Blog Summary 9/24

In the posts for this week, there are a variety of different themes but one reoccurring point is Ned’s morality and values. Roman brought up the question of whether Ned’s morals were based on his own convictions or rather those of his mother and what was expected from his Irish heritage. He asked if anyone had seen any examples of Ned actually depending on his own ethical standards, without the influence of anyone else. David mentions how Ned’s desire to avenge the sufferings of his family’s when they are threatened sheds a positive light on Ned’s character. This brings out the idea that Ned does have morals and convictions and, though they get him in trouble with the law, he is not necessarily a bad person. A good quote from Batman: “Ned begins to fit the cast of a person who is legally a criminal, yet has his own peculiar moral code that dictates the crimes he commits.”
 

The idea of Ned being a hero or a villain comes into question several times. Ned was compared to both Voldemort from Harry Potter by Allen and Darth Vader by ReadingJusticeX.  This correlates with the discussion of Ned’s morals. Some students seem to think highly of Ned’s convictions, despite how they often get him involved with the law, yet others see them as a slippery slope that will eventually lead to a destructive ending. 

Has Ned transitioned from being a hero to a villain?  ReadingJusticeX talked about how Ned’s character was sliding down a slippery slope that placed him in a more villainous light. Yet is there darkness within Ned, or is it just hardness and bitterness from his circumstances? In this same vein, Allen brings up a point that it doesn’t matter whether Ned is a hero or a villain; it should not affect the way we read the novel. 

Another theme of the blog posts was the naivety of Ned. Batman went as far as to call Ned a fool for how he interacted with his situations. He doesn’t really seem to see his situations or their potential consequences for how they really are.  Matt talks about the sympathy he has for Ned because of how easily he is tricked and manipulated by others. Ned trusts others too much and that gets him in trouble; his innocence is dwindling.