The Problem of Edmund

[harmony-lover.livejournal.com]

We had a lovely discussion on here about the Problem of Susan, and headcanon, and characterization, and I really wanted to create a similar post for Edmund the Just after there was this conversation in the comments over on rthstewart's journal. vialethe really started the whole thing by saying this:

I'd like to know more about what [Tebbitt] senses in Edmund to make him so scary - I'd expect that one spy would recognize another, but Edmund having some inherent sense of danger about him is very intriguing.

And then I said about Edmund:

I've always had Thoughts about Edmund and Scariness, and so your comment intrigued me. It's interesting, because on the one hand, in my headcanon at least, Edmund is this incredibly compassionate, moral, forgiving person - as seems only right for being the Just king. But, on the other hand, there's the idea of Justice being blind, impartial, and more than a little ruthless. So he's also Scary, in the sense that he knows how to keep his fingers on everything going on in Narnia and out of it, and use that information to his advantage. Also, Justice is usually the dispenser of retribution, in whatever form it takes, and that can be a scary thing. (And yes, retribution can be just, and usually should be. It is not excessive - in other words, where Edmund is concerned, I don't confuse retribution and vengeance. Here's a quick definition of the former: Punishment that is considered to be morally right and fully deserved.) But, retribution can be scary, depending on the magnitude of the original offense. . . . I am fascinated by the different sides of Edmund the Just, really - it's one of the things about his character that has always fascinated me, in the best way. I do see him as an incredibly upright and moral person, a compassionate judge of others, a loving and funloving brother - but also capable of planning and strategizing, spying where necessary, and being a fairly ruthless fighter where necessary, as well. He is many things, and I have a feeling that only his siblings really have a handle on how much he is capable of. 

So. Who else has Thoughts about Edmund the Just, sibling, spymaster, dispenser of retribution, Duke of Lantern Waste, etc.?

This'll be a fun 70 years.

[heverus.livejournal.com]

Hi all.
In lieu of a catalyst for thought provoking discussion, I come bearing a xkcd comic that you've probably all seen, but none-the-less, reminds me of our beloved Narnia and some of the conversation back on the old NFFR forum.



Enjoy! And who knows, maybe some thought provoking discussion will come out of it (you're all very good at that *wink*)
- Hev