The Hair-Carpet Weavers Q5: Theme

Apocryphal

What's the main theme of the novel? How does the novel explore this theme? How does it leave you feeling about the theme?

RichardAbbott

I guess this was an area where I ended up thinking, yeah, whatever! My take on it was that it was a simple revenge plot focusing on hair to highlight the clash between two rulers. I suppose there's a sense that carpeting an entire planet with hair carpets shows a staggering level of power, but also pettiness.

And of course that was the second level of "what was it about" - the ability of those in power to simply set arbitrary and rather nonsensical goals that the underlings had no choice but to seek to fulfil. As a motif that applies on all kinds of levels, from the family through the workplace to the government. And it's a good topic to explore, and not to forget. But as the driving force behind the whole tale I had a slight sense of being let down.