Mathius wrote:
>
> You're missing the point here. No one is saying that they are carbon
> copies. They're obviously not going to do the exact same things, or the
> story _WOULD_ be a copy and no one would read it. But there are enough
> similiarites to realize that this is the same character, he's just going
> through some semi-different experiences. If you stop and think about
it, if
> you hadn't read that part of it, would you have believed Kurik would
even
> have an affair? It totally doesn't fit his personality at all. And in
> fact, Durnik didn't have any kids at all during his "quests". Unless
you
> want to count Garion or Errand. However, they're cut from the same
mold.
Kurik having an affair is very much part of his character, since all we
have to go on is what DE writes about. I suspect that you only think
that he wouldn't have an affair is that you're confusing him with
Durnik...
The *only* similarity between Durnik and Kurik is their practical nature.
>
> They're both practical. They're both super depended upon. They're both
> there to lend a solution when the "nobles" can't come up with one,
stunning
> everyone with their practical solutions. Durnik is a blacksmith, but
he's
> schooled in almost every common trade. Kurik is a squire, dealing with
> armor mostly, but he also is schooled in every trade. Witness when they
> went to the one counts house and they had to wall up that
banshee/succubus
> lady. Sparhawk wants to wall her in and Kurik just up and says, "I can
do
> masonry". Then they have to build a cabinet and Kurik says, "Ok we're
gonna
> become carpenters." Then there's the fact that Durnik and Kurik both
insist
> on doing something a certain way because it's the right way to do it,
> whether or not someone else knows they did it another way.
They both tick the "practical man" box in DE's formula, and they are
called upon to perform similar tasks in both books to actually further
the plot. However, they are very different *characters*.
Khalad is different again, although really he's only Kurik without the
humour. A mistake by DE, in my opinion.
>
>> Kring and Hettar are another pair often cited as being similar. I don't
>> see it, myself, the only similarity is that they belong to a horse
tribe.
>> They have very different value systems, and dialogue and actions
written
>> for one simply doesn't work for the other.
>
> This isn't really a reliable comparison either. Obviously there are
> differenes. Kring values Talen's uses as a thief, and wants to marry a
> slave girl. But they both are horselords, Kring is the leader, and
Hettar
> is the practical leader since he is sortof the General to Cho-Hag the
king.
> Both have topknots, both have sabres. Both use the sla****ng style of
> fighting, and are used to attack the flanks. Hettar has an obcessive
almost
> irrational approach to battle when he sees a Murgo. Kring has that same
> approach, but against anyone he considers an enemy. For all practical
> reasons, they are the same character.
Again, for plot purposes they are used to forward the plot in the same
ways, but their actual character is completely different. The fact that
they both have sabres and are used to attack flanks is a direct result
of them being light cavalry and not, particularly, a separate character
trait.
Hettar's irrational approach to battles with Murgos is actually quite
unique in the DE world. Kring's attitude is simply the same as all the
other warrior characters in both series - Barak, Mandorallen, Kalten,
even Garion in the Mallorean all exhibit that lust for battle, all in a
way quite different to Hettar.
>
> I could go on and on if I had a chance to read the series over and pull
some
> hard facts for you. Errand=Aphrael in some ways.
Errand is completely different to Aphrael. He doesn't display god powers
until the Mal (except in one instance when it could arguably have been
the LP) when he is a teenager. He is, despite his eventual power, a
background player in both series. Aph is very much to the forefront of
both series, even as Flute early in the Elenium. She is a meddler, she
drives the plot forward and plays with people's lives. Her closest
analogue in the Bel/Mal series is probably the Light Prophecy.
>The Orb of
> Aldur=Bhelliom.
Yeah, ok, hard to argue with that one.
> Sephrena has a bit of Polgara in her.
Another one that's hard to argue with.
> Sparhawk to me,
> sortof is a collaboration of Belgarath and Garion, but I'm not set on
that
> one.
You're reaching with this one, I think. His part in the story is
probably closest to that of Garion in the Mal, but his character is his
own.
> Ulath=Barak,
Only in that they are northern barbarians. They are as like to each
other as they each are to, say, Fafhrd from Fritz Lieber's stories.
> Bevier is Arendish.
He doesn't seem that Arendish to me. I think DE just got caught up with
the idea of a church knight who was actually religious. He certainly
doesn't have the headstrong attitude of Arends. And he's not stupid.
> Stragen and Talen both represent
> Silk at times.
>
I think they'd both like to be that good.
I think there's an im****tant difference between a person's job and their
actual character. Hettar and Kring have the same job, but their
characters are very different.
--
Teut
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