Adelia; First Impressions

So far, what do I think of Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar? Well, I think she is the embodiment of a modern feminist. She is strong, independent, and she doesn’t need male to help her. She is able to stand up for her own, however though, at certain points in the book it is clear that she is weaker than she cares or want to admit. For example when she was on the hill alone and Sir Gervase was coming towards her, she knew she needed help but instead of screaming for help like any other sensible young lady of her time then she had held her pride in higher priority and stood her ground. Brave of her to do so, I must admit, but it was also incredibly stupid and unreasonable. If her “bodyguard” Mansur wasn’t there with the slinging axe, then it would have been very apparent that she would have been undeniably hurt. It was also when I got to this point that I decided that Adelia is a very proud person. Or would arrogant be a better word? She puts pride above many of her other priorities and even the risk to her own personal safety could not persuade her to lift her head down a bit. Not only that but Adelia prides herself with the respect other gives her. She thrives on being able to assure herself that she is strong all by herself. She doesn’t want to have to depend on anyone else, which is rather imprudent of her I think. Even though I know the feeling of wanting to accomplish something by your self, I still believe that working together as group is not anything disgraceful. Relying on help is okay, especially when you need it. Refusing it is what would be stupid.
Another thing, I don’t think of Adelia as just someone who commands respect. She is also a person with a good natured but too professional heart. She truly cares for her patients but she acts too aloof, too professional like and that is even to people who are not her patients but people who are her colleagues. There is just something about her that just screams “Get away from me, I don’t need you!” Her persona though truly kind shows off as too cold. She is just too emotionally distant from her peers. It seems as though she wants to detached herself from them in fear of getting too close. Or perhaps she just doesn’t want to think of herself as weak by relying on people, which means she can’t be friends with them because that would be like saying that she needs their friendship which completely destroys the whole “I’m strong. I’m independent and I can do whatever motif.”

However I could be wrong about her. I had thought that Sophie Neveu from The Da Vinci Code was too detached as well, but Sophie had slowly started to change and perhaps Adelia will too. Perhaps later on, Adelia will find that one person that could make her accept wanting to have other people there for her.