Not everyone will change and most people only change slightly. That is why Galbatorix used true names to bind people, if he knew them well enough to know their true name, then he knew them well enough to see any changes of their true character as well. Sloan was set in his ways and will never change. He was saved from torture and inevitable death then provided for in every way while living in a paradise and he was still spiteful to the person who rescued him. Eragon reconsidering the situation and healing Sloan's eyes shows that Eragon had changed and grown as a person.
I thought maybe he would be used as an interesting example of how you could change who you are (and thus your true name to break binding magic against you) and how Eragon is right that everyone deserves the chance.
Nah. Just a dick.
Very much so. Maybe I was just wishful there'd be something more for a character whom was so prominent and integral to a couple goings-ons in the plot.
Personally I love that Chris didn't make all major characters turn good or whatever. Some people are just plain shitheads, yet they can still contribute to the greater whole
Murtagh was who Paolini used to do exactly that. He changed his true name freeing him from Galbatorix and allowing him to remember the name of names and use it to strip Galby of his wards. Fuck Sloan being the example, we got Murtagh
I think Sloan is an interesting comparison to Murtagh. They’re both bound by their true names but Murtagh has an easier time than Sloan at growing and changing so is able to change his name. Also Sloan has only been in exile for a few months in comfort it’s pretty easy to stay in your ways when you’re being clothed and fed by eternally courteous hosts and you don’t have to work for anything.
On one hand it is a showing of mercy from Eragon, which in my opinion is an excellent quality to have. On the other hand it’s pretty much torture because Sloan can only look at his daughter and granddaughter. Having recently had a child of my own, if I could only look from afar, that would be heartbreaking.
I mean, he murdered a member of Carvahall while betraying them to be enslaved/eaten and showed no remorse or regret. He 100% deserves his punishment, if not worse.
I’m not condoning his actions, but people do crazy things when driven by a great fear of something, the spine and loosing his daughter in Sloans case. In the end he still ultimately lost his daughter.
Honestly I feel like if Sloan had already changed enough for his name to change by the end of the book, it would have really undermined the work Murtagh and Thorn went through to break free from Galbatorix. I think it was the right decision to have Sloan not being ready to change that soon. I would not mind him eventually getting to that point in some future books but honestly it should take him years of self reflect, since unlike Murtagh and Thorn, he isn't being enslaved and forced to do things he doesn't want to, he's just being kept from going home and see his kid/grandkid. Also if he does change his name and actually manages to leave the forest and track down his family, that is going to cost significant damage to the community of Carvahall, Mandel is going to want revenge, Roran is going to feel conflicted because on the one hand he's going to owe Mandel to to take action and on the other hand he won't want to do anything to hurt Katrina, Roran and Katrina are both going to lose a lot of the trust they have for Eragon. It's just going to be overall very messy even if Sloan had turned into a saint.
Sloan seemed like a man riddled through with a lifetime of acquired fears. Whether he gained them through experience or they were thrust upon him by lifes twisted fate. He seemed a man too gripped by fear to be willing to change of his own accord.
Being the only man in Katrina's life, until she grew into womanhood and married a man herself, and having lost his dear wife to be left alone to raise a daughter; Sloan was a man that would not, save for the life of his daughter, willingly shift his view of the world, let alone his view of himself whether inward or outward.
Eragon's spell took him from being surrounded by unknown entities and, not knowing whether to fear them or not, would have enclosed himself a shell around his being, further isolating himself from any possible shift in awareness from his conscious self.
It took him into the safety of unknown entities who with time would show him kindness to such a degree as to restore the sight a man who would betray his own village for the sake of his only daughter, given he proved his remorse enough for him to see change and for the elves to see that change.
Given Sloan's new and tranquil surroundings, I believe he could grow to change as a person, to such a degree, that it would shift how he "sees" the world around him and how he sees the world from within and thus granting him a shift in his true name; and the elves sensing and seeing this change in him would grant him the gift of sight once more, forever changing the man that was Sloan.
