The Illearth War
Chapter 6: SIX: The High Lord
by R, Donaldson, StephenThomas Covenant sits on his balcony, consumed by despair as he watches the sunset over the Westron Mountains. His anger at being summoned to the Land has faded into a cold, desolate resolve, and he contemplates suicide as an escape from his torment. Wrestling with self-loathing and fear, he rationalizes that death in the Land—a place he believes is unreal—might return him to his own world. The beauty of the twilight sky contrasts starkly with his inner turmoil, leaving him isolated under the unreadable stars.
His brooding is interrupted by a knock at his door. Two Hearthralls of Lord’s Keep, Tohrm and Borillar, enter bearing light and warmth. Tohrm, a Gravelingas, expresses gratitude for Covenant’s past bravery, unaware that his actions were driven by self-destructive intent. Borillar, a young Hirebrand, is awestruck by Covenant, viewing him as a legendary figure destined to save the Land. Covenant, however, remains detached, unable to reconcile their reverence with his own sense of futility.
Tohrm’s youthful appearance puzzles Covenant, who recalls that decades have passed since his last visit. Tohrm explains that their service to Revelstone keeps them vigorous, but Covenant remains unsettled by the passage of time. The Hearthralls’ kindness and Borillar’s admiration only deepen his guilt, as he feels undeserving of their faith. When they leave, Bannor arrives, summoning Covenant to meet the High Lord—a prospect he dreads.
The chapter captures Covenant’s psychological struggle, torn between his leper’s instinct for survival and his yearning for release. The contrast between the Land’s beauty and his inner desolation underscores his alienation. The Hearthralls’ reverence highlights the burden of expectation placed upon him, while his unresolved guilt and fear foreshadow the emotional and moral challenges ahead. The chapter ends with an uneasy tension, as Covenant faces yet another confrontation he is unprepared to endure.
FAQs
1. How does Thomas Covenant’s internal conflict manifest in this chapter, and what does it reveal about his character?
Answer:
Covenant’s internal conflict is vividly portrayed through his contemplation of suicide by jumping from the balcony, which represents his profound despair and existential crisis. This reveals his deep-seated struggle between his leper’s instinct for survival and his desire for escape from the Land’s unreality. His rationalization that death in the Land might return him to his “real” world shows both his desperation and his ongoing denial of the Land’s validity. The chapter highlights Covenant’s complex character—his resilience warring with self-destructive tendencies, his intellectual pride clashing with emotional vulnerability, and his isolation even amid others’ concern for him (e.g., Tohrm’s offer to call a Healer).2. Analyze the significance of the Hearthralls’ visit to Covenant. How do Tohrm and Borillar differ in their interactions with him?
Answer:
The Hearthralls’ visit serves multiple purposes: providing literal light (torches and graveling) and symbolic warmth/comfort to Covenant’s dark emotional state. Tohrm, as an experienced Gravelingas, interacts with Covenant more familiarly, referencing shared history (Birinair’s death) and displaying perceptive concern (“There is a storm on your brow”). In contrast, young Borillar approaches Covenant with reverential awe, embodying the Land’s hope in the “Unbeliever” legend. Their differences highlight generational perspectives on Covenant’s role—Tohrm acknowledges past events, while Borillar projects future salvation (“You will save the Land”). The scene also subtly reinforces the Land’s passage of time (Tohrm’s apparent youth despite being 59).3. What thematic contrasts are established through the chapter’s imagery, particularly in the opening sunset description?
Answer:
The sunset imagery juxtaposes “cold and fire”—snow’s “white silver” against the sky’s “orange-gold gallant display”—mirroring Covenant’s emotional dichotomy: his “cold at heart” desolation versus his earlier fiery rage. The “gleam of white snow” on mountains contrasts with the “dusty, unfertile gaze” through which Covenant views the stars, emphasizing his spiritual barrenness. These natural contrasts parallel the tension between the Land’s vitality (represented by the Hearthralls’ life-sustaining roles) and Covenant’s psychological wasteland. The imagery also foreshadows his unresolved conflict between embracing the Land’s beauty or rejecting it as illusion.4. How does the chapter develop the motif of time’s passage, and why is this significant for Covenant’s experience?
Answer:
Time’s passage is emphasized through Tohrm’s revelation that 41 years have passed since Covenant’s last visit, though the Hearthralls appear unnaturally young—a detail Covenant explicitly questions. This underscores the Land’s divergence from Covenant’s expectations and his disorientation as an outsider. The elapsed time also heightens his guilt (e.g., over Birinair’s death) and alienation. Meanwhile, Borillar’s youth contrasts with Tohrm’s experience, illustrating cyclical renewal in the Land that contrasts with Covenant’s stagnation. This temporal dissonance deepens Covenant’s existential crisis, as the Land’s continuity challenges his perception of its unreality.5. Evaluate Covenant’s moral dilemma regarding his survival in the Land. How do his conflicting arguments reflect his broader philosophical struggle?
Answer:
Covenant debates whether survival represents courage or cowardice—his “leper’s training” demands self-preservation, yet he yearns for escape through suicide. His argument that the Land’s unreality nullifies death’s consequences is a rationalization that exposes his deeper conflict: if the Land is real, suicide is true defeat; if unreal, it’s merely a return to his harsh reality. This mirrors his broader struggle to reconcile responsibility (his “resolve to survive” expressed to Mhoram) with despair. The chapter positions this as a crisis of meaning—his “pretentious” survival efforts seem futile, yet abandoning them would negate his hard-won identity as a leper who endures.
Quotes
1. “He was thinking of jumping from the balcony. To quell his fear of heights, he would have to wait until the darkness of the night was complete, and he could no longer see the ground.”
This quote captures Covenant’s profound internal struggle and suicidal ideation, illustrating his despair and the paradox of his leper’s training clashing with his yearning for escape. It represents a key moment of crisis in the chapter.
2. “Chiefest of these was the argument that since the Land was not real it could not kill him; a death here would only force him back into the reality that was the only thing in which he could believe.”
This reveals Covenant’s central psychological conflict - his Unbelief warring with his experiences. The philosophical tension between reality and fantasy drives much of his character’s journey.
3. “In his aloneness, he could not tell whether that argument expressed courage or cowardice.”
A poignant reflection on Covenant’s moral ambiguity, showing his self-awareness yet inability to resolve his fundamental dilemma. This encapsulates the novel’s exploration of difficult choices.
4. “The service of our lore, and of Revelstone, keeps us young. Without us, these brave Giant-wrought halls would be dark, and in winter-to speak truly-they would be cold. Who could grow old on the joy of such work?”
Tohrm’s explanation of his youthful appearance contrasts with Covenant’s inner turmoil, representing the life-affirming power of service and purpose in the Land - concepts foreign to Covenant’s experience.
5. “Be welcome, urLord Covenant. You will save the Land.”
Borillar’s earnest declaration highlights the weight of expectation placed on Covenant, contrasting starkly with his own self-doubt and unbelief. This quote embodies the central tension between Covenant’s role and his resistance to it.