Well, here it is... the first bit of analysis:

[b:d94782c0ad][size=14:d94782c0ad]Good and evil[/size:d94782c0ad][/b:d94782c0ad]

Good and evil are important concepts in fairytales. In Pratchett's discworld fairytale they form an important part of the message. Ranging from the fairytale book used as a Roundworld mirror to a discworld story to Tiffany's contemplation of Miss Robinson's guilt Pratchett once again attempts to reveal universal truths.

[b:d94782c0ad]The Nac Mac Feegle[/b:d94782c0ad]

The Nac Mac Feegle are the loveable rogues of the book. They may drink, steal and fight excessively, but mostly among each other and always according to their own strange system of morality. They cannot be called good or evil. They are real heroes. Their cause is not so much worthy as one of self-preservation and they have their flaws. Yet... that is not quite true. Whichever you look at it the Wee Free Men are portrayed as on the good side. Their rough humour and violence may make them a lot more believable than the fairies, pixies and munchkins of Roundworld fairytales, but elements of their nature are still underplayed throughout the book. Their violent nature is continuously compensated for. The creatures they fight are dream creatures, and even in that they are either one-dimensional and evil (grimhounds) or parasites (dromes). They resort to gonnagling and the mousepipes, both in stark contrast with the up close and personal approach of the blue pictsies. Even their philosophy, death is not a bad thing, weakens the portrayal of violence.

[b:d94782c0ad]The Queen[/b:d94782c0ad]

The Queen represents evil in the book. She is a parasite, feeding on dreams, kidnapping and mistreating children. Is she really evil though? There is a good reason for the connection Tiffany makes between the story of Miss Robinson and the Queen. The Queen is embittered, lonely and deserted. After her king left her, when the dreamworld was still a nice place (indicated primarily by the presence of the Nac Mac Feegle and also by the symbolism of summer to winter), she started to turn into what she is in [i:d94782c0ad]The Wee Free Men[/i:d94782c0ad]. And the way she treats comes from the way she sees children. Although she is quite sophisticated in some areas, she's not that intelligent. The Queen is a like a real villain, she is not a monster merely someone with deep personal issues. Again... this is not really true. The portrayal of Elves in [i:d94782c0ad]Lords & Ladies[/i:d94782c0ad] and her potential for cruelty place her firmly on the evil side. The contrast between a loving, caring, frail Miss Robinson and the harsh, vain Queen makes their connection more incidental than indicative.Whichever way you look at it, the Queen fails to invoke any form of sympathy in the reader.

What do you think? Is the Queen evil? Are the Nac Mac Feegle good? And why does Pratchett make the distinction between good and evil? Because it's for children? Because it's a fairytale? Or is Pratchett unwilling to break that convention and is that necessarily a bad thing?