*Zeb vs. Emily Nowell Debate

Okay, I'm sorry this took so long. Also, it's a bit rushed (okay, lot rushed) and I could have improved quite a bit on it... oh well, I can save some of those quotes for a reply to your reply (I'm sure you'll have plenty of great counterpoints. ).
Anyways, enough with my excuses, here it is!

---Sure, here's the quote about Nasuada: (from Brisingr, page 229)

"Nasuada was garbed in a green silk dress that shimmered in the sun, like the feathers on the breast of a hummingbird, in bright contrast to the sable shade of her skin. The sleeves of the dress ended in lace ruffs at her elbows. White linen bandages covered the rest of her arms to her narrow wrists. Of all the men and women assembled before her, she was the most distinguished, like an emerald resting on a bed of brown autumn leaves. Only Saphira could compete with the brilliance of her appearance."

It would appear that I had the wording wrong, but it still holds strong for my point. Here are some key things to note about the passage:

-Nasuada is garbed in green and is compared to an emerald. Eragon's mate will probably be the green dragon rider. And Dragon scales are so often compared to gems (see the quote about Saphira below), like emeralds... something to think about...

-Nasuada is compared to an emerald, while the others, including Arya, are compared to brown leaves. Remember, Eragon is the one thinking all this. He sure does seem to think highly of Nasuada’s appearance, eh?

-Eragon describes Nasuada such that only Saphira could compete with Nasuada (in his mind’s eye) with the way that he sees Saphira. It is a compliment beyond measure that Eragon would even compare Nasuada and Saphira at all. Furthermore, Eragon stated that ‘only Saphira could compete’, which puts Nasuada on a higher pedestal as the one he is putting Saphira up against.

Much earlier in Brisingr, way before he makes this statement about Nasuada’s appearance, this is how he describes Saphira:

"In the clear sky beyond, her scales sparkled like a multitude of brilliant blue diamonds. She was, Eragon thought, magnificent: proud, noble, and more beautiful than any other living creature."

Now, Eragon is saying that Nasuada is comparable to such a wondrous being. That is an enormous complement, especially since he himself describes Saphira as “more beautiful than any other living creature”. Also, this makes Nasuada fit the part of the prophecy where Angela says “beautiful beyond compare”. If Nasuada is at least as beautiful as Saphira, than she is certainly beautiful beyond compare. She is compared to an emerald, while all those assembled around her, including Arya, were as “brown autumn leaves”. So much for the E/A shippers theories about Arya being beautiful beyond compare!

---Now, as for the "Noble birth" issue... Ironically, I reread that very same chapter ('The Trial of the Long Knives') this afternoon.

Regardless on how noble Nasuada is on her mother's side (still, being Fadawar's cousin once removed is nothing to sneeze at), we must remember that the prophecy says NOBLE, not ROYAL. Nasuada's father, Ajihad, was certainly one of the noblest characters in the series. Read this quote from Eldest:

"In the center, on a raised platform, was a great crypt open to waiting darkness. On the top was carved in runes:
May all, Knurlan, Humans, and Elves,
Remember
This Man.
For he was Noble, Strong, and Wise.
Gûntera Arûna
When the mourners were gathered around, Ajihad was lowered into the crypt, and those who had known him personally were allowed to approach."

How many other humans have had the extreme honor of being buried where Ajihad was? And this is just one of the many examples of Ajihad’s nobility. Ajihad was also one of the greatest leaders of the Varden. He may not quite count as royal, but Angela said 'noble', so who cares?

So, even if being the cousin-once-removed (technically not second-cousin) isn't enough nobility, Nasuada's father certainly qualifies her for the "of noble birth" section of the prophecy.

---Now that that’s settled, I’d like to bring up some more interesting details on why Eragon is much more likely to end up with Nasuada.

-Okay, so (in Brisingr), Eragon is faced with a moral dilemma: what to do about Sloan. He chooses the only thing that a person of his character would allow him to: he not only lets Sloan live, he gives him the hope of a brighter future.

