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#i dont think its tim aslam this time lol
renfriscreyden · 3 years
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So. I have some observations on the theme of history and history revision in "four marks."
The connecting theme between the storylines shared by the three main protagonists, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, in episode two is the concept of history as we know it versus history as it was. Briefly said, it's about history revision and the realization that the taught history does not reflect the history experienced. This theme comes through especially strong with Geralt (and Jaskier) and with Ciri (and Dara, Adon, and Lilja) in this episode, as they both discover history is different from what they've been taught.
Now, I'm sure the scene with Geralt and Jaskier has already been discussed, so I won't go into that. However, I think the scene between Ciri, Adon, and Lilja has not been discussed as much.
You might wonder who Adon and Lilja are. Fret not, I didn't know their names either. Adon and Lilja are the son and mother Ciri meets at the Cintran refugee camp, and with whom she stays the night.
What struck me are the similarities and differences between Adon and Lilja. We first meet Adon, who then invites Ciri over to their tent. Upon meeting her, Adon immediately shows Ciri his necklace of elf ears. The necklace is somewhat crude and gruesome, and Adon explains that he has been killing elves to take revenge on the elves who killed his brother. Said necklace is depicted below.
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This necklace is then prominently shown throughout the following scene, in which Adon and Ciri converse with Lilja, Adon's mother.
Now, here comes the fun part. Lilja is wearing a necklace, too. Her necklace, as shown below, is made from some type of metal, and features six pendants which start out broad before converging in a fine point. You might wonder why on earth this is relevant. Well, Lilja's necklace is another version of her son's necklace! Her necklace, too, is meant to represent elf ears, and matches the number of ears on Adon's necklace. Her necklace is basically a more refined and adult version of Adon's necklace.
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Now this is where history comes in. Adon, youthful, is set on taking revenge on the elves that killed his brother. He even explains that the fall of Cintra wasn't Calanthe's fault. No, it was elven spies who led the way for Nilfgaard. Adon is supposed to represent the simpler, taught version of history, for he believes it was the elves who are to blame for the death of his brother and father, not Calanthe. Even when Nilfgaard kills his father, he deflects and blames the elves. His necklace then, represents his crude understanding of history, for it was the elves, and the elves only, who killed his brother and father.
Lilja on the other hand, has a more critical approach to the death of her son and husband. She blames Calanthe, cursing her and her family in front of Ciri, explaining that it was Calanthe's selfishness that got her husband killed, and her son. As the episode progresses, the audience is informed that this is, in fact, true. Lilja's necklace, then, represents her more realistic and hardened view of the world and Cintra, represented in metal, a refined metal that symbolizes her maturity in her view on history, as opposed to her son, whose crude necklace shows his simpler and naive perspective of history.
The necklaces show their attitude towards said history, too. Adon is angry, and takes control over his situation by killing elves. His necklace, handmade, shows his willingness to take revenge as well as his desire to do something. Lilja's necklace reflects her passive attitude; unlike her son's necklace, hers was made for her, most likely by a jeweler. Her necklace, though visually resembling her son's, shows her inaction towards the death of her husband and son. She would rather someone else handle it than do something about her problem herself her problem being Calanthe and her actions, though the necklace does also serve as a reminder of Calanthe's actions and the consequences they bear for Lilja and her family.
Thus, both necklaces visually share the same connection: the elf ears and the connected deaths in the family. However, Adon's necklace represents the youthful and naive vision of history, one which Ciri shares, for she also seems shocked to hear Lilja's opinions on Calanthe. Lilja's necklace represent history in its more objective and mature version, showing that there is more than one side to any conflict, and often one or several people responsible for the consequences and fatalities of any conflict.
Their necklaces represent two opposing sides of the same coin, and visually aid in illustrating both the history Ciri is familiar with, and the one she is not familiar with. History and taught history then suddenly collide, and the door is opened for Ciri to realize the complexity of the continent and its history. Something which a small as detail as two necklaces represents.
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