RE: This:
"...I have fallen head over heels in love with Kahlan and that’s what makes the job so good..."
in an interview at SFUniverse.com.
--Meeee tooooo!!
Except, you know, I am loving her Kahlan even more than book-Kahlan. Maybe it's because I'm better at seeing a character interpreted, than picking up an interpretation from a book. I had a hard time loving book-Kahlan; maybe because honestly my first exposure was the TV show, seeing Bridget "be" Kahlan...and then I picked up books 1 & 2. For some reason it was harder to love book-Kahlan, afterward.
There was something missing from her, for me.
I'll figure out what it is, over time, I'm sure, but for now, I can list these as differences [strictly my personal take & opinion]:
- the quality of Kahlan's vulnerability & toughness
Having started with Bridget's K., when I started to read Wizard's First Rule, book-K. seemed, well...I don't know...awfully...wimpy. Like, immediately terrified and clinging to Richard. And very unabashed about verbalizing her fearfulness/vulnerability. [I could quote passages for examples, but I'm not going to. If you've read the book, I think you'll be able to bring them to mind. If you haven't, you're going to have to go read it; I can't help you.]
As much as book-K. is supposed to be this worldly-wise Confessor who's seen it all, and learned some of the harshest realities and survival instincts from her great war-general [king] father...and as tough as she demonstrates she has the capability of being in Stone of Tears, the beginning chapter(s) of WFR are strange and make Kahlan seem as if she's pandering to the masculine protectiveness thing in Richard, for some bizarre reason. If you've read through Stone of Tears and then go back to this, it doesn't seem to fit.
Knowing that Kahlan is braver and tougher than that [as shown in numerous examples in the books later on], it makes me respect book-K. a little less.
(I kind of feel about it the way I did about girls who went all "girly" in high school...only when there were boys around.
Blech.
Then they reverted back to being respectable, fairly normal human beings when the boys left. I never could respect women who lost their identity in the presence of the opposite sex....)I know that this probably isn't what book-K. is supposed to be doing, in those first few chapters; but I can't help how it strikes me & the impression it left.
--> In contrast, Bridget's K. is somehow more vulnerable, while wearing it less. Does that make sense? From Bridget's K. I get a sense of a woman whose 'toughness' comes out of the strength of the courage of the heart; out of conviction: Right and wrong; good, bad; moral and evil; righteous and just vs. corrupt and unjust, or what's twisted, in the purity of its values. Her courageousness seems to come out of righteous anger and the disregard of the need of sparing or protecting her own life.
(While this is the underlying theme for book-K., I can see it come out, more visibly & obviously, in Bridget's K.)
Underneath this, in the show, as we get to know some of Kahlan's background more, we can see that there is a lot of history, and reason enough for a lot of vulnerability. [Especially thinking of the episode Listener; ep.5] I find Bridget's K.more vulnerable because she's full of heart; but bears up under it [its vulnerability] proudly. It takes a very special person for her to let be seen just how vulnerable and on-her-own she does feel.
Contrast to book-Kahlan who is nearly flying apart at the handles by Ch.1? 2? to a complete stranger (as Richard is, at that point) grabbing his lapel and [though gritting her teeth,] nearly crying and telling him she's "scared to death" (or something close to this) of another quad. {This was at Richard's brother's party.}
As for the vulnerability of Bridget's K., I feel like we're let in to see it more slowly, over time. She takes her time to really let Richard see much of her vulnerability, in particular. Perhaps it's how they're writing the series, but in the show they really start out with Kahlan kind of being a guide (in more than just a "trail-finder" sense of the word) to Richard; she almost kind of raises him into the Seeker he's destined to be, in a way, at first. Whereas in the book you get this turn-around where you feel like Richard metaphorically (and literally) takes her by the hand, and is the 'leader,' early on. Even though Kahlan is supposed to be quite a few legs up on him in both experience, knowledge, and understanding [basically, all things], once they are into the Midlands.*
*Hmm...these thoughts are leading me more and more into reminders of what's been said by other [female] book readers: subtle sexism, kind of. At least when Richard's character is around (i.e., Kahlan's not apart from him, even if in the presence of other males). It kind of makes me think this interaction habit, then, is one of Terry Goodkind's romantic "male hero = protector-to-heroine/love interest" fantasies. :( Bleh. S'fine if that's what floats your boat for you, Terry, but you can't expect the rest of us [especially the women] not to get bored.