Later in the book, Eragon confides what he did about Sloan to Nasuada. Eragon is nervous that she will reprimand him, but Nasuada honestly confesses that she would have done the same thing.

This is a stark contrast to what Arya says she would have done. She said that Eragon foolish for sparing Sloan’s life, and calls him a “coward” and a “tool” (she actually uses those words).

This is one of the many examples that portray Eragon and Nasuada as having similarly warm personalities, while Arya remains her cold self. I’m not saying that Arya is some stingy, hard, unfeeling creature who enjoys tormenting innocents, but she is certainly a very cold character. This is first shows to us when, in book one, Arya shoots an injured bird with an arrow and kills it to put it out of his misery. Compounded with the way she reacted to the “Sloan solution”, it is a very definite hint that Eragon and Arya are emotionally incompatible, and that Nasuada (who wanted to spare Sloan’s life), has a much more similar personality, so she could truly understand Eragon in a way that Arya never could. I mean, how can you expect to have a healthy, understanding relationship with your spouse if they have such an alien personality?

--Eragon is obviously infatuated with Arya. No one in his or her right mind would say that Eragon doesn’t have a major crush on Arya. Unfortunately, this one-way relationship is mainly based on Arya’s stunning appearance, as opposed to a close, loving friendship.

-To start things off, Eragon first becomes infatuated with Arya while drooling over her unconscious body for months on end. Not exactly what I call the start to a healthy relationship.

-When Eragon is praising Arya, he is almost always talking about her dazzling (tehehe, like a dazzling man… lol, sorry…) looks. It is rare to hear him saying that she has an amazing personality, or that she’s so kind and sweet, or anything to that effect. He continues to salivate over her elven beauty.

- There are several points in Brisingr where Eragon is caught continuing this lustful obsession with Arya. One specific passage that I read yesterday showed Eragon gazing at her pale neck longingly (wow, that reminds me of Twilight!! Haha…. ^ . ^).

-There are multiple other instances, and Arya eventually seems to catch on. When they’re about to ascend a city wall (this is sort of near the beginning of Brisingr, when Arya finds Eragon and brings him to the Varden), he says that she could go first, but she counters by saying that a skirt is “breezier” that his pants. I’m not saying that Eragon meant it to come across that way, but it certainly did…

-- Okay, well some people say “well Eragon can’t break up with Arya {I find that statement hilarious because they are in no way “together”, so how do they break up?}, since he’ll be really depressed and upset and stuff.” It seems that CP has left us a deliberate clue as to how Eragon will get over Arya’s rejection.

- First (and most obvious) is the tale of the Menoa Tree that Arya tell Eragon in Eldest. It is where an older elf woman and a younger elf man fall in love, but then the younger man realizes that he can never be happy with her, so he cheats on her with a younger elven woman. This is obvious foreshadowing of Arya’s rejection of Eragon. (she knows too well that Eragon probably will turn out like the young elf man in the story. The age difference is too great for a relationship.) Now, get this:

-In Eldest, while Eragon, Orik, and Saphira are flying back to the Varden, Orik and Saphira decide to play a game of riddles. Once you’ve been reading and analyzing books like Inheritance and Harry Potter for as long as I have, you realize that little “games” and seemingly unimportant stuff like this turn out to be major in the next few books. During the riddle game, Saphira asks Orik “What herb heals all wounds?”. He is stumped, so Saphira tells him and Eragon that the answer is “Time”. This seems to be foreshadowing. See, Arya will reject Eragon, and he’ll be somewhat sad for a while, but then the herb of time will heal the wounds in his heart. He will eventually realize that Nasuada is the perfect woman for him, and they will live happily ever after.


Thew, that was long.... Okay, well I await your response!

This is just a quick note before I go off to do research.

-You may possibly be over-analyzing the riddle thing.

-When Nasuada was garbed in green, Eragon said she was the most "distinguished". I do see how you are thinking when it comes to her being compared to Saphira. I will have to look into that a little more, but I do not think you have discovered something of very great importance.

