Vinland Saga 2x21
Added 2024-09-05 22:16:19 +0000 UTC
Comments
Just to answer the question, The farm is private and only gifts (relatively, considering the size of the farm) small payments in exchange for protection. Canute wants this and similar farms to be worked by the government and have all profits reinbursed. In his mind, he didn't want to destroy the farm - something he also told his crew not to do - but if they were willing to put up a fight, he wouldn't be one to back down. The "conclusion" of his arc in the canute eps in the first half of the season was that he turned into a ruthless king, who although striving for a utopia, wasn't afraid to kill for it. It was all short term pain for long term gain to him. There are plenty of workers who could replace the farmers after all, but the farmland was precious. Also, I think you mistook Canute slightly. He's by definition the mirror to Thorfinn, still striving for peace but doing in through violence. Thorfinn is aiming for a peace that is intrinsic to the human experience, attempting to escape society itself to create a new one. Canute is aiming for a peace that is extrinsic to the human experience, maintained by the lack of alternatives (In other words, if he reunites all these nations there will be nobody to have war with). The culmination of the arc is not some kind of realization for either character, they acknowledged the other's point of view and accept it. Canute isn't vilified as the bad guy for partaking in war, nor is Thorfinn for escaping society. By learning from each other like this, they broaden each other's horizons as to what a peaceful world could look like and the steps to get there. Hence they strike a kind of implicit deal, one where Canute unifies the land and Thorfinn offers an escape from the crossfire. This is why Canute withdraws the troops at the end. Not necessarily because of some realization on his part, but because keeping the troops there would mean more work for Thorfinn, as he half joked. Of course, there is also the symbolic meaning of the phrase "I wouldn't want to create more work for Thorfinn." If you accept Thorfinn as being a narrative stand in for the idea of a peaceful society, saying you create work for Thorfinn implies you're straying from the path towards peace, which is counterproductive to both characters. Hence, by taking away the soldiers he's keeping his land peaceful. I don't know how well I explained this lol, typing this on my phone is quite a challenge
Erjon Sejdijaj
2024-09-06 17:39:25 +0000 UTCBut they belong to him already? Like, ketil does pay him and he will pay presumably a lot if asked. So why destroy them, kill the workers and kill the farm infastructure? that is so ridiculously nonsensical. He ven "understands" this later and that is the "revelation" for Knut. I just felt he was really stupid and randomly evil to make the plot happen :(
M U
2024-09-06 15:09:17 +0000 UTCOnly a few minutes in so I don't know if you figure this out later, but Canute wants these farms because the costs of maintaining a standing army in England long term would not be feasible without additional income. Canute opted for this solution rather than raising taxes and applying stress to his population at large.
Marcus Bae
2024-09-06 14:11:07 +0000 UTC
