Fordola - Blog Posts
I deeply enjoy Fordola's story for three reasons: 1) Her actions and the grave harm they caused is not minimized, softened, glossed over, or forgotten. She did terrible things. She accepts she did terrible things - and her story hinges upon her accepting the consequences. 2) When the NPCs do not forgive her, the narrative does not portray them in a negative light. The most powerful line in 4.1 is an NPC saying "You are not forgiven. Not you. You I will never forgive.
But I will thank you."
The story makes it clear Fordola is not entitled to forgiveness or absolution simply because she wants to do the right thing now - and that's okay. When people harm us, they are not entitled to forgiveness just because they're sorry. Fordola accepts and understands that. 3) The NPCs moving on with their lives is not used as reason to magically absolve her of anything. She still accepts the consequences of her actions and is still trying to make right her wrongs even if she may never be forgiven - which a sign of someone who truly has changed. Doing the right thing shouldn't hinge upon whether or not you are forgiven in the end. It should be something you strive to do from that point on, because you want to change yourself for the better. Also, there are many stories about how people who have been harmed or abused need to forgive the people who hurt them in order to truly heal and it's simply not true. The path to healing varies. Sometimes it involves forgiving. Sometimes it involves embracing your anger. Forgiving someone when they haven't acknowledged or accepted their wrongdoings and aren't committed to consequences and change is dangerous. Forgiving someone when you don't feel ready and it is not an authentic representation of your truth can damage your path to healing. It has a lot of grounding in real-world issues and handles it in a way I don't often see (most stories just go with the "you're forgiven and everything is fine!" route) - which is really refreshing.