In the self titled middle section of "The Gods Themselves", the three members of the triad seem to compose three major aspects of the human personality. Odeen, representing the rational side of man, is always looking at things from a truly factual perspective. His goal is to attain as much knowledge (defined by the Hard Ones) as possible. Tritt, on the other hand, seems to be ruled by instincts-notably melting and child rearing. He is more simple minded than the other two types of Soft Ones. Finally, Dua, who has both aspects of a Rational and an Emotional, is intelligent and curious, yet overwhelmed with feeling. Her sensitivity causes a conflict in her mind between her desire to rise above the stereotype she is placed in and the supressed need we all feel to fit in with those similar to us.
These three parts can be seen as the ingredients that make up a lot of our human personalities. Differences come about when differnt amounts of each component come into play. Perhaps this is what Asimov had in mind when Odeen tries to expalin rationally to the emotional Dua that when the triad passes on, it simply is bonded into one being- a Hard One.--Leigh Pyle
Response to One
I thought it was an excellent point that sometimes women are silent when their rights are taken away or not respected. I think it is true that their is a certain stigma attached to being vocal about such things. Women feel embarassed to be hard-nosed and seem uptight. However, I don't think that standing up for ones rights is either of those things and it is a great injustice to our society to put such an attachment onto having respect for oneself.--Leigh Pyle
Response to Eight
A good point was made in saying that humans tend to pretend that somehow, no matter what, we will figure out solutions to our own condemning need for more of everything. Although we know that certain things are bad for our environment, and may eventually lead to our destruction, immediate gratification seems to always be more important. The more people that pretend not to see the danger, the more each of us feels justified in committing everyday acts of destruction. This pluralistic ignorance is a part of human nature, though, and it will always be a difficult task for the minorities of people who are willing to face reality to change the accepted reality of the rest of the human race.--Leigh Pyle
Post 19
In David Brin's "Startide Rising", the two species which humans uplifted were dolphins and chimpanzies. This is an interesting choice. Perhaps the dolphin was chosen to go along with the environmental theme of the book, but it may also be due to the notion of dolphins as being intelligent, gentle creatures. Humans themselves could never have the benign qualities of the dolphin, and they seem quite crude when compared to the majesty and beauty of this animal. Chimpanzies, on the other hand, are almost like raw, underdeveloped humans, in a way, so it would be human nature to pick a species that would be easiest to manipulate into human form. Primates havethe most human like intelligence, so people would not have as hard of a time making them into the image of ourselves. So it seems that humans would choose both to be practical and to try to manipulate the gentleness that they themselves could never have. I think that the whole situation is symbolic of the way humans pick and choose exactly how to interfere in the existance of other species, and how we egotistically assume that we have the right to do whatever we so desire with any other species. --Leigh Pyle
Post 20
Talking dolphins? Talking chimpanzees? Talking chimpanzees with A-Bombs? Taken at face value, the rudimentary dynamics of Startide Rising's characters seem absurd. Granted, this is science fiction, but Flipper and Chim-Chim discussing the intricacies of mineralogy is a tall order. In his endeavor to create and develop these characters, Brin relies heavily on humor; but not free-for-all reckless humor: an exact balance of subtle humor and precise imagery. Brin's efforts yield effective results. For example, in chapter 55, Charlie Dart becomes irritated at Dr. Metz. As he leaves, disgusted, he says (in his grumbly voice), "Thanks for nuthin'!" The phrase alone isn't funny, but applied to the already developed character of Dart, an accomplished scientist (and monkey) prone to (yellow) teeth bearing arm waving tantrums, it's hysterical. - E. Hubbard
Post 21
While reading the Ender's Game, one section on page 21 really struck me as odd. It's near the bottom of the page where Graff is telling Ender about the Battle School. The way he explains that Ender is a burden on his parents seems cruel and unusual, especially since Ender is only a child.
This book also has some very close resemblance to the novel Starship Troopers by Heinlein. I'm sure the similarities will lessen as the book goes on but it still seems unusual to me.--Steven Logsdon
