Against All Things Ending
Chapter 22: Part Two — 10. The Pure One and the High God
by R., Donaldson, StephenThomas Covenant rides southward on the Harrow’s destrier, flanked by the Ranyhyn and the Humbled, who push the horse to its limits. Despite the physical strain, Covenant is mentally detached, consumed by grief and dread rather than the landscape or his mission. His thoughts linger on his painful separation from Linden, whom he loves deeply but has deliberately distanced himself from. He fears his own transformation and the possibility of breaking promises to her, knowing his unresolved fate could render him unrecognizable or unworthy of her trust.
Covenant’s internal conflict centers on his refusal to let Linden accompany him, convinced her presence would doom her son, Jeremiah, though he cannot explain why. He trusts her devotion to Jeremiah implicitly, yet this certainty clashes with his inability to foresee the future clearly. His mortality now limits his perspective, confining him to the present—a stark contrast to his earlier omniscient awareness. This shift leaves him feeling trapped, though he acknowledges that such constraints are paradoxically liberating, enabling action where boundless knowledge might paralyze.
The chapter delves into Covenant’s emotional turmoil, contrasting his love for Linden with his fear of failing her. He regrets his harsh departure, recognizing how his rejection deepened her despair. Yet he believes his sacrifice is necessary, even as he grapples with the weight of his choices. His physical discomfort—thirst, fatigue, and the jarring ride—mirrors his inner struggle, grounding his existential dread in the immediate demands of his body.
Ultimately, Covenant’s journey reflects broader themes of sacrifice and mortality. His certainty about Linden’s role clashes with his own uncertainty, highlighting the tension between faith and doubt. The chapter underscores his humanity, as he navigates love, loss, and the burden of leadership, all while racing toward an uncertain confrontation with Joan. His reflections on constraint and freedom suggest that meaning emerges not from omnipotence but from acting within limits—a truth he must now accept on faith.
FAQs
1. What internal conflict does Thomas Covenant experience regarding his relationship with Linden, and how does this influence his actions in the chapter?
Answer:
Covenant is torn between his deep love for Linden and his fear of failing her. He acknowledges her strengths and flaws, believing she is essential to Jeremiah and the Land, yet he deliberately distances himself to avoid making promises he may not keep. His dread stems from the possibility of becoming “abhorrent” after confronting Joan, which could render him unrecognizable to Linden. This fear leads him to push Linden away harshly, refusing even a kind farewell, to prevent her from choosing him over Jeremiah—a decision he believes would doom her son and the Land.
2. How does the chapter explore the theme of mortality and its impact on Covenant’s perspective?
Answer:
After his resurrection, Covenant grapples with the limitations of mortality, which he describes as a “tomb” of sequential existence. Unlike his earlier transcendent state, where he understood broader stakes, he now feels confined to the present, unable to foresee outcomes. This shift forces him to rely on faith in the “contradiction” that constraints (like mortality) enable freedom and purpose. The chapter contrasts his past cosmic awareness with his current human vulnerability, emphasizing how physical needs (e.g., thirst, joint pain) demand attention, grounding him in immediate reality.
3. Analyze the symbolic role of the Ranyhyn and the destrier in Covenant’s journey. How do they reflect his emotional state?
Answer:
The Ranyhyn (Mhornym and Naybahn) represent unwavering loyalty and Earthpower, guiding Covenant toward his fate with a “fluid gallop” that contrasts with the destrier’s labored pace. The warhorse, though bred for endurance, struggles to match the Ranyhyn, mirroring Covenant’s own strained resolve. The Ranyhyn’s ability to suppress the destrier’s instinctive loathing symbolizes Covenant’s forced detachment from his emotions—his numbness and grief. Yet the destrier’s determination (“until its heart burst”) reflects Covenant’s lingering, albeit fractured, commitment to his mission.
4. Why does Covenant believe Linden’s presence in his confrontation with Joan would doom Jeremiah? What does this reveal about his understanding of fate?
Answer:
Covenant lacks a clear explanation but insists Linden’s choice to aid him would sacrifice Jeremiah, implying a tragic trade-off central to the Land’s survival. His certainty stems not from logic but from trust in her devotion to Jeremiah—a devotion he views as more vital than his own needs. This paradox highlights his acceptance of nonlinear, Elohim-like truths: some outcomes are inevitable despite mortal incomprehension. His faith in Linden’s role, despite his own ignorance, underscores the chapter’s theme of acting on conviction amid uncertainty.
5. How does the chapter depict the tension between individual pain and cosmic stakes? Provide examples.
Answer:
Covenant’s grief over Linden’s “forlorn” state clashes with his awareness of the Land’s larger plight. Earlier, as part of the Arch, he perceived individual suffering as part of a vast tapestry; now, his mortal scale magnifies personal anguish (e.g., his guilt over rejecting Linden). The narrative juxtaposes his physical pain (thirst, riding stiffness) with existential dread, showing how immediate suffering overshadows abstract stakes. Yet his reflection that “broken things [are] precious” (like Jeremiah) bridges the two, suggesting individual love and loss are inseparable from cosmic consequences.
Quotes
1. “Both in death and in life, he had watched her refusal to forgive harden toward despair—and still he believed in her. In spite of everything, he loved her exactly as she was. Every pain, every extravagance, every compromised line of her beauty: he loved them all.”
This quote captures Covenant’s profound and unconditional love for Linden, despite her flaws and struggles. It represents a key emotional theme in the chapter—his acceptance of her as she is, which contrasts with his own self-doubt and fear of what he might become.
2. “There’s only one way to hurt a man who’s lost everything. Give him back something broken. In Andelain, he had done that to her. But now he knew a deeper truth. Even broken things were precious. Like Jeremiah, they could become more precious than life.”
This passage reflects Covenant’s evolution in understanding loss and value. It underscores the chapter’s exploration of grief and the paradoxical preciousness of broken things, tying directly to his fears about failing Linden and Jeremiah.
3. “This was the truth of being mortal, this imprisonment in the strictures of sequence. It felt like a kind of tomb. In his earlier state, he had recognized that this prison was also the only utile form of freedom.”
Here, Covenant grapples with the existential tension between mortality and freedom. The quote encapsulates the chapter’s philosophical core—the idea that limitations (like time and sequence) are both constraining and enabling, a recurring theme in his reflections.
4. “He trusted her more than he trusted himself. He trusted the implications of her devotion to her son.”
This concise statement highlights Covenant’s faith in Linden’s choices, even as he doubts his own. It represents a critical turning point in his internal conflict, where he resolves to let her path unfold without his interference, despite his fears.
5. “The flesh which reified his spirit was both needy and exigent. He could only spend a certain amount of time in grief before the jarring of his inexpert horsemanship demanded precedence.”
This quote grounds Covenant’s abstract struggles in physical reality, emphasizing the chapter’s theme of mortality’s demands. It marks a shift from introspection to immediate bodily needs, illustrating how human constraints interrupt even profound emotional turmoil.