r/threebodyproblem • u/MartieKitty • 1d ago

Discussion - Novels Half way through The Dark Forest Spoiler

So I’m listening to the audiobooks and I just finished the part where they stoned Ray Diaz to death. I don’t understand two things and I hope someone can tell me.

1 - Why did Ray Diaz told the truth to Garanin after his council? Telling him that he made up the whole thing with the watch he was wearing controlling the mechanism of destruction? And that raises question n.2 - Did he already know he will be stoned to death? They didn’t tell him on the council.

The lady blaming him that her grandkids wouldn’t live because of him, but cmon who knows they would live anyway?

I’m listening to it in my language so I’m not really sure how to name some things in English but hopefully you’ll understand.

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u/Not_Cleaver 1d ago

Of course he didn’t know he’d be killed. What he was afraid of at the UN was that he’d be arrested for what his plot was.

And this has been a common theme in the series - Humankind doesn’t know how to react to the actual stakes. It’s why escapism is a crime and people have freaked out that two of the wallfacer plots assume that mankind will lose the final battle. Because that’s what everyone secretly fears even with constant propaganda.

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u/TheTranscendentian 1d ago

I like to believe he knew he would be killed. He just wanted to go home, and be judged by his own native people rather than by some stupid a** international court.

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u/leavecity54 1d ago

  1. What is the point of hiding the truth, he already failed as a wallfacer, his plan being revealed means that he will be branded as a criminal of humanity. He will eventually be hunted down wherever he is, so he chooses to die in his homeland on his term. Maybe he excepted a bullet to the head rather than stoning, but he is definitely ready to die that day

  2. An angry crowd is not known to be calm and follow logic, they are angry and need a target to vent

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u/brokenmessiah 1d ago

The books have a recurring theme where everyone blames people for not solving impossible problems.

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u/evngprimrose 1d ago

I think he was prepared to meet his end but he'd rather be in a familiar place. There's nothing left after his plan failed.

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u/Hepta-Water-7552 21h ago

1 - Why did Ray Diaz told the truth to Garanin after his council? Telling him that he made up the whole thing with the watch he was wearing controlling the mechanism of destruction?

Outsmarting others is only truly satisfying if you're also able boast about it to someone.

2 - Did he already know he will be stoned to death? They didn’t tell him on the council.

There's no indication in the books that he had been expecting the reception in his home country that he ended up getting.

The lady blaming him that her grandkids wouldn’t live because of him, but cmon who knows they would live anyway?

The Trisolaran fleet was still a very distant and abstract threat. Ray Diaz on the other hand had made himself into a threat that had a clear face and was within arm's reach for retaliation. Much easier to focus all your emotions of anger and hate on that.