Waiting for the Barbarians

Why was the girl unhappy?

In the recently released movie, Why was the girl that she would ferquently cry to the other woman about being unhappy with the magistrate, when he did all those nice things for her? I can only imagine she belongs to a warrior culture, and expects him as a man of the enemy not to disrespect her with pity. But he's being a kind wimp, washing her feet, dreaming of her, thinking he can bridge the culture when she knows he cannot. I see her behavior not only as possibly the product of her savage warrior culture, but possibly even as a woman toward a man. Does she think him a fool; not a man to respect? Is there some reason given in the book or in the movie that I missed?

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Last updated by Petra K #1283110
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I'm sorry, this is a short-answer "literature" forum. We are unable to answer questions about film unless otherwise noted in the category.

I too came here looking for the answer to the same question. I have not yet read the book unfortunately and my lack of understanding is based on the 2020 adapted movie by Ciro Guerra.

I'm not sure that her culture (warrior or not) has much bearing on the matter.

How would any woman of the village feel if she were kidnapped by the nomads, tortured, blinded, disfigured and then nursed and sheltered by one of the nomads?

How would I feel? How would you or anyone else feel?

Are we all that different from them?

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Golden rule

Your wording of the question is just... painful. Her savage culture? Was her culture the one who tortured innocent people? And why should she feel grateful to be a concubine of an old man she doesn't love, do you think she has any choice in that matter? She can either die or be his mistress. I feel a little sick reading this and seeing how some people actually think.

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