They're similar mainly in their preoccupation with what's right and wrong, and with sin, in their philosophizing to their quarries and the combination of quite horrific violence with a conversational tone. I thought Early was reasonably polite while threatening Kaylee with rape, no abusive terms involved, very goal oriented. Much like the Operative killing men and then expecting the young miss to go to work. (I don't see him threatening rape, because he doesn't much go in for threats, but I think he would commit it without a blink if he thought it was necessary to achieve his goals.)
Also both are aware that the violence they commit is wrong, and profess not to like it, but feel it is necessary to their job.
They're not completely identical, of course. Early hunts for profit, the Operative from conviction. We are given reason to doubt that Early's professed distaste for the violence is real, but no reason to think the Operative's is, given that he countermands the kill order. It's hard to see Early ever unquestioningly accepting authority to the point of taking orders, let alone giving up his name.
But they do remind me of each other, in that way that criminals and cops often come from almost identical backgrounds, even sometimes the same family. If Early had had something to believe in, he might have become something like the Operative -- his own turn for violence harnessed and disciplined, but also given a justified outlet, turned into a Holy War instead of eating him up inside until there was little left.
It's harder for me to think the Operative without belief would have turned into something like Early, but that's because I can only picture the Operative having lost belief, not who he would have been if he'd never had it. It's too much of what he was, or at least what we saw.
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regna
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-04 02:57 am (UTC)Also both are aware that the violence they commit is wrong, and profess not to like it, but feel it is necessary to their job.
They're not completely identical, of course. Early hunts for profit, the Operative from conviction. We are given reason to doubt that Early's professed distaste for the violence is real, but no reason to think the Operative's is, given that he countermands the kill order. It's hard to see Early ever unquestioningly accepting authority to the point of taking orders, let alone giving up his name.
But they do remind me of each other, in that way that criminals and cops often come from almost identical backgrounds, even sometimes the same family. If Early had had something to believe in, he might have become something like the Operative -- his own turn for violence harnessed and disciplined, but also given a justified outlet, turned into a Holy War instead of eating him up inside until there was little left.
It's harder for me to think the Operative without belief would have turned into something like Early, but that's because I can only picture the Operative having lost belief, not who he would have been if he'd never had it. It's too much of what he was, or at least what we saw.