Posted by sean at threshold6n.jpmorgan.com on June 17, 2002 at 14:18:17:
In Reply to: But it makes perfect sense... posted by Isis on June 17, 2002 at 13:48:40:
: Think about it this way: people are more critical of each other when they actually care about and/or have faith in each other. When someone believes you have potential, they're going to try to see that you reach that potential even if it means putting you down. It's like the parental principle.
: However, in hindsight, once Vader has become the embodiment of evil, naturally Obi-Wan would reminisce about what was good about Anakin and what a wonderful Jedi he would have been, etc.
: I don't know how to best explain myself, but if you've ever had either one of the following thoughts -- "once you accept that he's an asshole, you'll see that there are many great things about him" OR "I totally love so and so, and that's why it disappoints me that he/she can't get his/her life together" then you know what I mean.
I get it, but I just mean that we don't see anything in either of the two prequels from Obi-Wan to suggest that he's doing it because he sees something great in him, or even that he has any real respect for Anakin at all. The closest he comes is saying "I need you in this fight" or whatever he says right before they fight Dokuu. It does tie in to the fact that Obi-Wan isn't supposed to have been a good teacher yet, because he wasn't ready, but I didn't get any sense from Ewan that he regarded Anakin as anything but a nuisance. It's not that it doesn't work, and your explanation is definitely true, I just wish there was at least some little part where he acknowledged that Anakin's good at what he does. At least during the gladiator scene.