I will post again soon with more information.

Yeah, I know that the "distinguished" thing isn't as strong, but the comparison with Saphira is definatly a big foreshadowing.

And, I doubt that there is such thing as over-analyzing when it comes to CP's works... but who knows?

Happy researching!

I forgot I have a meeting tonight and my evidence my not be out until tomorrow. I'm really sorry, but if it doesn't come today, I'll try my best to get it out tomorrow morning.

EmilyNowell wrote:

I forgot I have a meeting tonight and my evidence my not be out until tomorrow. I'm really sorry, but if it doesn't come today, I'll try my best to get it out tomorrow morning.

That is perfectly fine. I'm still stuggling to have time to sleep, much less comb the Cycle.
Take your time.

PS: I cleared out that little convo with Tom

Thanks, Zeb. Now I have my evidence set up and here it is. Any references made to the book are from a hardback Brisingr and a paperback Eragon book. I will be taking your discussion almost paragraph by paragraph.

The way I see the "Nasuada garbed in green" thing is, Eragon was only talking about her appearance at the time. But it may be the male mind takes in the situation differently.

Next, I would like to address the issue of what Arya thinks of what Eragon did with Sloan. Arya does in fact call Eragon a "coward" and a "tool", but I think what she says later overrides all of that. Below is a passage form Brisingr, p. 185.

-------------------------------------------------
"How is it," asked Arya, "you could kill that man, but you could not bring yourself to lay a finger on Sloan?" She stood and faced him, her gaze frank.
Devoid of emotion, he shrugged. "he was a threat. Sloan wasn't. Isn't that obvious?"
Arya was quiet for a while. "It ought to be, but it isn't . . . . I am ashamed to be instructed in morality by one with so much less experience. Perhaps I have been too certain, too confident of my own choices."
--------------------------------------------------

The last paragraph, I find pretty self-explanatory. Arya sees why Eragon did what he did and realizes it was the right thing to do. She also realizes Eragon has much wisdom.

Zeb wrote:
This is a pretty stark contrast to what Arya says she would have done.

Arya says she is "instructed in morality" by Eragon and she is basically saying she was wrong in what she said she would have done. I do not know if you see that underlying message, but I do. It may be a girl thing.

Moving on to , "Arya is cold and Eragon and Nasuada have similar warm personalities." Arya was not always so. Before Faolin died, Arya was curious, eager and to the human standard, seemed to have been "in love" although she does not use that term herself. As for the injured bird situation, I did not find that in the first book. I will continue looking though.

You say that Eragon's one-way relationship with Arya is based on her stunning appearance, as opposed to a close, loving friendship.
When sitting by the campfire in Brisingr, ch. Shadows of the Past, Eragon grows Arya a lily. After admiring the lily she replies. (end of page 201- beginning of p. 202)

----------------------------------------
"Thank you. Giving flowers is a custom both out races share, but the elves attach greater importance to the practice than do humans. It signifies all that is good: life, beauty, rebirth, friendship, and more. I explain so you understand how much this means to me."
----------------------------------------

Arya mentions Eragon giving her the flower signifies friendship. For Arya, friendship seems to be more "important" than love. Take for instance, when Eragon asked Arya if she had loved Faolin, a few pages back, (p. 197), If you look down a paragraph after the question itself, here is the passage.

----------------------------------------
"It does matter, because I regret it, and I shall not tolerate. Did I love Faolin? How would you define love? For over twenty years, we traveled together, the only immortals to walk among the short-lived races. We were companions . . . and friends."
----------------------------------------

Eragon was not drooling over Arya while she was unconscious. He admired her and thought her beautiful in face and form. He admits to feeling oddly protective of her in Eragon, p. 327.

After defeating soldiers and talking about Sloan, Arya says something that shows she cares. (Brisingr, p. 187)

----------------------------------------
Arya seemed embarrassed. Looking away, out over the plains, she said, "I am glad you were by my side today, Eragon."
"And you by mine."
----------------------------------------

In the beginning of the next paragraph Arya favors Eragon with a quick, uncertain smile. Arya's actions in the beginning of the passage are something a girl may do when talking when talking to a quy she is attracted to. As is the smile she favors him with. My friend right by me at the moment, says this is true.

