"Not actually an oxymoron. It's the color past ultra-violet. The technical term for it is infra-black. It can be seen quite easily under experimental conditions. To perform the experiment, simply select a healthy brick wall with a good runup, and, lowering your head, charge.
"The color that flashes in bursts behind your eyes, behind the pain, just before you die, is infra-black." (Prachett and Gaiman, 308)
Ah, footnotes hold a very important place in literature. Whether it is to clarify something, or add more information, or simply to amuse, footnotes serve a variety of functions. In this case, Neil Gaiman has selected footnotes both to elucidate...and to amuse; primarily, the function is to amuse. The humorous little side notes add to the story, rather than detract from it, and guide the reader along. Also, it spreads the idea that "we're not taking this seriously, and neither should you. We're just here to have a good time."
The repetition serves to amuse the reader further. "The color you see behind your eyes, behind the pain..." Black hides behind everything. Black is also the last thing people see before they die or lose consciousness. It never hurts to have a healthy reminder of that. The passage flows rather smoothly, but may be impossible to read without cracking up. It's the way the words flow and how things are phrased where the true (admittedly dark) humor lies.
In a book about the Apocalypse, you wouldn't expect humor. Yet this book shows there is light in the dark, dark in the light, and everything in between. You can be funny and morbid at the same time.
It doesn't relate to the fantasy theme, however; it's more of a general jibe, contrasting greatly with some of the darker things we had to read which were devoid of humor. However, by that token, it might be seen more like Cosmicomics, where it's funny because it's so absurd, you can't help but laugh.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Twilight
"Because I knew the thoughts of my prey, I could pass over the innocent and pursue only the evil. If I followed a murderer down a dark alley where he stalked a young girl — if I saved her, then surely I wasn’t so terrible." (Meyer, 343)
Vigilantism is romanticized, and, in an already grandiose and highly romantic book, it's not unsurprising to locate it here. The idea of justice is there- if you kill the killers, you're doing good, and you're saving more than you're hurting. For surely the people who murder wantonly deserve to die, and taking them out is no small task, or a needless one. Unfortunately, that is simply rationalizing the reality- Edward Cullen, like other people with that mindset, are actually assuming the role of the murderer in a fashion that transforms them into worse than their prey. Their prey has no chance of evading them, not when they are, as Edward himself has stated, the "perfect predator- everything invites you in".
Stylistically speaking, the first sentence in this excerpt begins with which I've never informed never to start a sentence- 'because'. Meyer's style is reminiscent of the age group at which her books are targeted. Although Edward occasionally speaks like he's been ripped from the pages of a Gothic novel, he invokes colloquialisms and American speech patterns too.
True, he doesn't say it as baldly and bluntly as someone from this age might. Also true, there is, as there tends to be in many of Edward's statements, a certain poetry, even about the simplest things. It is easy to find him alluring based on that, when almost no one in our day and age speaks like that.
In this book, the Cullens are considered to be the "good guys". This quote further exemplifies this because "how can someone who kills the killers be a bad person"? It also relates to the idea of a vampire as a dark shadow in the night- the murderer surely didn't see him coming and he blends into the darkness, only to strike out.
Vigilantism is romanticized, and, in an already grandiose and highly romantic book, it's not unsurprising to locate it here. The idea of justice is there- if you kill the killers, you're doing good, and you're saving more than you're hurting. For surely the people who murder wantonly deserve to die, and taking them out is no small task, or a needless one. Unfortunately, that is simply rationalizing the reality- Edward Cullen, like other people with that mindset, are actually assuming the role of the murderer in a fashion that transforms them into worse than their prey. Their prey has no chance of evading them, not when they are, as Edward himself has stated, the "perfect predator- everything invites you in".
Stylistically speaking, the first sentence in this excerpt begins with which I've never informed never to start a sentence- 'because'. Meyer's style is reminiscent of the age group at which her books are targeted. Although Edward occasionally speaks like he's been ripped from the pages of a Gothic novel, he invokes colloquialisms and American speech patterns too.
True, he doesn't say it as baldly and bluntly as someone from this age might. Also true, there is, as there tends to be in many of Edward's statements, a certain poetry, even about the simplest things. It is easy to find him alluring based on that, when almost no one in our day and age speaks like that.
In this book, the Cullens are considered to be the "good guys". This quote further exemplifies this because "how can someone who kills the killers be a bad person"? It also relates to the idea of a vampire as a dark shadow in the night- the murderer surely didn't see him coming and he blends into the darkness, only to strike out.
