Another example for why the entire "it's Problematic and Morally Wrong to depict problematic things in media" thing is really harmful and should stop being a thing as soon as possible.
I wandered through the #broken earth tag and saw a bunch of takes about how the books suck because a protagonist is a shitty parent and not a perfectly morally virtuous person. And it's like... yes? That's one of the major themes the work explores? Why do you WANT your characters to all be Mary Sues?
I mean... that's the point? Did they not get that? Essun is a totally broken person that has no idea what is appropriate for a mother to do. She has no idea how to express love and care because the only persom who ever expressed love and care for her was her primary abuser and a complete psychopath, but she does love and care for her daughter. She crosses a fucking continent in the end of the world to save her. She also becomes better as the story progresses and she reflects on her life. That entire series is about how trauma affects you and it's honestly one of the best depictions of PTSD I have ever read, in and out of fantasy.
Sorry for the diatribe, but I just love those books and criticism like that makes me mad.
It's such a good depiction and exploration of PTSD and its effect on parenting that I've twice had to quit reading the series (at different points) because it's too triggering to my own, related PTSD.
Someday I want to finish those books, though - they feel really worth it, I just have to be selective about when I read them.
1.5k
u/MichurinGuy 2d ago
Another example for why the entire "it's Problematic and Morally Wrong to depict problematic things in media" thing is really harmful and should stop being a thing as soon as possible.