Group Re-Read: Week 6: #6 The Capture

[Terenia]

Summary
It was really bad when Jake found out his older brother was one of them. It was even worse when Tobias stayed in his morph too long. But nothing compares to the horror the Animorphs are about to face. Nothing.

Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie and Marco have a feeling they know where the Yeerks' new base is located. And they've even figured out how to get in - how many people will really notice a few flies on the wall? But they never figured that they might get caught. Or that Jake could fall into the Yeerk pool. That Jake could become a human-Controller.

A Yeerk.

The enemy.

Questions
1. This is the first book where we see Jake contemplating that he might need to destroy his brother, Tom. How do you think KA handled this? How do his thoughts now compare to later on in the series?

2. What do you think about the Yeerk himself and how he acts. For example, do you think its realistic of a Yeerk to give himself up so easily (when he sees Ax)? Similarly, do you think Ax should be able to discern a non-Controller from a Controller as well as he did?

3. In this book Jake doesn't act as if he has any reservations about parboiling a couple hundred Yeerks, but later on he seems hesitant. Most notably in #54 when he flushes the Yeerks from the ship. Why do you think he had a change of heart?

4. Why do you think KA decided to introduce Crayak in this book? Especially since he isn't really mentioned again until...I think #26?

5. Any other questions? I had a looong list written out, but the file is nowhere to be found. Sad


Next week we will be reading #7, The Stranger

[morfowt]

4. actually, K.A. said she didn't know yet what to do with the red eye. She just knew she wanted to do something. I guess she finally figured out what in #26.

[V2113]

I think Ax's four eyes had spotted the Yeerk/Jake's expression upon seeing him. He noticed that, knew that Prince Jake would never have that ook of disgust and hatred on his face for even a second. He knew that face would be exactly the kind of face a Yeerk would make and had oh so many times and reacted. I think Ax would normally not be so good at figuring out ho is who, but the Yeerk made the expression, Ax saw it, Ax recognized it and remembered that Jake's head had been in the pool for just enough time, probably remembered that he had said he couldn't think and he knew that Jake hadn't responded to anything that had been going on until just then. Come on, anyone who didn't completely trust Jake would've guessed it.

[Slushie Man]

1. This is the first book where we see Jake contemplating that he might need to destroy his brother, Tom. How do you think KA handled this? How do his thoughts now compare to later on in the series?

I think it was handled pretty realistically, and seeing as how I never got past book 24 or 25, I can't really answer the second part of that.

2. What do you think about the Yeerk himself and how he acts. For example, do you think its realistic of a Yeerk to give himself up so easily (when he sees Ax)? Similarly, do you think Ax should be able to discern a non-Controller from a Controller as well as he did?

Andalites are the Universe's experts on Yeerks, so yeah, if anyone could tell easily, it'd be an Andalite. And as was stated, it really wasn't that hard. As for the yeerk itself, it's only a lower-level Yeerk. Not all Yeerks are expected to be as calculated as Visser 3.

3. In this book Jake doesn't act as if he has any reservations about parboiling a couple hundred Yeerks, but later on he seems hesitant. Most notably in #54 when he flushes the Yeerks from the ship. Why do you think he had a change of heart?

By that point, he's understanding everything a lot better, not everything is as simple as black and white.

4. Why do you think KA decided to introduce Crayak in this book? Especially since he isn't really mentioned again until...I think #26?

A nice teaser.

As for another question, what do you think Elfangor would have thought of Jake for flushing all those Yeerks, when he was willing to fight Alloran to the death to STOP him from doing pretty much the exact same thing?

[V2113]

As for another question, what do you think Elfangor would have thought of Jake for flushing all those Yeerks, when he was willing to fight Alloran to the death to STOP him from doing pretty much the exact same thing?

*in most parental sounding voice* He would be very disappointed with him and be happy that his son (TOBIAS!) doesn't behave like that. And he would've made sure that he spoke with Jake's parents about that so he would've been grounded for sure. I also would have expected Tom to get grounded from the Yeerk Pool for a week for having an evil murderous slug whose goal in life is to take over the universe in his head, teenagers, you can never trust them (no offence RAF teens). Naturally Al Fangor would have mentioned that little problem. (only the first sentence had anything to do with this at all.)

He might also suggest to Marco's dad that he speak to his wife about the whole, being Visser One and taking over the world thing. It would complicate their marriage. He might even try to start a protest to having a murderous Controller as the school Vice Principle. I bet parents would be angry to hear about that.

[Terenia]

Yeah, I can't imagine that Elfangor would be too pleased. In fact, I think Elfangor would see a bit of Alloran in Jake.

[Phoenix004]

1. This is the first book where we see Jake contemplating that he might need to destroy his brother, Tom. How do you think KA handled this? How do his thoughts now compare to later on in the series?

I liked the moral dilemma that started here and grew through out the series.

2. What do you think about the Yeerk himself and how he acts. For example, do you think its realistic of a Yeerk to give himself up so easily (when he sees Ax)? Similarly, do you think Ax should be able to discern a non-Controller from a Controller as well as he did?

I would say that he acted like a typical power-hungry Yeerk. He blended in well until he was taken by surprise by an Andalite (his mortal enemy) and failed to stop a look of hatred flashing onto his face. Also, Ax is not stupid. He knew that Jake had been in the Yeerk Pool long enough to be infested.

3. In this book Jake doesn't act as if he has any reservations about parboiling a couple hundred Yeerks, but later on he seems hesitant. Most notably in #54 when he flushes the Yeerks from the ship. Why do you think he had a change of heart?

The Yeerks in the hospital are an immediate threat as they would soon be used to infest patients. By #54 Jake had learned about the Yeerk Peace Movement and knew that not all Yeerks were evil, plus there were A LOT more Yeerks being killed in #54.

4. Why do you think KA decided to introduce Crayak in this book? Especially since he isn't really mentioned again until...I think #26?

To get reader's interest and set up a plot for later in the series.

What do you think Elfangor would have thought of Jake for flushing all those Yeerks, when he was willing to fight Alloran to the death to STOP him from doing pretty much the exact same thing?

I suppose he might be disappointed, but there are a number of differences between the two cases. The number of Yeerks Elfangor was supposed to kill was far greater than the number Jake killed. The Yeerks in the hospital were an immediate threat to the planet, unlike those on the Taxxon world (one of the hospital Yeerks was going to take the governor- soon to be possible president- as a host). I'm sure that Elfangor would have felt differently if the Yeerks had started to invade the Andalite homeworld and he was ordered to kill some  defenceless Yeerks.