The Republic of Heaven

How the hell did Will suddenly know where the leather writing case was? He just woke up and knew.


This is the only really strange, unexplained bit in the book that seems more like PP had no clue how he knew but just wanted to move the story along.


Theories, anyone?

Well, not just waking up like that... but sometimes I suddenly remember things at the strangest times, and very suddenly. It's perfectly natural, if you ask me...

Well, not just waking up like that... but sometimes I suddenly remember things at the strangest times, and very suddenly. It's perfectly natural, if you ask me...

You remember things when you know what they were beforehand. It's remembering things, not finding out new things out of the blue.

My mother calls them "witch feelings" - some things you just know. Maybe it was his subconscious speaking to him.

His mind had worked it out whilst he was sleeping. If you go to bed pondering a question, your brain carries on whilst you're asleep and then in the morning hands you a note with the answer and a message saying "score!"

You remember things when you know what they were beforehand. It's remembering things, not finding out new things out of the blue.

it's likely that's what it was.

he might not have seen his mother hide it but perhaps he figured out the room and figured out the best hiding spot for it: combination figuring it out and remembering important clues.

His mind had worked it out whilst he was sleeping. If you go to bed pondering a question, your brain carries on whilst you're asleep and then in the morning hands you a note with the answer and a message saying "score!"

Exactly.

A very stupid question: What leather writing case?

A very stupid question: What leather writing case?

The writing case in which Will's mother kept letters from John Parry; letters which described how he got into another world etc...

Off-topic, but, does anyone else think that Elaine Parry handled the situation not exactly well? She seemed so child-like (and I mean before she started to become mentally unstable, or was she always a bit unstable...)

Off-topic, but, does anyone else think that Elaine Parry handled the situation not exactly well? She seemed so child-like (and I mean before she started to become mentally unstable, or was she always a bit unstable...)

Which situation? I don't understand what you mean.

Oh that... Thanks

His mind had worked it out whilst he was sleeping. If you go to bed pondering a question, your brain carries on whilst you're asleep and then in the morning hands you a note with the answer and a message saying "score!"

Exactly.

That's what I'd always thought.

This may set me up for another stabbing with a rusty tea spoon but.. when did it say that he didn't know where the case was?

This may set me up for another stabbing with a rusty tea spoon but.. when did it say that he didn't know where the case was?

He spent about 4 hours looking for it, and his mother hid it from him so I assumed he didn't know where it was.

*cringes as the rusty tea spoon enters his stomach yet again*

Off-topic, but, does anyone else think that Elaine Parry handled the situation not exactly well? She seemed so child-like (and I mean before she started to become mentally unstable, or was she always a bit unstable...)

Which situation? I don't understand what you mean.

The entire situation. Her not knowing where John Parry had gone, what he did, any idea how to get him back etc...I realize that the man disappeared into another world, and also that she's not in her right mind, but I feel that someone like Lyra would have showed more gumption. 12-year-old Will showed more go. By the end of the 10(?) years that John Parry had been gone, she was in no condition to do anything about finding him or protecting herself and her son better, but in the beginning...I don't know, I just find her a weak character in a story full of very strong characters.

I don't know, I just find her a weak character in a story full of very strong characters.

I'm not sure how to feel about that really. Obviously you need to have that contrast to emphasis the will [heh] of the dominant characters. She seemed to me mainly to be a means to show Will's fierce and protective side and also as an obstacle for him to overcome in order to begin his progress to manhood. By detaching himself from her emotionally, and forgetting her in order to use the knife he takes one of many steps towards adulthood.

Put like that, she's just a plot device. Yet I wonder what would become of me if I were in her situation.

Off-topic, but, does anyone else think that Elaine Parry handled the situation not exactly well? She seemed so child-like (and I mean before she started to become mentally unstable, or was she always a bit unstable...)

Which situation? I don't understand what you mean.

The entire situation. Her not knowing where John Parry had gone, what he did, any idea how to get him back etc...I realize that the man disappeared into another world, and also that she's not in her right mind, but I feel that someone like Lyra would have showed more gumption. 12-year-old Will showed more go. By the end of the 10(?) years that John Parry had been gone, she was in no condition to do anything about finding him or protecting herself and her son better, but in the beginning...I don't know, I just find her a weak character in a story full of very strong characters.

I think that if the Marines didn't know where the hell he was she couldn't have known either. She looked after Will as best she could. Going off on some adventure to find her husband when she knew nothing about the North and had a baby to look after would've been rather stupid.

And then she got ill, which is hardly her fault.

Will only finds his father because A) he was at the right time and place to see the cat go through the window and B) his father was looking for the person who had the knife, which happened to be him. If Will had turned up 30 seconds after he did at the hornbeam trees, he'd never have found his father or Lyra and would probably be in police custody after a few days.

She seemed to me mainly to be a means to show Will's fierce and protective side and also as an obstacle for him to overcome in order to begin his progress to manhood.

Yes, thats a good explanation. She's just there to act as a foil.