The Fool's Gender?

[DethLord]

"well it doesn't really. because the fool would be acting as a male, right? talking to people who think he is male, he wouldn't say he was female, even if he was, in that situation."


In a situation such as this I think its fair to say that the Fool is not doing any "acting" as such. This is about as honest as it gets between these two. Also remember, when it is just Fitz and the Fool The Fool does not act male or female, he just is.

[-putawaythosepliers-]

By the end of Asssassins Quest *not got onto any of the other Hobb books yet* i was pretty convinced he was a ...he. Call me a hopeless romantic, but i would have loved it if the fool turned out to be female and then Fitz would have seen his relationship with the fool in a new way and they would have run off into the horizon together...
ahhh
anyway, it was a nice thought for a while.

[the_faery_queen]

Not really. ok here's your quote bit.
"They were meticulously careful to needle them in just as she instructed them. It is a horrible thing to do to a child. Hold him still and hurt him. Any child.’ He rocked slightly, his shoulders hunched. His voice was distant.

i can't see the fool saying, hold HER still and hurt HER, even if that was what was said, because i don't think he would be so carless as to let his facade slip. besides, it's not really a good time to reveal to his best friend that he is actually female, is it? so i think even if he was female, he would have just continued with the idea that he was male because under the circumstances, remembering such awful stuff, would he really then want to alienate fitz, or create an awkward situation by revealling he's female?

[-putawaythosepliers-]

yes, but can't you just imagine them together?! the fool choosing Fitz's clothes and running him a bath and cooking him dinner.
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[the_faery_queen]

yeah.

[greedo]

Originally Posted by the_faery_queen

Not really. ok here's your quote bit.
"They were meticulously careful to needle them in just as she instructed them. It is a horrible thing to do to a child. Hold him still and hurt him. Any child.’ He rocked slightly, his shoulders hunched. His voice was distant.

i can't see the fool saying, hold HER still and hurt HER, even if that was what was said, because i don't think he would be so carless as to let his facade slip. besides, it's not really a good time to reveal to his best friend that he is actually female, is it? so i think even if he was female, he would have just continued with the idea that he was male because under the circumstances, remembering such awful stuff, would he really then want to alienate fitz, or create an awkward situation by revealling he's female?

Well, as far as i know, if you want to say something in english that applies generally to everyone, like in this case, you use "he" instead of having to write "he or she" every time. Which means it doesn't prove anything, though i may not be correct as my english is not exactly perfect Besides, if i remember correctly, Robin Hobb herself said it that even she hadn't decided if the Fool is a male or a female.
But i think the most important thing here is the question she makes you think about: Does it matter?

[the_faery_queen]

yeah. that's what i loved about the fool, his argument about it just being plumbing, abotu gender not really mattering, and he's right. it really doesn't matter. ok most people fancy one or the other gender, but i sometimes think that limits us, it stops us getting close to other people becuase we're not that way inclined. i think it's kinda sad, sometimes, that we let being gay or straight rule our lives so much. *shrug* there are ways to love each other, without it being about sex. but society doesn't seem to think that way much anymore.

[TheBlueFool]

Originally Posted by quiet cynic

I believe the Fool is a guy. This is due to the many small hints in the three relevant series. I also believe that the question of his gender is something the Fool did on purpose, and probably enjoyed somewhat. Being a consumate actor, this would not have been difficult, and it smacks of his sense of humor and personality. None-the-less, it seems irrelevant in the end, because his relationship with Fritz is, I believe, too deep to be affected by something so basic as gender. It almost seemed to be the whole point at times - that their feelings went above/beyond that.

Agree

[TheBlueFool]

Originally Posted by the_faery_queen

i don't thik he was effeminitate. effiminate, to me, implies camp. he wasn't camp, except for as lord golden, and that was a show. he wasn't female, he wasn't male, he transcedied gender traits, he just was a person who was free of gender. there are a lot of peole who feel that they're neither gender, they dont' relate to either, and i think the fool was like that, his love for fitz was definatly more than sexual love, it was love love. and i don't think he was bi or gay or straight, i dont' think he was bothered by bodies or gender at all. he just loved who he loved. gay or straight or bi implies some sort of preference (well bi likes both clearly) but i think he would have felt the same about anyone, any creature, any animal, anything, because he loved who they were, not their bodies.

well said