I am soon going to reread Brisingr and cannot wait to find the part where Eragon is gazing at Arya's neck. Who knows maybe Eragon is really a . . . . vampire! Eep!

With the "pants are breezier than a pair of leggings." Here is the passage.

-----------------------------------------
"You first," said Arya.
"Please after you."
With a sigh of impatience, she tapped her bodice. "A dress is somewhat breezier than a pair of leggings, Eragon."
Heat flooded his cheeks as he caught her meaning.
-----------------------------------------

Eragon was only trying to be a gentleman and was obviously embarrassed as he "caught her meaning." Showing he hadn't realized the problem until she said something.

It is true Arya cannot break up with Eragon because they are not yet together. This is correct.

As for the story of the Menoa tree and Saphira's riddle, I have no explanation for that, for the time being.

I left this out earlier, but would like to mention this. After Eragon punched the soldier in the chest, Eragon's knuckles were, let's just say, very messed up. Arya healed his knuckles without giving Eragon an opportunity himself. Here is a quote from Brisingr, p.187.

-----------------------------------------
It surprised him that she had taken the initiative when he was perfectly capable of healing his own wounds.
-----------------------------------------

Why did she do it? Because she cares about Eragon and is growing closer to him.


If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. This is my evidence and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Thanks, Zeb. Now I have my evidence set up and here it is. Any references made to the book are from a hardback Brisingr and a paperback Eragon book. I will be taking your discussion almost paragraph by paragraph.
*As you can see, I’m copying your argument and replying in blue text.

The way I see the "Nasuada garbed in green" thing is, Eragon was only talking about her appearance at the time. But it may be the male mind takes in the situation differently.
*Evidentially, the male and female minds do take it differently, but I think that if we’re going to trust one, it should be the male mind. I’m not trying to be sexist, but this is a male author writing a male character. Shouldn’t a male such as myself understand Eragon’s romantic feelings better?
*What I am surprised is that your whole defense for my evidence-based argument for the “garbed in green” passage is to say “The way I see it…”. I don’t think that we’re going to predict the next book with “well I think that… blah blah blah”, I think that we will predict it by saying “On page 123 in Brisingr… blah blah blah… happens, and on page 321 of Eldest, this character does that and hints this”. Please don’t take offence, but I sort of expected better. I mean, you usually seem to have evidence-based responses, but this isn’t really a very strong rebuttal. Maybe you felt a bit rushed on this part.
*So, I am going to continue my argument with another piece of evidence from Brisingr. Saphira says, “She imagined how the light must make her scales sparkle and how those who saw her circling in the sky must marvel at the sight, and she hummed with pleasure, content in the knowledge that she was the most beautiful creature in Alagaësia, for who could hope to match the glory of her scales?”. To answer the (seemingly rhetorical) question, according to Eragon, only Saphira could compete with Nasuada. This was a very clever and discrete way of CP informing the reader how Eragon thinks of Nasuada without over ingratiating, because Eragon is continuing to grow a deeper appreciation for her. See? This is just another one of the puzzle pieces that CP has given us. All we need to do is put them together. See, I add the “Only Saphira could compete with her brilliance” and “She was, Eragon thought, magnificent: proud, noble, and more beautiful than any other living creature” and “For who could hope to match the glory of her scales?” which equals BEAUTIFUL BEYOND COMPARE. This equates with Angela’s prophecy to give the final result of (drum roll, please): Eragon+Nasuada! When you think about it logically, it all adds up.

Next, I would like to address the issue of what Arya thinks of what Eragon did with Sloan. Arya does in fact call Eragon a "coward" and a "tool", but I think what she says later overrides all of that. Below is a passage form Brisingr, p. 185.

