2013/10/14 [Matilida #31]--Unreliable Narration Much?

[seikueon]

I am so confused I had to create an account just to tell everyone how confused I am!  (Hi, nice to meet all of you, just started reading seriously about a month ago but have been aware of comic for years now, I hope I did everything right...)

So it's assumed what's shown is reality and what she's saying is just her version of events.  It makes me wonder who she's telling this to and what she gains by misleading/lying.  We know what she does by the end, just not the specifics.  So maybe she's just trying to be shown in a better light?

[Dimitri Lionheart]

I made this account just for DMFA and I don't think I've posted here at all yet. Anyways welcome to you too.

My best guess would be that Mathilda is trying to scare off the group and making them reconsider visiting the mountain?

[Zebra Bug]

Welcome to you both! I have been reading seriously since 2005, so it is nice to meet some new readers!

Um, The visual events are what really happened as far as I know...and I don't think she is deliberately lying....in my opinion, I think something so traumatic happened that she misremembered the events.

[Angel]

It could also be her later opinion of her brother coloring her memories of the past differently.

Or she's trying to justify her later actions against her brother.

Either way, I'm looking forward to the real story behind the narrative dissonance.

[killpurakat]

Welcome to you both! I have been reading seriously since 2005, so it is nice to meet some new readers!

Um, The visual events are what really happened as far as I know...and I don't think she is deliberately lying....in my opinion, I think something so traumatic happened that she misremembered the events.

It could also be her later opinion of her brother coloring her memories of the past differently.

Or she's trying to justify her later actions against her brother.

Either way, I'm looking forward to the real story behind the narrative dissonance.

Or, the possibility I'm seriously considering, Matilda and her brother pulled off a major trick to both ensure his safety and the safety of their sister, and something went wrong and got her kicked out (should have given her safety as well). Maybe even something to do with males challenging him to take Matilda and Hishnai away (and Matilda didn't like what happened, intervened, ripped off her future mate's arm, and got kicked out as a result).

I don't know. Something about this set up gives the feeling of a bigger plot gone wrong, and Matilda sticking to a story because that's what's best for ohters (and she's the type to care enough to lie for the rest of her life about those events just in case something were to get back to the BVM).

Of course, Amber's already stated that she can't tell short stories, so we likely won't get our answer for another... 20 weeks or so? Maybe as a Christmas present if we're lucky?

(And yes, I'm totally trying to guilt Amber into giving up more pages because I am cruel like that!  )

[Merlin]

Unless Matilda secretly has another brother, I'm all of the confused.

...even if she does, still confused.

[Dimitri Lionheart]

I was also considering that Mathilda might have more then one brother. Or Maybe its a tribe thing? Call those who are close and trusted, brothers?


Im not really a new reader, been reading DMFA for years. 

[joshofspam]

I'm confused too....and I'm loving it.

It seems like she's completely coloring over her brothers true nature except when it favors the personality possibly as how she's currently lying about it.

Two things we know she told Dan about him. 1) She had an arguments with him. 2) She tore off his arm and beat him into submission with it.

Why do I get the feeling that might have been something regretted more than her banishment if true?

[DragonBlast]

I was also considering that Mathilda might have more then one brother. Or Maybe its a tribe thing? Call those who are close and trusted, brothers?

If that where true, would she not have called others brother/sister, not just her siblings? Matilda and her father have only talked about one brother... And what of Kesserk? he was acting like Heshi was the only male offspring of his father. All of that seem to point to one brother.... so i feel like i must side with Killpurakat on this with...

I don't know. Something about this set up gives the feeling of a bigger plot gone wrong, and Matilda sticking to a story because that's what's best for ohters (and she's the type to care enough to lie for the rest of her life about those events just in case something were to get back to the BVM).

I also think she may have never ripped Heshi's arm off (Matilda does not seem like the kind of person to do so), and also might of left BV semi willingly in order to protect her brother/sister... But that might just be me not seeing what might really be happening here.

