Berserk Chapter 7 Discussion
- Thread starter TheLocalGuyT2P
- Start date
- #19
But in all seriousness, this chapter was nuts...literally. And it turns out our main boi Guts has some beef with Griffith and before things went south with the count's daughter, low and behold, he has another trick up his sleeve.
This series keeps on getting better and better with each coming chapter
- #21
The count is initially portrayed as a devout, hardworking man committed to his beliefs. The scene with his wife vividly conveys his reaction to this traumatic event: It was an uncanny sight. Amidst a strange stench and a wave of heat, a sea of flesh squirmed in a tangled mass. To the count, the orgy is repulsive but, the participants are faceless and merely a "sea of flesh". Yet, amidst this grotesque spectacle, his attention is caught by one person in particular, entwined around that god, as if clinging to it, was the figure of a woman writhing in ecstasy... contorting her face in pleasure. It was the figure of the woman he loved above all else. He is devastated by the sight of his wife. Whereas others are merely repugnant, the sight of his wife participating in this depravity is felt and viewed as an entrenchment with evil, illustrated by her being at the top of the goat statue. The scene that follows powerfully reflects the count's feelings and response to the trauma. Consumed by rage and despair, he is overwhelmed by his emotions and wishes only to alleviate his suffering. His transformation, marked by the act of killing his wife, illustrates how this event irrevocably changed him. How he became more malignant, and how he began to view Theresia as a symbol of purity to be protected from the corrupting world, to prevent her from becoming defiled like her mother.
It may be that god is fate, and so it would follow that the Godhand act in accordance to the laws of fate. At the same time, they seem to embody our deepest, most primal emotions (we have come hither to grant you your deepest desire). This suggests that our inner desires are intertwined with fate, with the implication being that everything we do might be preordained. The Godhand's representation of our deepest psyche is hinted at in a couple of ways. Griffith’s explanation regarding the Brand of Sacrifice can be interpreted to mean that the closer we stand to profound emotion, the greater the suffering it entails. Guts’ observations might point to Griffith's godhood being rooted in his deepest traumas. Furthermore, the Godhand do not address superficial desires, such as the Count's wish for revenge against Guts. Instead, they respond to his primordial desire for survival. Similarly, our deepest emotions are not easily altered by ordinary events, thus the need for a significant sacrifice, determined by the strength of the bond.
In light of the aforementioned, Theresia’s sacrifice reflects the turmoil within the Count's mind. If he had succeeded in sacrificing Theresia, he might have triumphed over Guts. Yet, doing so will severe his last remaining bond, plunging him further into an existence devoid of empathy and human connection.
