“Journey Before Destination”: Redemption in Stormlight Archive Redemption arcs not only serve to create a realistic cast of morally gray characters, they also give validity to the hopeful idea that no one is beyond saving and that there is a seed of goodness in everyone. In Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series, Dalinar's redemption arc is told in reverse. He is introduced as one of the most noble and honorable characters in the series, and readers come to love a virtuous high prince[1] who fights a seemingly justified war against the people who murdered his brother, the king. However, when the memories that Dalinar repressed long ago and glimpses of the heinous deeds of his past begin to resurface, it creates an interesting dynamic in which the reader can explore Dalinar's past with him and consider whether he deserves to be redeemed. . He must come to terms with his long history of bloodlust, accept that he has grown and changed as a person since then, and determine whether he has done enough to atone for his past. Dalinar's progression from bloodthirsty warrior to leader of renowned integrity shows a masterfully crafted dynamic character who is unwilling to let his past define his future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the first book, Dalinar is introduced as a noble high prince and an admirable soldier. The other high princes are portrayed as greedy and selfish; they have long abandoned the codes of the war fields, concerned only with plundering gems in their exploits. Dalinar opposes them in every way; he is the only one who respected the codes of the war camp: refusing to duel, always appearing in uniform and even forcing his children to adhere to the set of codes. He appears to be the only one who cares about winning the war, refusing to engage in small skirmishes to gain advantages against competing high princes, and instead devising strategies to win the war in the long term. Furthermore, not only does Dalinar not support the other high princes' cruel practice of using bridgemen[2], but he demonstrates compassion for the bridgemen at the end of the first book; he trades his splintered blade, a mythical blade worth more than kingdoms, to one of his worst enemies in exchange for the freedom of a squadron of enslaved bridgemen. When questioned about his motives, Dalinar asks one of the men on the bridge how much a life is worth. The pontiff responds that a life is priceless, and Dalinar responds, “coincidentally, that is the exact value of a splinter blade. So today you and your men sacrificed yourselves to buy me 2600 priceless lives. And all I had to repay you with was a single priceless sword” (The Way of Kings 1196). This memorable phrase shows that he values ​​human life and has no taste for unnecessary violence. In a video analyzing Dalinar's character arc, reviewer Daniel Greene points out that knowing Dalinar's backstory "makes this current version of Dalinar a completely different character... He is cautious about violence or coercing his men to engage in battle... he is terrified of feeling bloodlust. again” (“Dalinar”). He is portrayed as one of the few men of honor in the war fields, someone tired of the violence and bloodshed, but perhaps just afraid of who he was. Some of the other princes and soldiers in the war fields seem to fear him. He has holes in his memory, he can't even remember the name of his deceased wife. Although he seems to be very proud of both of themhis children, their dialogue suggests that it wasn't always this way. Dalinar is desperately trying to be a better person than he was, but neither the reader nor Dalinar knows exactly what he has done. Regardless of its past, according to Dalinar, “no result has as much substance as the road used to achieve it… It is the journey that shapes us. Our calloused feet, our shoulders strong from the weight of our travels, our eyes open with the fresh pleasure of lived experiences” (The Way of Kings 1020). No matter where he started, it is the journey, the path that connects his past to his future, that determines who he truly is. The third book gives way to flashback chapters; Dalinar's memories of his past slowly resurface and the reader finally gets to see the man he was and bridge the gap between his past and his present. When his brother was still king, the kingdom's armies proved nearly unstoppable as they expanded their borders and conquered more and more lands. Dalinar was one of the most ruthless and ruthless warriors. With his splinter blade he was nearly unstoppable and left bloodshed in his wake, pillaging and killing innocents, regardless of whether the city they were conquering had already surrendered. A brutal and cruel fighter, he craved battle and violence. His wife Evi, the fruit of a political marriage, was in every way his opposite. She was kind, thoughtful and peaceful by nature. No matter how much Dalinar rejected her, she only wanted the best for him and their family, giving their two children plenty of love and attention. Dalinar, on the other hand, did not care about his family, neglected his children, showed contempt for Evi, only concerned with her conquests. However, one kingdom, the Rift, was not to be conquered; Dalinar should have set an example for other kingdoms who thought they would resist. As Dalinar's armies mounted to capture the Rift, Evi descended to negotiate with the king of the Rift and plead with him to surrender. Built of wooden structures that crawled along the wall of an abyss, the Rift's design was easily used to Dalinar's advantage. He poured oil on the kingdom and burned it from above, saying: “I intend to ruin this place so completely that for ten generations no one will dare to build here for fear of the spirits that haunt it. We will make a pyre of this city, and there will be no mourning for its passing, for no one will be left to mourn” (Oathbringer 742). All the civilians were still inside: men, women, innocent children and, above all, Evi. In a video discussing redemption arcs, videographer Red points out, "there are tons of reasons why bad guys become good, but they're almost always highly personalized because they have to arise from the character of the bad guy himself" ("Trope Talk"). When Dalinar discovers that Evi was in the Rift when he burned it, it's a turning point for his character, a point where the extent of the atrocities he committed seems to come into focus for him. He finally recognizes the pain he caused when his actions hurt someone he loved, someone he didn't realize he loved until she was gone. This was more than a single bad decision, he had gotten to this point because he was simply a bad person. What follows is a long cycle of guilt, alcohol, and trying to forget the things he had done. The way it is written causes revulsion for Dalinar and induces sympathy for Evi. The Dalinar of the past is nothing like the Dalinar that readers have come to love, and Dalinar and readers must ask themselves whether he has truly done enough since then to be redeemed for his actions. At the time, Dalinar could not face his horrible crimes,.