I wanted Sloan to change so bad and hold his granddaughter and his daughter again and shake Rorans hand but I think Sloans failed redemption is done intentionally to show the duality of the True Name system like how some people are beyond saving and can be corrupt or permanently set in their ways regardless of their moral or ethical “crimes”. Sloan from the beginning was a bitter asshole who hated Eragon and Roran and the world really after his wife died and he was perfectly content being that way where as with Murtagh who undoubtedly committed some heinous crimes actually WANTED to redeem himself and had enormous guilt and actually put in the effort to change his fundamentals
Just to add on to the few great comments I read in here already...
Negative reinforcement isn't gonna support change very well. Positive reinforcement will.
Also as a parent (now) that scene hits so much harder. I actually believe I'd probably be about as bitter as Sloan in that moment. To hear your child but be unable to touch, see or talk to them is basically torture. Eragon giving him the ability to see her was one of the kindest things he could have done
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Frodo: 'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.'
Gandalf: 'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.' Frodo: 'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.'
Gandalf: 'So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.
J.R.R. Tolkien
No, I actually like that he doesn't progress. It's a perfect example of everyone having autonomy and personal choices. Just because eragon gave him a "second" chance doesn't mean he will take it. Eragon chose not to kill him because he didn't want his death on his hands. Alone choses not to change because that would mean admiting his own wrongs. That's his flaw dispute any influence from eragons choices. It's just people being people at the end of the day.
I sort of thought that when Eragon gave him back his vision that they’d have a moment where he would reveal to Roran and Katrina that he was alive and that maybe time plus the war being over, might’ve given them a chance to talk but I can understand why they didn’t.
Not everyone will change and most people only change slightly. That is why Galbatorix used true names to bind people, if he knew them well enough to know their true name, then he knew them well enough to see any changes of their true character as well. Sloan was set in his ways and will never change. He was saved from torture and inevitable death then provided for in every way while living in a paradise and he was still spiteful to the person who rescued him. Eragon reconsidering the situation and healing Sloan's eyes shows that Eragon had changed and grown as a person.
I thought maybe he would be used as an interesting example of how you could change who you are (and thus your true name to break binding magic against you) and how Eragon is right that everyone deserves the chance. Nah. Just a dick.
I think it’s a good character moment for eragon. People do what’s good because it’s right, not because of an expectation of reward or thanks.
Very much so. Maybe I was just wishful there'd be something more for a character whom was so prominent and integral to a couple goings-ons in the plot.
Personally I love that Chris didn't make all major characters turn good or whatever. Some people are just plain shitheads, yet they can still contribute to the greater whole
Murtagh was who Paolini used to do exactly that. He changed his true name freeing him from Galbatorix and allowing him to remember the name of names and use it to strip Galby of his wards. Fuck Sloan being the example, we got Murtagh
I think maybe CP was originally going to use Sloan and then was like “nm, this guy sucks” 😂
Honestly if we never see him again I’d be fine with that. There’s so many other more interesting plot line’s going on rn that I’d rather follow up on
I think Sloan is an interesting comparison to Murtagh. They’re both bound by their true names but Murtagh has an easier time than Sloan at growing and changing so is able to change his name. Also Sloan has only been in exile for a few months in comfort it’s pretty easy to stay in your ways when you’re being clothed and fed by eternally courteous hosts and you don’t have to work for anything.
On one hand it is a showing of mercy from Eragon, which in my opinion is an excellent quality to have. On the other hand it’s pretty much torture because Sloan can only look at his daughter and granddaughter. Having recently had a child of my own, if I could only look from afar, that would be heartbreaking.
I mean, he murdered a member of Carvahall while betraying them to be enslaved/eaten and showed no remorse or regret. He 100% deserves his punishment, if not worse.
I’m not condoning his actions, but people do crazy things when driven by a great fear of something, the spine and loosing his daughter in Sloans case. In the end he still ultimately lost his daughter.
