#rayni really called him out for real like she was RUTHLESS

[dragoncookies]

Why Fitz is the One of the Most Thematic

In my opinion, Fitz is one of the most thematic character in the series besides Rayni or Prentice. He is a Vacker, and the Vackers are the epitome of elven culture. Yet, in the Vacker family there are scandels and hidden darkness, and the perfection that needs to be maintained in being Vacker becomes crippling to the family members. Likewise, being an elf and being apart of the elven society seems so perfect and everyone is happy on the outside, but so many flaws and ugly cases are swept under that rug of perfection. Both of these prove that no system really can be perfect and things have to change at some point. So, while Fitz has built his entire life around being a perfect Vacker, under glaring scrutiny, the world around him is changing and suddenly these systems that have built him up are crumbling down, so he too is breaking down. Without the expectations of being the perfect Vacker and elf (like having a strong ability, being the best at foxfire, finding the perfect match on your match list that will make your children the strongest etc etc), he seems...useless. In fact, Rayni (who I mentioned to be an incredibly thematic character, who REALLY highlights how the systems are flawed) points this out in Stellarlune, calling him a "backup" and questioning what his real use is.

I mean, imagine everything that once made you great being stripped away, and realizing everything you worked for your entire life was all for nothing because apparently it's all wrong. That's what is happening to Fitz, and what will happen to many elves if Sophie can bring true change to the Lost Cities (why did that sound kind of like those summaries on the backs of books).

Fitz’s struggle as a character illuminates how superficial elven success is, and how elves should find meaning somewhere other than being perfect, having the strongest natural ability, having the greatest status and such. It’s pretty satisfying when you look at him that way. Just wish he’d be promoted from the role of Love Interest, and that Shannon would actually explore his character, because it could be really powerful to the story.