I think writing Cut Strings has been very helpful for me in thinking about anger. This is a central theme of this story, and I've been exploring it from a number of angles. The crux of this story is that Grievous has had his anger manipulated so that he could be more easily used for the purposes of others, but he also has some very legitimate anger towards the Jedi, the Sith, the Huk, and of course, San Hill.
I want to talk a bit about this theme of anger. Too often I hear very binary judgments about this emotion, when I think the truth of how we should think of it is much more complex. It can be important to spurring us to action, or focusing our attention, but it can also be used to manipulate us. Those in power will carefully craft narratives to direct anger away from themselves and towards those they wish to keep disempowered. After all, creating this anger allows them to get those they oppress to focus their attacks on each other. Anger can be difficult to quell in ourselves even when we decide it should be. It can be frightening to see when expressed at us or those we care about. It is a powerful motivator, and it can be directed at good and evil alike.
So I write a lot about Cut Strings Grievous trying to regain control of his anger and also to reintegrate his other emotions. Ultimately, I think there's a lot that can be explored here. I very much question the narrative of anger being evil regardless of context, and think there's a lot of important questions we can ask about this often unexamined emotion.
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