#Niall had made Declan a liar Aurora had made him an orphan Ronan had made him a nag but Matthew had taken Declan's youth | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theanimalsarecalling · 1 year

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"Nothing Aurora could say would persuade Declan to do more than tolerate him. Aurora was already a lie Declan was being asked to play along with. He would not play along with another." (Greywaren chpt 25)

There is a lot to unpack in this line, where Declan recalls the time before he learned to love Matthew. But this isn't about Declan and Matthew. The central conflict in the Lynch family was never between Matthew and Declan, or Ronan and Declan, nor even between Declan and Niall. The central conflict was between Declan and Aurora. This casts other events in a different light.

1. It's amazing how much Declan sounds like Ronan here. Who would have thought there was a time when the Master Liar himself hated lies.

2. When Declan cried at the end, Ronan said "I miss them too." But does that really reflect Declan's grief? Declan grieved for Niall, but it never really says anything about grieving for Aurora.

3. In CDTH, Declan's love for Aurora was called "skeptical". Lacking context, his brothers judge him for this, but when Declan says (in MI) that Aurora made him an orphan, he didn't just mean when she fell asleep. She was a symbol of his lost mother, and whenever Niall was gone, he was parentless.

4. Ronan recalls Declan saying he would never get married, right after trying to knock Aurora's wedding ring down the drain. This speaks to a level of acting out behavior on Declan's part.

5. Declan recalls the time he was sick at home with Aurora and Matthew. He was only able to rest once Niall was home. This means Declan didn't really feel safe around Aurora.

6. For her part, Aurora must have been saddened and disturbed by Declan's response to her. After all, none of this was her fault. Declan himself admits that she loved him. As far as Aurora knew, she had always been Declan's mother. But since Niall had effectively lobotomized himself, there was nobody to tell her otherwise.

7. The Christmas story shows Aurora enlisting young Declan to help with dream cleanup, and being insensitive to Declan's moods, which means she wasn't a perfect mother. However, it also shows Aurora trying to include Declan and even siding with Declan when he and Ronan argued over the Christmas tree ornament. Aurora was made to love. And yet Declan didn't respond.

8. With this knowledge, did Niall begin taking Declan on his business trips to give Declan and Aurora some relief from each other? Declan's reaction to Aurora was probably Niall's first clue she was a dream.

9. Also, when Ronan revived Aurora in Cabeswater, he failed to tell Declan, and then lied when Aurora asked about him. And yet he knew Declan would have heard about it from Matthew. It wouldn't have been like Ronan to deny his brother entry, so the choice not to come would have been Declan's. Did Ronan lie to Aurora to protect her feelings?

10. And yet, in the final chapter, Declan remembers being happy as a child, so at some point, he must have decided to rejoin the family. The turning point was when he accepted Matthew, but to do this meant he had to lie about how he felt about everything else, especially Aurora.

In MI, Declan states Niall made him a liar. That's why he aspired to hate Niall (while actually loving and desperately missing him). Niall's and Mór's choices placed him in an impossible position. To be a full member of the Lynch family, Declan had to sacrifice the truth.

#declan lynch #aurora lynch #the dreamer trilogy #the raven cycle #ronan lynch #the lynch family

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theanimalsarecalling · 3 years

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"This museum's already had enough taken from it," Declan said. (MI chpt chpt 31, in the Gardner museum.)

I can't help but think of this as a metaphor for Declan's own life. It's clear that Declan wants a life of beauty and stability, surrounded by people he loves, though he's willing to settle for safety. I've never thought that Declan went through the type of florid abuse that Adam experienced, but once Adam was free of his parents, he was truly free, with no responsibility toward anyone but himself. Declan is never granted that. It's obvious his family has been eating away at him since the very beginning.

When Declan thinks about his family, he says,

"Niall had made Declan a liar. Aurora had made him an orphan. Ronan had made him a nag, and then, later, a fugitive. But Matthew had taken Declan's youth." (MI chpt 10)

To turn this around then.

