Thanks for the comments, everyone!
Nola, you're dead on with most of your analysis. This quote:
@unknownuser said:
I think Maclean finally realized that the world doesn't revolve around the Terrans, but that life or the means for its continuation should never be taken away from a person(s) simply because they are seen as different than us. Maybe Maclean was right. Maybe we are in a bit over our heads. Maybe we all are depriving life from another thing. Maybe we all could learn from the Aliens. Maybe...but now it's too late. It's not right!
Is exactly the point of my story. I had originally planned to just end with the irony that water, which is life to us, is death to them. But then I thought, "Wait a minute. Nobody ever asks what happens to the aliens--they're always just portrayed as the villians and everyone is happy when they are defeated." So I decided to make them more sympathetic characters.
And I think you're right, too, about how Maclean would have felt about the death of Ren'Tikdanak if he hadn't been affected by the lack of water. He was a lot more sympathetic towards the aliens at the end of the story.
The reason why I didn't write about what he went through after he drove the aliens insane is probably because he wsa slowly going batty himself. I really didn't know how to write like a person who's half-conscious and delusional for lack of water (as I've heard that's what dehydration does). 10 days is the maximum time a person can live without water, so he had to be in pretty bad shape by the time the supply ship arrived!
And I'd love to see the rest of your analysis!
Joshua, I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I think that the only way Maclean could have been made to look at Terrans from his new point of view is if the alien's mind-probe influenced him. I don't really think that it would have been realistic any other way.
Nola, do you do any writing? Your analysis was quite masterful!
Thanks again for the comments!
--PinkSkink