[Jasae Bushae]

*reads update* ah...So we are getting an entire week of Matilda soon so we can make a mad desperate dash as fast as we can through what Amber dubs 'the sad part'.....I really appreciate this and in retrospect I can only imagine how super mega devastatingly downer a fa'lina story would have been ^^;

[Wanderer]

I'm reminded of an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where they had to try to figure out who had murdered a scientist by blowing up the station he was on (Comander Riker was the prime suspect), and they used the holodeck to recreate scenes of various events from witness testimony. The same scenes, when described by different witnesses, played out completely differently, but Councilor Troi still confirmed that none of the witnesses were lying.

Memory is a fickle thing, capable of being influenced by emotional impressions. A strong negative impression of her brother, formed after the events we are currently seeing, could very well have caused Matilda to genuinely believe what she is saying, despite it disagreeing with what we are seeing.

[ChaosMageX]

I can't help but wonder now, if Mab had won the back-story battle instead of Matilda, would that story have involved any sad parts?

[Stormrunner]

http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1319.php

I am just going to leave this here.

[maus_merryjest]

I'm loving the fact that Matilda is an Unreliable Narrator in this story and that Amber is keeping her honest, so to speak   I'm definitely looking forward to how the story develops and leads towards the break for her.

[seikueon]

I am a big fan of unreliable narrators.  I guess I'm just also a big fan of speculation.

I never could figure out who she was telling this to.  I would assume those scientists/adventures, too.  Except she starts narrating over it back then.  So in my opinion, she's actually telling someone else all together.  Since she'd be telling them about the first day she left, then realized she should start sooner.

Whether it's someone from the current timeline or someone when she first set out on her own, we'll find out eventually. Something tells me she's not telling this to Dan.

Oh, I am such a big fan of Matilida, I'm glad she gets her own comic! X3

As for whether Mab's story would have been sad at all...I'd certainly think so.  She has so many pensive moments.  They're usually broken up for the lulz but I think if we needed a side story that's funny, we'd have to vote for Azlan.

[Les]

http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1319.php

I am just going to leave this here.

Hmm, that does.. yes..


From what we've seen so far, Matilda's brother is a sweetie, a kind a gentle soul.. much like his father.  Problem is, being kind and gentle and apathetic to violence makes one a pretty crappy alpha in the BVM social order.. and Matilda's Brother didn't have a great feat of accomplishment to rest his laurels on like his father did, so [expletive delete]'s gonna get real.

[Kazzellin]

Huh. Well, this is unexpected. I'd forgotten about the page detailing the male/female differences of the species, so would have to agree that her brother has a lot of non-violent ground to make up for. Unless he just lays down and lets whoever wants to do whatever to his sisters; in a way, that would be a betrayal, after all.

Then again, PTSD from what happened could easily be coloring Matilda's memory (as already mentioned) so we shall all have to wait and see.

On the subject of who Matilda is narrating all of this to, I've been in favor of Pyroduck since the other person first spoke. He's the one who tends to interview people and carry notebooks around, if memory of his profile is correct. *checks* Yup. "Often-times Pyroduck is seen writing in a series of journals and when asked he claims to be documenting."

[Aurawyn]

I didn't know "Unreliable Narration" was a thing..

I just knew that starting around 23 I was becoming confused because "Brother" didn't seem to be acting the way I was expecting from the Narration...


P.S. Hi! I haven't posted here in aaaaages....

[Slacker Spice]

Stand back, everyone, I'm linking to the Black Time Sucking Pit of Doom TV Tropes!

Unreliable Narrator Trope

[seikueon]

Scary....

[Prroul]

Yea, the more I see the narrative dissonance, the more I begin to realize that Matilda's point of view may not have been the most accurate, and that her brother is likely going to get a rather undeserved beating. Or maybe he WILL deserve the beating, but for some other unrelated reason. Or she may have beaten him for the right reason, despite her narrative dissonance. We'll just have to wait and find out.