I liked Christian, partly because of his self-awareness. He knew that he couldn't write or speak well (although he did lose his self-awareness for a short time just before the balcony scene). He was also courageous, both in his insulting of Cyrano, and (more importantly) in his actions in the war.
The way he treated Roxane was not commendable, both in tricking her, and in marrying her (it didn't matter what she thought of him after marriage, only before), but the story never did focus on what was good for her.
He was a vacuous doof. He mocked Cyrano because he assumed he was an easy target with that big nose, that ugliness (which Christian had no part of) must be weakness.
Fortunately, his relationship with Cyrano made him realize that was not true.
I found Christian very irritating. He didn't have much to recommend him, frankly, not even handsomeness, in my opinion. His "courage" was just being a dolt. He provoked a fight with Cyrano just to show off to the other guys, a fight that he most certainly would have lost if it had occurred. And in the battle, he volunteered as a scout when he must have known he was unqualified. He cared little for his life after realizing that Roxane didn't really love him.
It was somewhat noble, I suppose, for him to want to come clean with Roxane, to allow Cyrano a chance with her. I'm sure it was because he recognized, though, that she was bound to figure it out when his wit and poetry disappeared after the honeymoon.
What was your opinion of Christian? Were you sympathetic to him? How would he have done with Roxane without Cyrano's help?
3 comments:
He had no chance with Roxane. She wanted a poet.
I liked Christian, partly because of his self-awareness. He knew that he couldn't write or speak well (although he did lose his self-awareness for a short time just before the balcony scene). He was also courageous, both in his insulting of Cyrano, and (more importantly) in his actions in the war.
The way he treated Roxane was not commendable, both in tricking her, and in marrying her (it didn't matter what she thought of him after marriage, only before), but the story never did focus on what was good for her.
He was a vacuous doof. He mocked Cyrano because he assumed he was an easy target with that big nose, that ugliness (which Christian had no part of) must be weakness.
Fortunately, his relationship with Cyrano made him realize that was not true.
I found Christian very irritating. He didn't have much to recommend him, frankly, not even handsomeness, in my opinion. His "courage" was just being a dolt. He provoked a fight with Cyrano just to show off to the other guys, a fight that he most certainly would have lost if it had occurred. And in the battle, he volunteered as a scout when he must have known he was unqualified. He cared little for his life after realizing that Roxane didn't really love him.
It was somewhat noble, I suppose, for him to want to come clean with Roxane, to allow Cyrano a chance with her. I'm sure it was because he recognized, though, that she was bound to figure it out when his wit and poetry disappeared after the honeymoon.
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