-------------------------------------------------
"How is it," asked Arya, "you could kill that man, but you could not bring yourself to lay a finger on Sloan?" She stood and faced him, her gaze frank.
Devoid of emotion, he shrugged. "he was a threat. Sloan wasn't. Isn't that obvious?"
Arya was quiet for a while. "It ought to be, but it isn't . . . . I am ashamed to be instructed in morality by one with so much less experience. Perhaps I have been too certain, too confident of my own choices."
--------------------------------------------------

The last paragraph, I find pretty self-explanatory. Arya sees why Eragon did what he did and realizes it was the right thing to do. She also realizes Eragon has much wisdom.
*um, doesn’t everyone realize that?

Zeb wrote:
This is a pretty stark contrast to what Arya says she would have done.

Arya says she is "instructed in morality" by Eragon and she is basically saying she was wrong in what she said she would have done. I do not know if you see that underlying message, but I do. It may be a girl thing.
*Uh, I don’t think that girls and boys would understand this differently. As I mentioned above, when it comes to relationships, there’s a difference for guys/girls. But when it comes to morality, I think that it’s basically the same for both. But who knows.
*So, she admitted that she was wrong. This doesn’t mean that she would have done any different. She may have learned something from Eragon, but she is who she is, regardless of all she learns. Arya would have killed Sloan, and Nasuada wouldn’t have. When Arya herself directly says that she’d have killed him, it’s a lot stronger that some wishy-washy “I am ashamed to be instructed in morality by one with so much less experience” which can be interpreted many different ways. There is no alternate translation to “I would have killed him”, while I’m sure that “I’ve learned a lot from you!” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone.

Moving on to, "Arya is cold and Eragon and Nasuada have similar warm personalities." Arya was not always so. Before Faolin died, Arya was curious, eager and to the human standard, seemed to have been "in love" although she does not use that term herself. As for the injured bird situation, I did not find that in the first book. I will continue looking though.
*Okay, I think that the injured bird thing was actually towards the beginning of Eldest. I remember that Orik was present, and he couldn’t have been there in Eragon… Sorry for the confusion.
*Yes, Arya might have been different before, but the question isn’t “Would Arya have married Eragon twenty years ago?”, it’s “Will Arya marry Eragon in book four? (or in an epilogue or something)”. Regardless of what Arya would have done twenty years ago, we’re talking about the Arya NOW. Even if she used to be a happy-go-lucky girl who enjoyed singing Disney princess songs and singing to birds, she is no longer that person. Just as I must admit that Arya may have been a wonderfully open person twenty years ago, you can’t deny that Arya is no longer what she once was.

You say that Eragon's one-way relationship with Arya is based on her stunning appearance, as opposed to a close, loving friendship.
When sitting by the campfire in Brisingr, ch. Shadows of the Past, Eragon grows Arya a lily. After admiring the lily she replies. (end of page 201- beginning of p. 202)

----------------------------------------
"Thank you. Giving flowers is a custom both out races share, but the elves attach greater importance to the practice than do humans. It signifies all that is good: life, beauty, rebirth, friendship, and more. I explain so you understand how much this means to me."
----------------------------------------

Arya mentions Eragon giving her the flower signifies friendship. For Arya, friendship seems to be more "important" than love. Take for instance, when Eragon asked Arya if she had loved Faolin, a few pages back, (p. 197), If you look down a paragraph after the question itself, here is the passage.

----------------------------------------
"It does matter, because I regret it, and I shall not tolerate. Did I love Faolin? How would you define love? For over twenty years, we traveled together, the only immortals to walk among the short-lived races. We were companions . . . and friends."
----------------------------------------
*You do have a valid point, but I must have expressed myself incorrectly. I did not mean “THE ONLY REASON ERAGON LIKES HER IS BECAUSE SHE’S HOT”, but “Their relationship is mainly based on Eragon admiring her stunning appearance. Even if Arya wants to be good, close friends with Eragon, he seems more focused on her elvish beauty than her personality.” Yes, they are friends. And that’s just it. Friends. She has no romantic feelings for him, and his petty infatuation will fade as most puppy-love-crushes do. If Arya survives book four (still not sure about that… hmm….), I think that she will remain friends with Eragon.

