Hi all. I’ve been re-reading through my DS9-R books, as one does. I’m up to This Grey Spirit, specifically the Gamma Quadrant story. I’m having an issue with one of the guest characters, Vice-Chair Jeshoh, the Houseborn representative and Dax’s main contact.
This time through, I started to peg to a certain social commentary in the story – the Houseborn-Wanderer tensions have a definite “gay rights” flavour. Wanderers are distinguished on an arbitrary basis, born from Houseborn parents, they’re forbidden from joining the military, getting married or having children. They often grow up to be great artists and creative types. That they are brought up as slaves gives it a touch of “racial tension” thrown in.
Anyway, Jeshoh is the Houseborn representative, and spends most of the story showing Dax around, explaining to her why he thinks Wanderers should keep their place and don’t need additional rights. But then the big twist comes when it is revealed that Jeshoh is actually in love with Wanderer delegate Keren, and is involved in the militant Wanderer underground.
Now, I’m not clear on his motivation here. Perhaps you guys can help me. I saw little evidence that he felt sympathetic to Wanderer causes, certainly not to the extent that he would help start a war between the two castes.
I could see it if he was one of those “do as I say, not as I do” types. The publicly racist old white guy who’s secretly f**king his black maid. Or the conservative Senator who votes against gay rights but somehow always walks his dog through a certain park at 3am. That could be a reason why he’s been shacking up with Keren. But then I can’t see why he’d go to bat for the Wanderers.
Conversely, if he really does love Keren and believes in the Wanderer cause, why does he spend so long trying to convince Dax otherwise, tossing out bigoted offhand comments about “flawed instincts” and “there’s obviously something wrong with them” ? I’d have thought he’d be a bit more sympathetic.
Neither option seems to add up. Any thoughts?
This time through, I started to peg to a certain social commentary in the story – the Houseborn-Wanderer tensions have a definite “gay rights” flavour. Wanderers are distinguished on an arbitrary basis, born from Houseborn parents, they’re forbidden from joining the military, getting married or having children. They often grow up to be great artists and creative types. That they are brought up as slaves gives it a touch of “racial tension” thrown in.
Anyway, Jeshoh is the Houseborn representative, and spends most of the story showing Dax around, explaining to her why he thinks Wanderers should keep their place and don’t need additional rights. But then the big twist comes when it is revealed that Jeshoh is actually in love with Wanderer delegate Keren, and is involved in the militant Wanderer underground.
Now, I’m not clear on his motivation here. Perhaps you guys can help me. I saw little evidence that he felt sympathetic to Wanderer causes, certainly not to the extent that he would help start a war between the two castes.
I could see it if he was one of those “do as I say, not as I do” types. The publicly racist old white guy who’s secretly f**king his black maid. Or the conservative Senator who votes against gay rights but somehow always walks his dog through a certain park at 3am. That could be a reason why he’s been shacking up with Keren. But then I can’t see why he’d go to bat for the Wanderers.
Conversely, if he really does love Keren and believes in the Wanderer cause, why does he spend so long trying to convince Dax otherwise, tossing out bigoted offhand comments about “flawed instincts” and “there’s obviously something wrong with them” ? I’d have thought he’d be a bit more sympathetic.
Neither option seems to add up. Any thoughts?
