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where does it end
Nov. 4th, 2024 02:40 pmIt's a classic story, practically a fairy tale.
The protagonist is a prince. [Ours is the son of a wealthy and powerful family. We don't call them princes.]
Kings and queens and magical beings both good and evil attended his christening. [High government officials and captains of industry attended his christening.]
When he was a child, his uncle became king. The family seemed beloved by the whole country. Our young prince began his education with other children of privilege, in the expectation that he would grow up to someday take power. Then his uncle was murdered, and the family struggled to hold everything together.
When our protagonist was on the cusp of adolescence, his father tried to seize the throne. He attracted a considerable following before being murdered. Our young prince was traumatized by his father's death. He drank heavily. He was weak-willed and easily influenced, and he fell in with schoolmates who were petty criminals. He became a drug dealer and a thief. His name and wealth bought him a position in government, but only for a few months. It quickly became clear that he was unqualified, as he had spent his time in school drinking rather than preparing for exams.
If the story had ended there, in 1983, it would be a sad little cautionary tale about how a child of privilege could turn into a drug-addicted criminal, without proper guidance.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Stories never really end, but if the story ended here, it would be a pathetic parable about how a environmental activist who helped a lot of people turned into an anti-vax conspiracy theorist who threatened the world's health.
The protagonist is a prince. [Ours is the son of a wealthy and powerful family. We don't call them princes.]
Kings and queens and magical beings both good and evil attended his christening. [High government officials and captains of industry attended his christening.]
When he was a child, his uncle became king. The family seemed beloved by the whole country. Our young prince began his education with other children of privilege, in the expectation that he would grow up to someday take power. Then his uncle was murdered, and the family struggled to hold everything together.
When our protagonist was on the cusp of adolescence, his father tried to seize the throne. He attracted a considerable following before being murdered. Our young prince was traumatized by his father's death. He drank heavily. He was weak-willed and easily influenced, and he fell in with schoolmates who were petty criminals. He became a drug dealer and a thief. His name and wealth bought him a position in government, but only for a few months. It quickly became clear that he was unqualified, as he had spent his time in school drinking rather than preparing for exams.
If the story had ended there, in 1983, it would be a sad little cautionary tale about how a child of privilege could turn into a drug-addicted criminal, without proper guidance.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Stories never really end, but if the story ended here, it would be a pathetic parable about how a environmental activist who helped a lot of people turned into an anti-vax conspiracy theorist who threatened the world's health.
