Dragaera

domesticated animals

Wed Feb 4 23:30:52 PST 2004


On Wed, 4 Feb 2004, David Silberstein wrote:

> On Wed, 4 Feb 2004, Philip Hart wrote:
>
> >
> >Teldra's pet metaphors seem better evidence to me, but she has a
> >strongly Eastern background and audience at the time.
> >
>
> How about Khaavren's, or rather, Paarfi's pet metaphors?

Ah yes:

"Khaavren, after noting it, turned his eyes firmly away, feeling
uncomfortably like the family dog salivating at the bone on his master's
plate."

I overlooked that - I'll grant you it is a pet metaphor supporting the
pet thesis.  I suppose I can argue that this might be a translator's
improvement on a passage that makes no cultural sense to us, or that
dogs might have a functional role to Dragaerans (in hunting or combat)
without implying a role as pets.


>
> >
> >I resist the pet idea for Ds - imagine getting a dog knowing it would
> >live not 8 years but say 8/40 years = five months.
> >
>
> Your argument would be stronger if Earth-humans preferred turtles or
> parrots to cats or dogs.  We rarely choose pets based on longevity.

I find this unconvincing - if we could make long-lived pets we would,
and I'm sure a parent choosing between a 1-year-half-life poodle and
a 20-year-half-life black labrador would go for the latter every time
(setting aside the fact that poodles are an offense in S--B's eyes).

For the record I'm a cat person.

> Um.
>
> I just remembered that our esteemed author does in fact prefer parrot
> to dog, but still, you realize I mean in terms of the larger general
> population.  And anyway, his stated reasons have nothing to do with
> longevity.

Your last statement points me towards the opposite conclusion...