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Road Precis
"They came upon themselves in a mirror and he almost raised the pistol. It's us, Papa, the boy whispered. It's us" (McCarthy, 132)
Humanity has become so disparate from what we once knew that people don't know themselves when they look in the mirror. The mirror and appearance is only useful if you care about what face you show to the world, which is a part of civilization that doesn't exist anymore. The boy and his father barely have time to keep themselves alive; they don't have time to worry about their hair, clothing, and smell. This world is all about survival, nothing else.
This section, like others in the book, shows McCarthy's stylized writing. Dialogue is wrapped within the paragraph; without the quotation marks, it shows in a post apocalyptic world, nothing is neat and confined like in a normal world. The world is confusing and the characters don't know which way is up, nor do the readers.
This is the first time the characters have stumbled upon a picture of themselves in the book. Not everything about the characters is visible- "we carry the flame". It's hard to tell which character is good or bad based upon appearance alone. The good characters "carry the flame", which doesn't shine through to the mirror. Upon seeing themselves, if it were possible, outside of the mirror, they probably would have attacked themselves too. They're so on guard, everyone could be a potential threat, because they can't afford to trust anyone.
The Road isn't actually a fantasy or science fiction novel, per se, but in another genre entirely- post apocalyptic. This passage shows how the world has disintegrated around them and even something as commonplace as a mirror in our times is seldom seen or used in their times. Mirrors are less useful than, say, canned pears. When the world has ended, what use do mirrors really have?
It's not cool so much as sad they don't recognize themselves in the mirror. Then again, they don't really have an opportunity to look for their reflections, nor is it really important anymore.
Humanity has become so disparate from what we once knew that people don't know themselves when they look in the mirror. The mirror and appearance is only useful if you care about what face you show to the world, which is a part of civilization that doesn't exist anymore. The boy and his father barely have time to keep themselves alive; they don't have time to worry about their hair, clothing, and smell. This world is all about survival, nothing else.
This section, like others in the book, shows McCarthy's stylized writing. Dialogue is wrapped within the paragraph; without the quotation marks, it shows in a post apocalyptic world, nothing is neat and confined like in a normal world. The world is confusing and the characters don't know which way is up, nor do the readers.
This is the first time the characters have stumbled upon a picture of themselves in the book. Not everything about the characters is visible- "we carry the flame". It's hard to tell which character is good or bad based upon appearance alone. The good characters "carry the flame", which doesn't shine through to the mirror. Upon seeing themselves, if it were possible, outside of the mirror, they probably would have attacked themselves too. They're so on guard, everyone could be a potential threat, because they can't afford to trust anyone.
The Road isn't actually a fantasy or science fiction novel, per se, but in another genre entirely- post apocalyptic. This passage shows how the world has disintegrated around them and even something as commonplace as a mirror in our times is seldom seen or used in their times. Mirrors are less useful than, say, canned pears. When the world has ended, what use do mirrors really have?
It's not cool so much as sad they don't recognize themselves in the mirror. Then again, they don't really have an opportunity to look for their reflections, nor is it really important anymore.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Harry Potter Precis (Sorry it's late!)
"More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermoine Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead" (Rowling, 137).
Hermoine Granger spends a lot of her time in the Harry Potter series on the edge of her seat, desperate to prove herself. This first book sets the stage for the rest of the series and begins to show how Hermoine tries to impress herself upon Snape. Snape, nevertheless, is cold and unappreciative of her talents- then again, he tends to be that way toward everyone.
The passage's wording is such that it will get stuck in your head if you have read the book enough times and you are just thinking of a particular chapter. J.K. Rowling's style and flair allow her work to live on in the minds of readers long after they have put the book down, and isn't that the real magic of reading? (The quoting aside, this is being able to apply the books to real life and hopefully, use the knowledge of the secondary world in the primary world).
Hermoine says later in the book to Harry that although she's smart, she isn't like him. (It's the scene right before Harry goes on to face Professor Quirrell and Voldemort). "Me? Books and cleverness, but you..."
In every fantasy series, there must be the intellectual who figures things out for the rest of the group. (It happens in science fiction too). Someone has to pave the way for the rest and although Harry and Ron aren't friends with Hermoine yet, this intelligence will shine through and help them when they need it the most. The same can be true for many characters in fantasy, not necessarily those who are wise beyond their years (like Professor Dumbledore).
Hermoine has a life of her own outside of Harry Potter. On www.icanhazcheezburger.com, there's a "Hermoine kitty knows all the answers". This caption reminded me of this particular passage.
Hermoine Granger spends a lot of her time in the Harry Potter series on the edge of her seat, desperate to prove herself. This first book sets the stage for the rest of the series and begins to show how Hermoine tries to impress herself upon Snape. Snape, nevertheless, is cold and unappreciative of her talents- then again, he tends to be that way toward everyone.
