The Inheritance Cycle - Blog Posts

Thank you for putting this into such eloquent words! I also like how you present your takes on this @murtagh-thorn and @thearunadragon.

! I made an interesting realization just now in the shower! On a couple of occasions, Eragon and Nasuada suggest that Murtagh should act in the way Tornac would have as a way to change for the better and, ultimately, change his true name to free himself from Galbatorix and fight for them instead. Eragon insinuates this without directly mentioning Tornac: "Look at someone whom you admire but who has chosen paths other than your own through life and model your actions upon his." But in the context of Murtagh's backstory, this advice strongly evokes Tornac. And Nasuada outright names him: "Ask yourself: what would Tornac have wanted you to do?"

But that's a very curious demand for them to make because Murtagh is already emulating Tornac. Consider what we know about him. Tornac served Galbatorix, he would have had to for the king to entrust him with Murtagh's care. They lived in Uru'baen together as Murtagh grew up with Tornac raising him and he would have had to be in Galbatorix's service for all that time. Yet, he had no love for the king given that, when Murtagh wanted to abandon the Empire and flee, he was immediately ready to join him and help him leave that very same night. So he served the Empire for many years even though he had no true desire to be support them or the king, in order to provide the care and protection that Murtagh needed, until Murtagh was ready to make his own choice and take his own risk and Tornac turned his back on the king for him without hesitation.

That's exactly what Murtagh is doing. By yielding to Galbatorix and complying with his commands, Murtagh is doing the same thing for Thorn. He's bowed to this broad, great evil so he can look after the needs of an individual when no one else is willing nor able to. He does what he does to prevent Thorn from being tortured, to keep him from being broken, helpless against the king were Murtagh to abandon him. So he doesn't, the same way Tornac never abandoned him. And in the end, they rebel in a very similar way too. When Thorn is ready to carve his own path and fight for the right to claim his own life for the first time, and Murtagh wants to reclaim the life he desired but thought lost, they stand by each other and break free from Galbatorix.

For him to act the way that Tornac would requires that period of reluctant subservience so he can save the one he loves most. They ask Murtagh to follow Tornac's example, ignorant to the fact that the actions they so disapprove of are doing exactly that. And I wonder if this is a root of Murtagh's defining anger, an anger at Eragon and Nasuada's implication that the compromises that saved his own life and provided him much needed love and support through his childhood- the compromises that saved Thorn, the partner of his heart, when no one else (certainly no one from the Varden) would have helped him- were wrong. That they were immoral, they were not worth while, they were not enough, they fell short, they were wrong. Because such an implication is really a dismissal of Murtagh and Thorn's wellbeing- arguably of their lives.

This meme is perfect because Star Wars-obsessed kid me and El Droide used to imagine that Brom looked like Obi-Wan. XD

Brom: Ah Eragon, you remind me so much of your father when he was your age.

Eragon: You know my father?

Brom internally:

I guess dragon eggs aren’t only found in Alagaësia.

I can just see the hatchling. She might bond with someone from the first crew of astronauts who reaches the nebula if she doesn’t remain as a wild dragon. Since the picture is a false color image to show the nebula’s characteristics, our space hatchling wouldn't be pink but likely have bright white, glistening scales. Her temperament might be bold, wild, unpredictable, and even destructive at times like the cosmic forces she was born within. However, she would be steadfast and loyal like the enduring light of nebulae.

NGC 6164, Dragon's Egg

Book Character Playlist Tag Game!

The rules are simple. Share the song(s) that remind you of one character from the last book you read. Don't be shy! The crazier the better. :D

Then tag as many people as you want or open the game to anyone who wants to join!

My List

Murtagh Morzansson (Murtagh by Christopher Paolini):

Masquerade Suite: I. Waltz by Aram Ilyich Khachaturian

Believer by Imagine Dragons

Only You by Yazoo

El Droide's List

Jonathan Pine (The Night Manager by John le Carré)

Run Through the Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Tag List!

(no obligation!) @thearunadragon @galaxythreads @thelightofthingshopedfor @saphira-approves and anyone else who wants to join!

Reading any mentions of Murtagh's dancing skills is funny because I try to imagine him doing court dances, but because I've danced ballet for most of my life, I end up imagining him doing something crazy athletic like this