Holy! Thanks to
Mr.Guy 36, I just realized I haven't posted on this re-read. And what a shame, The David Trilogy was an EPIC READ!!!
1) The subtle approach doesn't work with the summit meeting, so the Ani's go with direct. Think this is a good strategy?
Well, they had tried the sneaky and subtle. The Yeerks were already onto them, PLUS they were fatigued and worn out from having to handle David.
2) David attempts to regain a "real" life by taking over Saddler, Jake and Rachels dying cousin. The theory is that David gets his life back and Saddler's parents get their kid back. What do you think about this solution?
This was a bizarre move on his part, in my opinion. Here we have the first human character that is perfectly fine with, not only, masquarading as other humans (he does it to Marco, too!), but thinks it's ok to morph acquire a dying person and dump their corpse somewhere. Saddler practically looked and acted like David, from the impression that I got. But David had clashed with Jake prior to this book, why would he want 'to be' in the same family branch?! Supposedly, he wouldn't really be 'gone' from Jake's life.
I won't say it was evil, because I actually don't take David as evil. He is just a selfish spoilt rich kid, who doesn't measure the means of achievement, a kid who wasn't really cut for the demands of fighting for Earth. For him to think that he could become rich with the morphing power was just ludicrous, given the circumstances of an alien invasion and war he gravitated to. David had shown signs he could have been an awesome fighter against the Yeerks, much like the others, but he was to self-centered to be fighting for the good of the Earth and human race. This really came off in
The Return, to me, also.
3) Why do you think David pursued the Animorphs, instead of disappearing and going about his own business getting rich?
He wanted the Blue Cube, didn't he?!
4) Why do you think things got so personal between Rachel and David?
Though I never really saw them as alike, I think, the two characters themselves, David and Rachel, felt they were becoming more and more alike in that brief time they met. But I think, deep down, after the fork incident, Rachel was trying to differenciate herself from him.
5) The final solution: David's nothlitism. Was it the right decision?
Holy!
That's a tough question.
We gotta take into consideration the time that the decision was made. There was NO outlook on the Animorphs winning the war, and their secret identity was one of the few major advantages that the Anis had over the enemy. Not to mention that the Yeerks COULD NOT get a hold of another morph-capable host, such as the one they would find in David, had he walked away.
As it was, David had proven himself NOT TRUSTWORTHY in more ways than one. Turning him
nothlit was virtually THE ONLY peaceful solution. One which I found gratifyingly fit, horrible of me, I know, to a person of David's calibre. In some ways, the kid had caused more damage to the Anis than the Yeerks.
Did anyone else get really surprised with that ending the first time they read it?! When I read the title of this book, all the things kept pointing to a 'David MUST DIE' finale. But the nothlit-spin was a good one!!
I really see no other alternative...