Eragon was not drooling over Arya while she was unconscious. He admired her and thought her beautiful in face and form. He admits to feeling oddly protective of her in Eragon, p. 327.
*See, Eragon is already rushing into a one-way relationship before he’s even met her! He notices her beauty many times before she speaks to him. This really is a one-way relationship. Literally. She doesn’t even know he exists, and he already is becoming infatuated with her. Ugh.

After defeating soldiers and talking about Sloan, Arya says something that shows she cares. (Brisingr, p. 187)

----------------------------------------
Arya seemed embarrassed. Looking away, out over the plains, she said, "I am glad you were by my side today, Eragon."
"And you by mine."
----------------------------------------

In the beginning of the next paragraph Arya favors Eragon with a quick, uncertain smile. Arya's actions in the beginning of the passage are something a girl may do when talking when talking to a quy she is attracted to. As is the smile she favors him with. My friend right by me at the moment, says this is true.
*Let me point out a similar, though much more powerful, example for Nasuada. In Brisingr (the chapter is called “A feast with Friends”), she happily organizes a fun, informal party just for him. She invites all of his old friends from Carvahall, and insures plenty of great food. During the dinner, it is noted that Nasuada is sitting next to him laughing and enjoying herself. It sounds like they were having a great time together. There are several very notable facts that we can glean from this passage. First off, Arya wasn’t there. A “feast with friends”, eh? CP could have easily arranged for her to be there, but he didn’t. I wonder why. In addition, this seems suspiciously like a first-informal-date-and-‘meet-the-family’-dinner. Furthermore, on the way to the party, Eragon and Nasuada are walking arm in arm, and speaking openly about many things. The only other time (that I can remember) where a couple walks arm in arm is in the Deathwatch Dream. Interesting, eh? Certainly more interesting that a quick, uncertain smile, or whatever Arya did.

I am soon going to reread Brisingr and cannot wait to find the part where Eragon is gazing at Arya's neck. Who knows maybe Eragon is really a . . . . vampire! Eep!
*Here’s the quote (from page 150 of Brisingr):
“For a good while, Eragon appraised the contents of the tent, but then restlessness overtook him and he allowed his eyes to drift from the pool of water to the back of Arya’s neck. Her think black hair few to one side, exposing a strip of smooth skin just above the collar or her dress. That transfixed him for the better part of a minute, and then he stirred and leaned against the charred stump.”
*See, Eragon continues to immaturely lust after Arya! He continues to obsess over her beauty. This reminds me of the typical middle school/high school crush. I’m not saying it’s wrong for a teenager like Eragon to be a natural teen, but teenage crushes hardly ever turn out to be long-lasting relationships. Eragon is just being the normal teenage boy. I’m sure that I can personally relate to this because, hey, I’m a teen guy too! It’s normal for a teenage boy to feel passionate for a particularly good looking girl, but Eragon is going to have to master his emotions and realize that this is just an infatuation (Oromis, in fact, called it an “infatuation” in Eldest. Sorry, I don’t have the page number yet… it’s shortly after the fairith issue, fyi).

With the "pants are breezier than a pair of leggings." Here is the passage.

-----------------------------------------
"You first," said Arya.
"Please after you."
With a sigh of impatience, she tapped her bodice. "A dress is somewhat breezier than a pair of leggings, Eragon."
Heat flooded his cheeks as he caught her meaning.
-----------------------------------------

Eragon was only trying to be a gentleman and was obviously embarrassed as he "caught her meaning." Showing he hadn't realized the problem until she said something.
*Yes, I know. As I said in my previous post, Eragon did not intend it like that, but the interesting fact is that Arya took it that way. Why would she take it that way? Because she has obviously noticed that Eragon has been drooling over her for ages.