Anyway, all that aside, another quality Bridget I think brings in, to Kahlan, is showing her heart through a penchant to worry.
I don't remember really reading 'worry' type thoughts in book-K., apart from the persistent fear that Richard would find out her 'secret,' and that she felt it was such a bad thing (what she was).
Bridget's K. doesn't seem to share really that same quality of worry about her powers--not in the sense that what she is is something shameful, or bad--more just that what/how that limits what her interaction/relationship to Richard can be, and how he might take that, will make things awkward and also affect him. I don't quite get the same sense from Bridget's K. that she has this background fear that what she is is something horrible/shameful. Ah!--Stigma. That is the word I am looking for. That she doesn't feel such a sense of bearing some kind of stigma for what she is; only the awkwardness she feels about it in relation to Richard. You kind of get a sense that Bridget's K. takes Confessorship [new word] in stride, more; she's fairly used to & comfortable in her skin (again, outside of Richard); whereas book-K. wears it a bit mantle-like, like a martyr about it. Kind of "I hate it; look at me do my job...!"
Bridget-K.'s reservations about her powers (outside of Richard) seem to have more to do with the moral weight/burden of how to use her power, when, why, how often, and all of the repercussions. It's not quite the same quality as book-K does, as 'sensing yourself as' something "terrible." Bridget/show-K. doesn't internalize it. Only the moral magnitude of it [which book-K. does as well, but, plus the additives].
Oddly enough, Bridget's-K. only really senses a real 'horror of herself' when she comes under the Con Dar; book-K. doesn't react this way to going into the Con Dar at all [that I recall...]. She's too pissed about Richard's supposed murder.
While on the show Richard's life was only threatened (that Kahlan knew of), she didn't think he was already dead--and while I suppose that makes the circumstances precipitating the Con Dar a little different--it still does not change the fact that what freaked Bridget's-K. out was the loss of a feel for herself, and of control; and book-K. did not have this.
That's a distinct difference.
Though I can understand the lack of care for what one may do, when in a rage over one's loved one's death, and can understand book-Kahlan for this, and her mentality--somehow I like Bridget's Kahlan better for being horrified over losing control over a power she knows bears so much weight; magnitude. -That eradicates and obliterates souls & lives. It makes her more likable to me, as a person. I can empathize with her in that.
You get the sense that while protecting innocent people and protecting lives is important to both, in Bridget's K. it seems to touch Kahlan's heart, more. (Perhaps I needed to get further than book 2, but I kind of don't think so.) For some reason it still kept feeling to me that book-K cared, but was a little removed, inside, at least in a heartfelt (rather than moral-indignation feeling) sort of way--and again, I kept mostly feeling that it was righteous rage combined with doing her duty; and sort of the 'burden of her birth.'
More (maybe) later, as this is already pretty long, but, in short, I can admire the character of Kahlan Amnell for how Bridget is interpreting her. I feel like she brings out all the best that Kahlan is, or should be--and that she's interpreted well--by a woman (which I think is key; & really important). I love her moral strength, and heart, and lack of self-concern. The only emotion that she allows herself 'selfishly' is to have a vulnerability where Richard is concerned; to love him, and be deeply in love with him. And even that, I feel I can believe, she would sacrifice, if she had to, for the need of the world, and so many people who had no other hope than her coming through, and bringing the Seeker to the fulfillment of his goal. She wouldn't sacrifice the hopes of so many for her own happiness.
I know you love book-Kahlan, Bridget...but -[forgive me]- to me, book-Kahlan is a little whiny. And a little resentful/selfish, and a bit of a martyr.
You're doing her the way she'd want to be. :)
Don't worry; we can still see she's human (or, Confessor-human). I can just like her more, this way.
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