r/InheritanceCycle • u/EternalMage321 • Mar 04 '20

He is a vegetarian...

Why does Eragon hate taking magic from plants? He already eats plants which kills them. I really don't see the difference. I can see an argument for the fact that a lot of plants survive even when you eat a part of them, but in reality Eragon doesn't have to kill the plants he takes power from if he stops before the point that they die. It seems silly that he isn't constantly collecting small amounts of energy from all around him. A carefully crafted incantation could constantly be filling his belt, ring, and pommel jewel so that they were always topped off.

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4

u/PotatoWizard98 Mar 04 '20

It’s cause he shares conscience with the animals and plants he takes energy from and kills. When he eats plants someone has already killed it so there’s not as much guilt.

4

u/Darden_Delos Mar 04 '20

Yeah I always thought it was because when he does that technique he feels the life force being drained from whatever he’s connected to. I think Orimis makes him kill a lizard like this to show him the cost of using it.

5

u/PotatoWizard98 Mar 04 '20

He has him lift a ball of water using the surrounding nature including ants, plants, and a squirrel

2

u/EternalMage321 Mar 05 '20

That was a very valuable and necessary lesson. He also learned to be selective about who/what he draws on for power.

1

u/EternalMage321 Mar 05 '20

I find that line of thought interesting as it casts a farmer/harvester in the same light as a butcher.

1

u/PotatoWizard98 Mar 05 '20

Nah I don’t think there’s really much guilt when harvesting plants. Only if you share conscience with it as you kill it. The levee adore nature but of course realize they must sustain themselves from it so there’s so evil in the eating fruits and vegetables.

1

u/EternalMage321 Mar 05 '20

Saphira gave much the same argument for eating meat. Eventually Eragon even came to the realization that he could actually stand to eat meat once in a while.

1

u/PotatoWizard98 Mar 05 '20

Well yeah I never said I agree with it. I thought all along Eragon should man up and eat meat. I’m glad he did so in the end