The passage's wording is such that it will get stuck in your head if you have read the book enough times and you are just thinking of a particular chapter. J.K. Rowling's style and flair allow her work to live on in the minds of readers long after they have put the book down, and isn't that the real magic of reading? (The quoting aside, this is being able to apply the books to real life and hopefully, use the knowledge of the secondary world in the primary world).
Hermoine says later in the book to Harry that although she's smart, she isn't like him. (It's the scene right before Harry goes on to face Professor Quirrell and Voldemort). "Me? Books and cleverness, but you..."
In every fantasy series, there must be the intellectual who figures things out for the rest of the group. (It happens in science fiction too). Someone has to pave the way for the rest and although Harry and Ron aren't friends with Hermoine yet, this intelligence will shine through and help them when they need it the most. The same can be true for many characters in fantasy, not necessarily those who are wise beyond their years (like Professor Dumbledore).
Hermoine has a life of her own outside of Harry Potter. On www.icanhazcheezburger.com, there's a "Hermoine kitty knows all the answers". This caption reminded me of this particular passage.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Golden Compass post 3
"Mrs. Coulter selected her lovers for their power and influence, but it did no harm if they were good looking. Did she ever become fond of a lover? Not once. She could not keep her servants either." (Pullman, 295)
Although this particular snippet was not in The Golden Compass, I consider it extremely important. It sheds new light on Mrs. Coulter's personality and whether she actually loved Lord Asriel. Pullman seems to think otherwise; perhaps she was seduced by Lord Asriel's power and prowess, but would have ultimately discarded of him. There is another interpretation here too- this particular snippet may have referred to her life prior to when The Golden Compass began, in which case her sorrow and grief were real at the end of the book.
Though this is a short paragraph, it contains a great deal of information. Pullman has also brought in something that may seem irrelevant, but is in fact important too. Mrs. Coulter cannot keep someone of a high stature or low, either. She was fond of nothing except perhaps her own power (taking this passage to mean her personality in general and not before the events of The Golden Compass).
Such callousness might be expected of a villain, though it is hard to quantify her, or anyone for that matter, as a villain. No one is pure black and white- all, including Lyra, are shades of grey.
Would she have grown weary of Lyra after a while? This passage seems to suggest everyone and everything would bore her; looking at it differently, however, may mean she underwent a dramatic character transformation to the point where she discovered what her real priorities were. It is rather doubtful she has, at least not as far as the first book in the series, but one can hope.
She discarded of her husband because he could not bring her where she desired to go and she discarded of Lord Asriel too. This particular method of tossing away people seems to be part of her personality.
Although this particular snippet was not in The Golden Compass, I consider it extremely important. It sheds new light on Mrs. Coulter's personality and whether she actually loved Lord Asriel. Pullman seems to think otherwise; perhaps she was seduced by Lord Asriel's power and prowess, but would have ultimately discarded of him. There is another interpretation here too- this particular snippet may have referred to her life prior to when The Golden Compass began, in which case her sorrow and grief were real at the end of the book.
Though this is a short paragraph, it contains a great deal of information. Pullman has also brought in something that may seem irrelevant, but is in fact important too. Mrs. Coulter cannot keep someone of a high stature or low, either. She was fond of nothing except perhaps her own power (taking this passage to mean her personality in general and not before the events of The Golden Compass).
Such callousness might be expected of a villain, though it is hard to quantify her, or anyone for that matter, as a villain. No one is pure black and white- all, including Lyra, are shades of grey.
Would she have grown weary of Lyra after a while? This passage seems to suggest everyone and everything would bore her; looking at it differently, however, may mean she underwent a dramatic character transformation to the point where she discovered what her real priorities were. It is rather doubtful she has, at least not as far as the first book in the series, but one can hope.
She discarded of her husband because he could not bring her where she desired to go and she discarded of Lord Asriel too. This particular method of tossing away people seems to be part of her personality.
The Golden Compass post 2
"Benny, the pastry cook at Jordan, whose daemon was male, sitting in the warm cabin with his cousins the Costa family and listening to the story of how Lyra hijacked their boat, and their demand that someone discipline the brat. Their indignation was too much to bear without laughing. In return..." (Pullman, 296)
This passage, by a perfunctory sweep, has little importance to the book. However, looking deeper, I can see much greater portends. There are few humans with daemons the same gender. The norm appears to be humans who have opposite gender daemons, perhaps representing a part of the personality that is traditionally male /female. This would also suggest, in my opinion, humans with opposite gender daemons are heterosexual and those with same sex daemons are homosexual.
The Lantern Slides all start their snippets without a complete sentence. (Another example will be in the next post, because the Lantern Slides are a goldmine). This allows the piece to have a more relaxed air and to also appear to be cast offs, adrift without the book to tether them.
