Zack Character Discussion

[Kat]

It's been bugging me throughout the books so I have to talk to someone about it!

In the relationship with Kate in Netween and On The Line I noticed a few things. First was, when Zack died and returned he COULD have healed himself in the void, he said so, but he needed Kate to do it for her own good. Then he couldn't sleep with her, had to send her away even, to make sure she could become a power in her own right - and, notice this, from that point on he didn't even hint at what he thougt they should do. I think it's because he wanted her to make her own choices, not to see what the original would have done and then further shaping herself after him. Plus he had the big Shadow take care of her in the void instead of doing it himself. He didn't involve himself when she was dealing with political situations at all, not like one would have expected, but backed her up on everything she wanted to do.
Then there was that thing with the addictions. He learned from the Alede and he's not the type of person who wouldn't listen to warnings about that kind of thing, warnings he got. He would never hurt anyone like that just to make his life easier, that excuse seemed totally off. It's just not Zack - especially since he can just listen to the Shadows and use the Alede techniques to get similar results as a lover - and he especially wouldn't give his DAUGHTER extra doses of drugs, more than anyone else. In the whole Between book it's never really mentioned or explained what he is doing there though it was said that he knew what was happening though not the why or anything else. He didn't let those who weren't close to him or sleeping with him in any way get addicted from the very beginning either. There was no need for him to do it to make things easier and, as mentioned in Between, he knew what was happening.
So my theory is that that one was another, call it test or character forming event meant to build up Kate. In other words, I think Zack planned this. A being that's as old as he is wouldn't make such simple beginner's mistakes. So he wanted Kate, who got huge doses and HAD to notice eventually (and notice, the 'it makes things easier excuse doesn't work there at all) to fix something he had messed up (on purpose) to form her into a Character of her own that's different from him and WANTS to be different from him, to stress the importance of not having one character, Zack, in different bodies. So in my opinion this was a lesson because before that Zack was Kate's image of perfection in all ways. If he had stepped out of the void perfectly fine and never made that huge 'mistake' he would have been a god in her eyes and she would, on top of being in love, do anything to be like him. After those events she has gained her independence.

[David]

Perhaps, or maybe it was to affirm to the reader that Zack was not perfect. By saying it was a setup to affirm to Kate he wasnt a god or perfect you are kind of elevating him to that position by giving him that much forethought.

That said, maybe he lied about not caring cause it was easier, to do what you said, make Kate act. But the initial mistake I think was just a mistake.

After all it must be a subtle thing, or the Alede he was addicting would have noticed right off. It took the outsider, the one that couldnt get Zack in bed to notice. Maybe he thought the additional pleasure he was giving was different from what an Alede did and was harmless at first.

Who knows, but I only partially agree, saying Zack did such a horrible thing because it was the easy way to manage things didnt ring true for me as well. But I also dont think he would put all those women through hell just to set one on the right path, that isnt him either.

[Kat]

[Darrin]

I have to agree that this turn in the story came out of left field. All of a sudden Zach is so careless and uncaring that he addicts all the people he loves to a very bad thing that he knows all about from his training. I find this totally against what his character/nature has been shown to be in the previous books.

To me it feels like an author needing an issue to create hostility between formerly friendly people. It's a nice way to cause the end of a series.

[Darrin]

[rockhazard]

Unlike most of you, I find this exactly in line with Zack's character. If you recall, Zack had said, in internal dialogue, that he wasn't sure how he could keep all his women happy. Zack uses his power as a crutch much of the time. He relies on it almost to the exclusion of everything else, so of course he'd look to his ability to induce pleasure as a means of satisfying his numerous paramours. Kate pointed this out, that he had a feeling of inadequacy about his relationships, and that he'd relied on the pleasure to "make up" for his shortcomings. Shortcomings that were all in his head, according to her. Given his past as a victim of extreme child abuse, a factor that can and does damage self-esteem and the ability to form healthy relationships in a person's life, and the new reality foisted upon him, that all makes sense. He's overwhelmed.

One thing that doesn't make sense is why he couldn't cure them himself, once it was pointed out that he'd harmed them. He wouldn't even need the void to do it, so wouldn't have to risk a person's sanity. He can compel a person's Shadow. With many real addictions, habit is sufficient to counter them over time, and even when it's not (as with alcohol), his therapy can be reapplied. Also, I suspect the pleasure addiction is really psychological, a form of addiction acutely susceptible to the influence of long-term habit change. Sure, this is speculation, but it fits the facts. Most addictions involve the release of endorphin, but chemical addictions rely on replacing a chemical component with the drug of choice, creating physical dependency on a substance. That isn't what sex addiction is, which is the closest thing to what is happening in the book.

It also doesn't make sense that they all immediately start acquiring energy through qi feeding again, if not through Zack. The Alede claim that the addiction is to the specific person, but that isn't something they could establish in his case, since he isn't an Alede and he's feeding non-Aledes. Even then, isn't it Zack who immediately feeds her again after she takes the cure? Patty said that they might have to break contact with him forever even if they break the addiction! Kate didn't wait long to test that theory, like she assumed it wouldn't be an issue.