Drizzt Do'Urden - Deviant
Jul. 13th, 2003 12:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
butterflyDrizzt Do'Urden was my first 'hero' love.
My mom introduced him to me, as she's the one who introduced the Forgotten Realms books to me. I enjoyed the others, but when I came to a book with Drizzt in it, I ws fascinated. He was so complex! As I read more about him, he only got more complicated and more interesting. He may be part of the reason that I adore heros so because Drizzt is my first, best example of a hero.
I call him a 'deviant' up in the title and that's the truth. What he is, what he does, all of it goes against everything that his society stands for.
He was supposed to die the night he was born. Sacrificed to the demon goddess that the drow (as his people are called) worship. But on the night of his birth, the second brother killed the eldest and the matriarch of the family decided that Lolth would be satisfied with that blood price. So, Drizzt was allowed to live, but right away, he freaked his family out. You see, drow have eyes that glow red in the dark. Drizzt's eyes were purple. At first, they assumed that he was blind (and thought about sacrificing him anyway), but his eyes followed the light.
Now, drow society does make sense. They worship a spider demon, and all of their cruelty pleases her. And, this being the Forgotten Realms, she very much exists and can manifest physically. She is the one who powers the priestess' spells (and there are no priests, as men can only be fighter or wizards - this is a completely matriarchial society, again, as befits a people who worship a demon goddess).
The reason that Drizzt sees that another way is possible is because of his father, Zaknafein, the swordmaster of the Do'Urden family. But though his father was strong enough to convince Drizzt's mother that he should train Drizzt as a fight, he was never strong enough to leave the drow altogether.
But Drizzt is different. Because of his father, because one of his sisters showed the same wisps of affection when he was young (Zaknafein was her father as well... and incidentally, the drow only keep two sons, but have as many daughters as possible), and because that conscience inside him was never killed, like with every other drow (one of my favorite bits in the first book is Drizzt thinking that this is what society makes them, because he can tell that the children are born innocent. No believer in doomed from birth here - the difference between Drizzt and the other drow lies much in the fact that he was raised with a hope that a different life was possible).
Drizzt gets the courage to leave Menzoberranzan (the great drow city). And it's a horrible experience, for the most part. He's hated, despised. But he finds a few souls who will believe in him despite the fact that he's the only drow who has abandoned his people's ways.
Drizzt's is a tale of overcoming hatred and prejudice. It's a story about overcoming your family background and going on to accomplish good things. And he faces a lot of hate. And his people have well-earned their reputation for slaughter and mayhem (what finally turned Drizzt against their ideas was his first raid, where he saw what they really did, but again, R.A. portrays this well, as Drizzt is torn between feeling that this is wrong and all of the horrible stories that his family and society have told him about the surface dwellers... oh, I forgot to mention it earlier - the drow live in the Underdark, in the deep caves below the surface, hence the red eyes).
Drizzt is given very few choices. So, he decides to take none of them, and make his own. That's why Buffy reminds me of him.
And about R.A. Salvatore, the writer: he's brilliant. Beautiful descriptions, amazing characters (even the 'evil' ones have reasons for their actions), fascinating society. The books start with 'essays' by Drizzt, and his Drizzt voice is gorgeous. And so helpful. And then there's the amazing Guenhwyvar, who is Drizzt's companion. A... magical cat, of sorts, but so much more.
And now I really want to reread the books.
My mom introduced him to me, as she's the one who introduced the Forgotten Realms books to me. I enjoyed the others, but when I came to a book with Drizzt in it, I ws fascinated. He was so complex! As I read more about him, he only got more complicated and more interesting. He may be part of the reason that I adore heros so because Drizzt is my first, best example of a hero.
I call him a 'deviant' up in the title and that's the truth. What he is, what he does, all of it goes against everything that his society stands for.
He was supposed to die the night he was born. Sacrificed to the demon goddess that the drow (as his people are called) worship. But on the night of his birth, the second brother killed the eldest and the matriarch of the family decided that Lolth would be satisfied with that blood price. So, Drizzt was allowed to live, but right away, he freaked his family out. You see, drow have eyes that glow red in the dark. Drizzt's eyes were purple. At first, they assumed that he was blind (and thought about sacrificing him anyway), but his eyes followed the light.
Now, drow society does make sense. They worship a spider demon, and all of their cruelty pleases her. And, this being the Forgotten Realms, she very much exists and can manifest physically. She is the one who powers the priestess' spells (and there are no priests, as men can only be fighter or wizards - this is a completely matriarchial society, again, as befits a people who worship a demon goddess).
The reason that Drizzt sees that another way is possible is because of his father, Zaknafein, the swordmaster of the Do'Urden family. But though his father was strong enough to convince Drizzt's mother that he should train Drizzt as a fight, he was never strong enough to leave the drow altogether.
But Drizzt is different. Because of his father, because one of his sisters showed the same wisps of affection when he was young (Zaknafein was her father as well... and incidentally, the drow only keep two sons, but have as many daughters as possible), and because that conscience inside him was never killed, like with every other drow (one of my favorite bits in the first book is Drizzt thinking that this is what society makes them, because he can tell that the children are born innocent. No believer in doomed from birth here - the difference between Drizzt and the other drow lies much in the fact that he was raised with a hope that a different life was possible).
Drizzt gets the courage to leave Menzoberranzan (the great drow city). And it's a horrible experience, for the most part. He's hated, despised. But he finds a few souls who will believe in him despite the fact that he's the only drow who has abandoned his people's ways.
Drizzt's is a tale of overcoming hatred and prejudice. It's a story about overcoming your family background and going on to accomplish good things. And he faces a lot of hate. And his people have well-earned their reputation for slaughter and mayhem (what finally turned Drizzt against their ideas was his first raid, where he saw what they really did, but again, R.A. portrays this well, as Drizzt is torn between feeling that this is wrong and all of the horrible stories that his family and society have told him about the surface dwellers... oh, I forgot to mention it earlier - the drow live in the Underdark, in the deep caves below the surface, hence the red eyes).
Drizzt is given very few choices. So, he decides to take none of them, and make his own. That's why Buffy reminds me of him.
And about R.A. Salvatore, the writer: he's brilliant. Beautiful descriptions, amazing characters (even the 'evil' ones have reasons for their actions), fascinating society. The books start with 'essays' by Drizzt, and his Drizzt voice is gorgeous. And so helpful. And then there's the amazing Guenhwyvar, who is Drizzt's companion. A... magical cat, of sorts, but so much more.
And now I really want to reread the books.