It is true Arya cannot break up with Eragon because they are not yet together. This is correct.
*I am glad that you feel that way. Some E/A shippers go so far as to say that Eragon and Arya are already in a romantic relationship, which is FALSE. Similarly, I am in no way saying that Eragon and Nasuada are in a romantic relationship (yet), but rather they are in a beautiful, flourishing friendship.

As for the story of the Menoa tree and Saphira's riddle, I have no explanation for that, for the time being.
*Please be sure to get back to this sometime. I found it to be very interesting, and it seemed a subtle, yet significant, clue.

I left this out earlier, but would like to mention this. After Eragon punched the soldier in the chest, Eragon's knuckles were, let's just say, very messed up. Arya healed his knuckles without giving Eragon an opportunity himself. Here is a quote from Brisingr, p.187.

-----------------------------------------
It surprised him that she had taken the initiative when he was perfectly capable of healing his own wounds.
-----------------------------------------

Why did she do it? Because she cares about Eragon and is growing closer to him.
*OR, she did it because she didn’t want him to deplete his magical stores. She knows that he is much more valuable to the Varden’s cause, while she is (for the most part) replaceable. It reminds me of when, in Half-Blood Prince (the sixth Harry Potter book), Dumbledore uses his own blood to open the entrance to the cave so that Harry doesn’t have to get hurt. Both Dumbledore and Arya know that they are not near as important as Harry/Eragon, so obviously they do menial tasks such as healing for them. I’m sure that if Izlanzadi, Trianna, Oromis, Brom, Blodham, or any other competent magic user on the Varden’s side would have done the same thing.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. This is my evidence and I hope you enjoy reading it.
*I did. It was a decently presented case, though it had some holes. It seems that you have put together better arguments before. It looks like you didn’t put as much time into this one. I’m sorry if I made you feel rushed.
Anyways, please tell me how you thought I replied. I put it together very quickly, so I hope it’s okay.

Others: Please continue to vote! We only have four votes right now!

Nope, not at all.

Okay, Zeb and I are continuing the debate and I will update this forum with the new evidence.

EmilyNowell:

Quote :

Zeb, we can continue the debate. We would just have to move at a slower pace on research because this would be another added project. Please no one else post here.

Zeb:

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Okay, cool!! I was the last person to post a ""real"" debate post, so I think that you should probably post first to refute, or at least respond to, it. Or I can post first if you want.

EmilyNowell:

Quote :

I'll post first, just give me about a day.

Zeb:

Quote :

Alrighty, I look forward to it.

EmilyNowell:

Quote :

Okay, as I said here is my debate evidence. I have wonderful time management skills. (Not really.)

You wanted me to start at “A Feast with Friends”, so that is what I intend to do, but first I would like to go over the events leading to the chapter, so I begin with “To Answer a King.”
By this time, Eragon and Arya have safely made it back to the Varden. Nasuada has brought Eragon to meet many people and Arya is with them.
After meeting a great deal of people, Eragon and Arya are asked by King Orrin and Nasuada to recount the events of the past several days.
When the story and discussion about Sloan has been finished, Orrin departs and Arya excuses herself.
Here is the quote from p. 239 leading into page 240 of Brisingr.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arya left a minute later, explaining that she needed to report to Queen Islanzadi and to, as she said, “heat a tub of water, wash the sand from my skin, and return my features to their usual shape.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because the feast was just later that day, Arya could have well still been doing what she had planned to do. And if she was invited to attend, it would not be unusual for her to decline.
As Eragon and Nasuada were walking to the feast, Nasuada took Eragon’s arm most likely because he offered it to her. In the time that Christopher Paolini seems to have written the story in, offering your arm to a lady would not be unusual for a gentleman to do.
As was noted, Eragon felt awkward around her because he had grown up in a world of men and boys. We have not seen Eragon feel this way around Arya, but that is most likely because of the friendship he had already developed with her. Arya is also very different from a human woman and that could be the source of the awkwardness because Eragon has been around Arya, but has not always been around human women.


I think I got it all. To be honest, I didn't look back to see what you said about the whole thing, but I kinda remembered. Tell me if I missed something.
I await your response.