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#I also don't think Wei Wuxian is the first or last person he ordered beaten in the novel
winepresswrath · 3 years
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People are deeply invested in the relative morality of these fictional magical war criminals. I once got a TON of shit for suggesting that I don't think WWX's reaction to learning that JC uses corporal punishment with JL would necessarily be to flip out and end their relationship, or even necessarily be upset as long as JC wasn't whipping the kid with Zidian or whatever. (I do not think JC hits JL but it would be considered normal if he was. This is Ancient Fantasy China! No one's calling CPS!
Wei Wuxian seems perfectly happy to continue having a relationship with the cloud recesses, the place where corporal punishment is most explicitly normalized within the narrative. I don't think it's a coincidence that we don't see that form of punishment being used with the juniors, but I also really don't think they've reversed their stance on physical discipline in the last 13/16 years. Man, I don't know. I think the morality of these characters is so much fun to overanalyze! It drives both the plot and a big chunk of the character conflict! The various moral traps everyone is always falling into that force them to make choices with no good outcomes is one of the best and most fun parts of the whole story. "When there is no good outcome, what bad outcome do you choose " is a great question to make your characters answer. "This Character Is Bad and Everyone Who Likes Him is Wrong" is just not a way of engaging with this text that sparks joy in me, and I lose nothing when I put it in the trash.
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