In making Declan a liar, Niall stole his integrity. This affects his relationships with everybody, especially Ronan. Declan is made to lie about the dreaming, about Aurora's status, about Niall's business. He is not able to disclose the violence he's experienced due to Niall's business dealings. And consequently, he is not able to be close to anyone. Friends are casual at best. And his brothers think of him as a liar first and foremost. Ronan, who sees himself as morally superior in every way, has no respect for Declan. Declan has little respect for himself. This theft is foundational to everything else that was taken from Declan.

In making Declan an orphan, Aurora stole Declan's sense of safety, family and belonging. I think we can extend the orphanhood beyond her falling asleep, back to early childhood. Declan would have been around two when he was taken from Mór Ó Corra and given into Aurora's care. At two, a child is old enough to sense a wrongness, to realize that Mommy didn't seem like Mommy, but wouldn't have the words to say it. Who knows how this affected his development.

Also, Aurora loved Declan, but she never protected him. Not from Niall's criminal activities and not from Ronan's dreams. Instead, she used him to assist her to manage the fallout of both Niall's and Ronan's dreaming, even as a little boy. So how could he possibly trust her love.

In making Declan a nag, Ronan stole Declan's self esteem. Who can possibly like themselves as a nag. Declan was put into the difficult position of having to act as guardian to Ronan and Matthew. But Ronan, spoiled, unhappy Ronan, always insisted on getting his own way. Even if his own way was detrimental to his own safety and well-being. And Declan, of course, is aware that Matthew's well-being is tied to Ronan's.

But I think this can be extended back to early childhood. Neither Niall nor Aurora made much provision for Ronan's safety as a dreamer (other than fire proof pajamas). Niall never taught Ronan the rules of dreaming. And it was Declan, not Aurora, who sat next to Ronan's bed night after night. So Declan is stuck with trying to keep his brother, and himself safe. And it shows in his words and attitudes, which effectively prevents any chance of a friendship with Ronan, who doesn't like to be bossed. Especially by someone he doesn't respect.

In making Declan a fugitive, Ronan stole Declan's home, as well as his opportunities for an education and a career. Again, this may not be precisely Ronan's fault - the moderators are after him - but it shows the impact of having Ronan in your life. And Ronan, who has such difficulty seeing past his own needs to the needs of others, probably can't appreciate this. After all, Ronan has never wanted an education and he doesn't need a career - he can dream whatever he needs, besides inheriting 26 million and the farm. Declan has the townhouse, invaded and destroyed, and 3 million dollars. Which is a fair amount, but not enough to last a lifetime, especially if he is supporting Matthew as well.

In taking Declan's youth, Matthew stole Declan's potential. This is the only point I would argue with. I'm sure it feels this way to Declan. He sees himself stuck in a caregiver role to Matthew, possibly for a lifetime, and he's given up even trying to prepare Matthew for a future. Plus, you can argue that caregiving for Matthew did as much to destroy Declan's career prospects and college education as going on the run did. Declan's also spent a lot of time caregiving for Ronan, trying to help Ronan through his depression and dealing with the fallout of his dreaming.

But Matthew is growing. He wants more for himself, to the point he is enrolling in school. He is also the only family member to gain any insight into what a drag he is on Declan, and he doesn't like it. He wants a positive relationship with Declan, if Declan could only see it.

And Declan is young, only 21. There is plenty of time to live out his potential. Matthew could be a friend and an ally in this. But Declan needs to deal with what his family has taken from him first.

So for the final book, I'd like to see Declan acknowledge his anger at his family. I know he was trying to save Ronan from Bryde, but there was also a lot of hidden resentment toward Ronan, when he handed Ronan and Bryde to the moderators. Especially after Ronan and Bryde kidnapped Declan and invaded his mind. And Declan needs to recognize that and deal with that.

I would also like to see Ronan finally acknowledge what he and the family have taken from Declan. And maybe, just once, to tell Declan he's sorry.

I would like to see Declan acknowledge Matthew as a full person and develop a healthy friendship with him.

I'd like to see Jordan and Declan create a life together of beauty and stability and art.

And finally, I'd like to see all of them attend Matthew's high school graduation.

#mister impossible #call down the hawk #declan lynch #ronan lynch #mathew lynch #niall lynch #the lynch family

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