Jonathan_S wrote:And in some ways Honor probably felt that the physical damage she did to Young was an overreaction; she delivered the last few blows because she wanted vengeance not just to stop his unwanted physical contact, and that probably fed back into her refusal to report. If she'd used excessive force then she'd feel a bit guilty too and subconsciously all too likely to see it at least somewhat as offsetting offenses.Kizarvexis wrote:And just because Nimitz may have urged her to come clean about what really happened, doesn't mean Honor would listen. Especially, when it was tied into something as emotionally charged as attempted rape. And when Honor could justify to herself that she kicked the stuffing out of him and this could splash onto the service if it came out into the open. Remember the rumor campaign and how they got her to accept command of HMS Wayfarer to get them out of a bind? It was predicated on how Honor wouldn't do something for herself, but would do anything else duty required.
She'd be wrong about that - but it may have been a factor in her thinking... To the extent that you can categorize her choices after the attack as being thought through.
If she'd be unable to defend herself I feel certain that she would have reported the attack and rape.
I have one particular problem with this logic which may denote a hiccup in my own. I'm trying to wave it off, but my DNA won't allow me. For the record, I'll just go ahead and at least list my qualms with it.
On the one hand, I can logically grasp Honor's possible concern for the navy.
OTOH, Jonathan's sentiment stirs my Aristotelian self a bit much. Honor was too much of a perfectionist and upright naval officer with an unwavering sense of morals, scruples and values. This woman was raised and instilled with an impeccable sense of right and wrong and duty. This is the woman who could not back down from sicking Beauty and the Beast on every freighter suspected of smuggling pelts including the freighters owned by Hauptman; even after her XO warned her what it could mean to her career after Hauptman caught wind of it. Honor had to do it, even at the expense of what it might mean to her career she still had to do it. She was willing to risk her career over it, because of her sense of right and wrong and order in the universe.
Tester knows Young deserved Honor putting her foot so far up his arse that a brain surgeon was needed to get it out. Indeed it was wrong what Young did. But those last few blows was wrong that Honor delivered, she hurt Young unnecessarily.* She had a human right to protect herself even against an officer, but the last few blows were unwarranted and were done for the wrong human emotion of vengeance -- regardless of how much an onlooker with all of the facts agree with her. For Honor to withhold the confrontation from Commandant Hartley made her a hypocrite on some level and tarnished her 'Little Miss Right' self-made image of herself. Made her somewhat as guilty as bending the rules as Hauptman's freighters. Didn't she break some regs exacting vengeance with the last few blows? Isn't it against the regs to purposefully injure a fellow officer? If Young hadn't been such a wussy and afraid of embarrassment he could have went to an "improper authority" other than Hartley -- someone in the good ole boy network and told a completely different story. One which included a spurned woman because he didn't return her affections and that he simply wanted sex and she went berserk and used undue force.** Which is probably what he would have cried if Honor had reported it.
A notion that could be misconstrued as someone guilty of being a bit self-centered -- which she is not. She is someone with a character who is the complete antithesis of someone who is an opportunist -- or someone who would do the right thing only when it suited or benefitted her.Jonathan_S wrote:If she'd be unable to defend herself I feel certain that she would have reported the attack and rape.
At any rate, I wonder if she would have reported it had Young been successful at raping her -- by somewhat drugging her with chloroform or some manner of date-rape drug.
* Does textev give the actual damage Honor delivered to Pavel?
** Undue force is a real issue. Even in our own society police officers are charged with having to skirt the line between the two and are charged daily across the nation with crossing it.
I have five sisters and my father insisted that they all learn how to protect themselves. They can all clean, break down and fire an assortment of weapons, beginning at a very young age. Two are fifth degree black belts and the other three are at least third. The law requires that they inform an assailant of their skills when possible and undue force beyond their own protection is unlawful. Go figure.