except via the mode of domination, and was therefore unable to form a real connection. Esthera is sort of like this as well (remember her conversation about being tired of always having to play the dominance game?), although it becomes apparent that her inability to form connections stems from a last of trust rather than a lack of interest (or a simple inability).

We see this trait even from characters who aren't 'bad guys' - Alonon, Janine, Wendis, Megail, Wynn, Orcent, Varia, Neranda, the unnamed IK who forged a shard into armor (and died totally alone). I could go on. In some cases, Isolation is a symbol of deeper trauma, while in others Isolation is the source of their trauma.

This is all interesting enough on its own, but there are some relevant speculations to put down here.

1. To what extent does Xerces meet this criteria of being Isolated? He has Xestris, after all. I suspect he's going to be an example of an antagonist who doesn't have a self-destructive flaw.

2. Isolation is the tool by which Mythyn (and I'm going to guess the rest of the Divine cast) have been protecting themselves. Thematically, they are already in deep shit.