Jan 22, 2024
Vinland Saga: Thorfinn's journey from being a vengeful warrior to a seeker
Vinland Saga takes us back to a time when might was right and honor meant more than life itself. It is is set during a turbulent period when honor and violence reigned supreme in Norse warrior culture. We follow the journey of Thorfinn, a young Icelander who idolizes his father, the legendary fighter Thors and dreams of becoming a respected warrior just like him.
When Thorfinn's father falls, he's propelled into a vengeful life.Thorfinn spends years fighting alongside Askeladd’s band of Vikings, ignoring his father’s peaceful philosophies. His eyes, once full of childish rage, harden
...
from hatred.
Thorfinn walks a fine line between his people’s cruelty and his lingering morality. He warns some villagers of impending raids, showing flickers of remorse. Yet his desire for revenge continues feeding his participation in violence.
Askeladd, a pivotal figure in Thorfinn's life, is a man of contradictions. He's both a mentor and manipulator, a villain with a charm that's hard to despise.He is an enigmatic villain with an allure that's difficult to resist.
Askeladd, in the second chapter, says that everyone is a slave to something and in that very chapter, a slave speaks to thorfin sensing that he and her are alike given his situation but thorfin refutes this idea and he calls himself a free man but in reality the boy has no ideals, no values and no motives .
Beyond his current goal thorfinn has become a slave to Vengeance and askeladd holds his chain. Askeladd's relationship with thorfinn is so interesting in this story as he is such a massive part of thorfin's life and so it makes Askeladd's relationship with the audience in this story rather unique. Askeladd is such a terrible person he has wiped out entire Villages of innocent people, his men do awful terrible things and they are terrible people and yet sometimes it feels like that the worst thing he does in this story is manipulate this child and despite it all, Askeladd becomes a father figure to Thorfinn no matter how badly we want to refute that idea for thorfinn's sake and how badly thorfinn himself refutes that idea.
Contrasted with the growth of characters like Prince Canute, who turns away from vengeance, choosing a path of peace ,Thorfinn remains obsessied with revenge. Despite numerous defeats, he stubbornly challenges Askeladd time and again. His singular focus on vengeance has warped his very purpose in life.
This obsession leads to Thorfinn’s capture and enslavement. Shattered and directionless without his driving force, Thorfinn is haunted by the souls of those he wronged. The kindness shown by his friend Einar and the community make Thorfinn question the "glories" of violence that society glorifies.
Thorfinn's path to redemption isn't easy. He's full of self-loathing and struggles against a culture that celebrates war. But he's committed to change, not just in words but in actions. He dreams of creating Vinland, a peaceful sanctuary far from the violence he once participated in.
Vinland Saga isn't just a tale of the past; it's a story about the strength of love and the power of second chances. It's about a man who, despite his violent past, chooses a path of kindness and dreams of a better world. It's a journey from revenge to hope, and it's a reminder that it's never too late to change.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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