Theory (unlikely)

[naeko.livejournal.com]

(I don't know what to call this other than a theory; that sort of implies there's actually belief on my part that Hamilton is smart enough to have come up with this, which there really isn't. ¬_¬)

I had the thought while viciously fighting with my sewing machine, earlier. The whole reason Anita has become a promiscuous monster? Raina is taking over and doing it on the sly.

It makes sense, if you think about some of the facts. Anita has always said (over and over. And over. And over and over.) that she's not that beautiful. So why do all these men suddenly think Anita is beautiful and perfect? Raina is using the lycanthropy to mutate Anita's bone structure in tiny increments. She's molding Anita to be more beautiful (maybe even to more resemble herself), to attract more men and thus more power. Hell, maybe she alters Anita's face with each man she sleeps with, making each see her as his ideal of beauty in those intimate (lol intimate) moments.

I can see two reasons that Anita just thinks she still looks the same:
1. Raina is just that good. She's changing the structure of Anita's face so subtly that Anita and her men don't even notice.
2. Anita can't tell because Raina's not letting her see it, and she's got everyone around Anita so enthralled to her that they can't tell, either.

Hell, maybe Mommy Darkess (whatever; I'm too lazy to look up the supposed lady big bad's name) and Belle Morte's psychic visits are just Raina distracting Anita while she does some psychic redecorating, prettying the place up for herself. She sees the power Anita has, and the power that can be acquired by having that power, and she wants it.

I would love for Anita to 'wake up' one day and realize she's not in control of her own body. Suddenly, she's watching things happen to her and watching herself say things, but it's not her. She's been asleep for years and can only barely remember what's been happening, yet there's a whole, horrifying history built up involving her. She's no longer the chaste, ethical vampire executioner who fights for zombie rights and enjoys a bit of rebellion in silly coffee mugs. She's an amoral, power-hungry lycanthrope queen whose plan in life is to slowly bend everyone around her to her will.

I even considered tweeting LKH and telling her, "I figure out your big plot twist! Anita's become promiscuous and monstrous because Raina's taken over, right? Brilliant!"

Comments

[bloodredroses1.livejournal.com]

I really like this idea an awful lot but LKH just hasn't shown that she has enough imagination thes days to come up w/ something this intricate. LOL

Morgan

[shadwing.livejournal.com]

Yep yet another kick ass theory in the hands of a good author, which LKH is not.

Honestly I think LKH DOES see Anita as the 'Good Guy' she's the hero that can do no wrong even though she needs a good dose of "What the Hell Hero?!" those few brave souls that do it in book are quickly tarred as 'evil' those who do it outside the books are tarred as 'haters'

[fangedsekhmet.livejournal.com]

Even if that was the ultimate goal of LKH all along (which I very much doubt as Anita is now just her on page wish fulfilment) the pay off would be taking so long that even if I were still reading, I'd be bored waiting.

*I think that makes sense...lol*

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if 'bone structure modification' is necessary for the theory to hold together. First off, it's not unusual for people to believe themselves to be unattractive when they're not as bad as they think they are (especially if they have a past history of being told that there's something wrong with the way they look.) Second, the men piling at her feet could be just as easily explained by the ardeur as by her suddenly becoming pretty.

I recall a similar theory being that Jean-Claude was secretly manipulating Anita into becoming this power-hungry monster under his control in order to consolidate his own position.

It's an interesting take on it, but it's kind of a given that Anita is a wish fulfillment character and the idea that she could have been wrong all this time simply doesn't sit well with that.

[blackfiregeisha.livejournal.com]

That was a simply beautiful thing to read. I wish LKH was creative enough to have thought of it, because I now want to read it. A lot.

[kessie.livejournal.com]

That would be pretty awesome, actually. I kind of wish that was LKH's secret plan all along.

[fadeinthewash.livejournal.com]

Man, if only.

I should point out, though, that Anita's "I'm not pretty" whinging is closely tied to "I'm not blonde and Nordic enough!" and "I looked like an outsider in my family!" She is pretty. She just doesn't believe it, because she has sooo many features resembling her mother, who her dad said was beautiful until he went off and married mommy's polar opposite.

[edwarddain.livejournal.com]

If only the truth was that cool...

[pith]

If only. A plot twist like that wouldn't necessarily be enough to entice me back (if she has a plan like this, she's been far too slow in enacting it), but I could at least appreciate the effort.

A long time ago, someone also brought up the possibility of J-C using the ardeur to manipulate Anita on a grand scale, and that could work in a similar fashion.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

ffffffffffffffffffffffff I LOVE YOU!! What an awesome idea!

[world-dancer.livejournal.com]

That would be awesome.

The problem is that it has gone on too long, and if this is the case, the author has done a poor job of using the first person narration to hide the plot completely rather than giving cues that Anita has become an unreliable narrator on this point.

I had to deal with this recently on a different issue. I was advising an author who wrote a character with a huge blind spot for his godchild. The problem was that it wasn't coming across in the first book that the godchild was anything but what the POV character said (sickeningly sweet). So instead of a complicated relationship and character flaw, what the reader got was seemingly a Wesley.

The solution is simple: Use dialogue and events to SHOW that the POV character might be wrong about something and might be flawed. Make it okay to question the POV character.

But that's not what LKH is doing with Anita, and the impression of Anita's perfection according to the view presented in the books is backed up by the comments of the author and her staff on her own boards.

Also, if that were a plot point, it has been going on too long. That is a 2-4 book story arc. So if nothing else, her timing is way off.

[everstar3.livejournal.com]

Raina is taking over and doing it on the sly.

I would consider this more likely if I thought LKH remembered who Raina was. :/

Great theory

[gatitagitanilla.livejournal.com]

This is such a great theory because Raina used to posess Anita and she also had de ability to shape shift her muscles and bone structure to look hotter. Although I dont think Anita is necessarily unattractive, just thinks of herself as such. Some people have low self esteems even if they are hot and see a warped image. I also dont think its necessary to be attractive to sleep with as many men as Anita has. I have seen in real life that it isnt de case not to mention Anita's powers attract de men more than her looks. But it would be hilarious if Anita woke up one day and realized she was six inches taller than a few years back because Raina had posessed her body and given her de shapeshifting skills.

[dominos-lair.livejournal.com]

Or it's Raina stopping Anita from shifting into any of the inner beasts just because she can.

Bet she stamps her foot and goes back to the drawing board every time Anita doesnt explode when a beast wants to take over.

The real Anita is huddling inside somewhere hiding from the beasts, sucking her thumb and waiting to be saved whimpering "I am not a sinner!!!" while Raina checks out life as a brunette and then finds her and tells her all "she" got up to.

Awesome. My mind is happily playing in an alternate universe where the Anita Blake universe makes sense.

Excellent post.