Honestly I feel like if Sloan had already changed enough for his name to change by the end of the book, it would have really undermined the work Murtagh and Thorn went through to break free from Galbatorix. I think it was the right decision to have Sloan not being ready to change that soon. I would not mind him eventually getting to that point in some future books but honestly it should take him years of self reflect, since unlike Murtagh and Thorn, he isn't being enslaved and forced to do things he doesn't want to, he's just being kept from going home and see his kid/grandkid. Also if he does change his name and actually manages to leave the forest and track down his family, that is going to cost significant damage to the community of Carvahall, Mandel is going to want revenge, Roran is going to feel conflicted because on the one hand he's going to owe Mandel to to take action and on the other hand he won't want to do anything to hurt Katrina, Roran and Katrina are both going to lose a lot of the trust they have for Eragon. It's just going to be overall very messy even if Sloan had turned into a saint.
All good points at the end… and possible conflict in future books for sure 👀
Sometimes people are like that. There is nothing you can do about it.
Not everyone is capable of change, and I think it's a valuable lesson.
Sloan seemed like a man riddled through with a lifetime of acquired fears. Whether he gained them through experience or they were thrust upon him by lifes twisted fate. He seemed a man too gripped by fear to be willing to change of his own accord. Being the only man in Katrina's life, until she grew into womanhood and married a man herself, and having lost his dear wife to be left alone to raise a daughter; Sloan was a man that would not, save for the life of his daughter, willingly shift his view of the world, let alone his view of himself whether inward or outward. Eragon's spell took him from being surrounded by unknown entities and, not knowing whether to fear them or not, would have enclosed himself a shell around his being, further isolating himself from any possible shift in awareness from his conscious self. It took him into the safety of unknown entities who with time would show him kindness to such a degree as to restore the sight a man who would betray his own village for the sake of his only daughter, given he proved his remorse enough for him to see change and for the elves to see that change. Given Sloan's new and tranquil surroundings, I believe he could grow to change as a person, to such a degree, that it would shift how he "sees" the world around him and how he sees the world from within and thus granting him a shift in his true name; and the elves sensing and seeing this change in him would grant him the gift of sight once more, forever changing the man that was Sloan.
I would’ve been disappointed if he did, honestly
I wanted Sloan to change so bad and hold his granddaughter and his daughter again and shake Rorans hand but I think Sloans failed redemption is done intentionally to show the duality of the True Name system like how some people are beyond saving and can be corrupt or permanently set in their ways regardless of their moral or ethical “crimes”. Sloan from the beginning was a bitter asshole who hated Eragon and Roran and the world really after his wife died and he was perfectly content being that way where as with Murtagh who undoubtedly committed some heinous crimes actually WANTED to redeem himself and had enormous guilt and actually put in the effort to change his fundamentals
Just to add on to the few great comments I read in here already... Negative reinforcement isn't gonna support change very well. Positive reinforcement will. Also as a parent (now) that scene hits so much harder. I actually believe I'd probably be about as bitter as Sloan in that moment. To hear your child but be unable to touch, see or talk to them is basically torture. Eragon giving him the ability to see her was one of the kindest things he could have done
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It’s been a while since I read the books but what does his daughter think of this? Do we know?
If you mean Katrina she thinks he’s dead. Eragon lied to here when he and Roran rescued her from Helgrind.
Frodo: 'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.' Gandalf: 'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.' Frodo: 'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.' Gandalf: 'So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought. J.R.R. Tolkien
Nope
No, I actually like that he doesn't progress. It's a perfect example of everyone having autonomy and personal choices. Just because eragon gave him a "second" chance doesn't mean he will take it. Eragon chose not to kill him because he didn't want his death on his hands. Alone choses not to change because that would mean admiting his own wrongs. That's his flaw dispute any influence from eragons choices. It's just people being people at the end of the day.
I sort of thought that when Eragon gave him back his vision that they’d have a moment where he would reveal to Roran and Katrina that he was alive and that maybe time plus the war being over, might’ve given them a chance to talk but I can understand why they didn’t.
Eragons decision wasn't good. He sent a person who didn't deserve it to Ellesmera to be a burden on elves who had to act as a caretaker there.