In most fantasy novels, the hero or heroine is heterosexual. (There are a few exceptions, notably Wraeththu and The Last Herald Mage Trilogy). Where this is the case, if a homosexual character exists, they will be a side character, as is evidenced here. (To compare, again, we have two healers in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series who are lesbians, but are mentioned in passing most of the time). Apparently, for the mainstream, people want their fantasy to contain straight people, even if it has dragons, faeries, unicorns, magic, and wizards.
It is interesting the pastry cook is friendly with the gyptians. Is it more socially acceptable for a possible homosexual to mingle with another group if both are in the lower classes? What does this mean for homosexuality in general in Lyra's world? Women Scholars are rare and denigrated to second class citizens. Homosexuals are usually very much in the minority- so where are they in the class structure? How are their daemons different from a heterosexual person's daemon?
This passage, by a perfunctory sweep, has little importance to the book. However, looking deeper, I can see much greater portends. There are few humans with daemons the same gender. The norm appears to be humans who have opposite gender daemons, perhaps representing a part of the personality that is traditionally male /female. This would also suggest, in my opinion, humans with opposite gender daemons are heterosexual and those with same sex daemons are homosexual.
The Lantern Slides all start their snippets without a complete sentence. (Another example will be in the next post, because the Lantern Slides are a goldmine). This allows the piece to have a more relaxed air and to also appear to be cast offs, adrift without the book to tether them.
In most fantasy novels, the hero or heroine is heterosexual. (There are a few exceptions, notably Wraeththu and The Last Herald Mage Trilogy). Where this is the case, if a homosexual character exists, they will be a side character, as is evidenced here. (To compare, again, we have two healers in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series who are lesbians, but are mentioned in passing most of the time). Apparently, for the mainstream, people want their fantasy to contain straight people, even if it has dragons, faeries, unicorns, magic, and wizards.
It is interesting the pastry cook is friendly with the gyptians. Is it more socially acceptable for a possible homosexual to mingle with another group if both are in the lower classes? What does this mean for homosexuality in general in Lyra's world? Women Scholars are rare and denigrated to second class citizens. Homosexuals are usually very much in the minority- so where are they in the class structure? How are their daemons different from a heterosexual person's daemon?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
First Precis- The Golden Compass
"Somewhere out there is the origin of all Dust, all the death. the sin, the misery, the destructiveness in the world. Human beings can't see anything without wanting to destroy it, Lyra. That's original sin. And I'm going to destroy it. Death is going to die." (Pullman 331)
This statement sets the tone for the rest of the series. Lord Asriel is determined to surmount death, and such a decision will ultimately lead Lyra and Will into the underworld. Lord Asriel eventually amasses an army of angels, thereupon strengthening the parallel to Paradise Lost. After all, someone who would deign himself above death is taking on the grandest power of them, because eventually, everyone must succumb to death. Everyone must succumb to sin, misery, and destructiveness, either by their actions or by others fostered upon them. (This is the case with Angelica and her siblings in The Subtle Knife, where they bring misery upon Lyra and Will and the scientists' discovery of the subtle knife brings misery, death, and destruction upon multiple worlds).
The statement in itself is rather poetic. There is a certain eloquence in the declaration "death is going to die", however ill advised such a venture might become. It, coupled with the second sentence, ascribe realism to what might be seen as an outlandish and fantastical sentiment.
Only in this series is Dust existent, though it is arguably a concept existing in our own universe, just beneath the surface. This quote connects Dust, a major theme in the book, to the almost fantasy element in the series. After all, what is fantasy without the fantastic, even if it can hardly be qualified as such?
As aforementioned, "death is going to die" is eloquent, poetic, and rather catchy. It sounds like a battle cry, something screamed while charging at the enemy on white horses with weapons raised. It is certainly easy to remember and a powerful message throughout the series. Although, by attempting to destroy death, he is doing the very thing he states human beings all want to do- see something and destroy it.
This statement sets the tone for the rest of the series. Lord Asriel is determined to surmount death, and such a decision will ultimately lead Lyra and Will into the underworld. Lord Asriel eventually amasses an army of angels, thereupon strengthening the parallel to Paradise Lost. After all, someone who would deign himself above death is taking on the grandest power of them, because eventually, everyone must succumb to death. Everyone must succumb to sin, misery, and destructiveness, either by their actions or by others fostered upon them. (This is the case with Angelica and her siblings in The Subtle Knife, where they bring misery upon Lyra and Will and the scientists' discovery of the subtle knife brings misery, death, and destruction upon multiple worlds).
The statement in itself is rather poetic. There is a certain eloquence in the declaration "death is going to die", however ill advised such a venture might become. It, coupled with the second sentence, ascribe realism to what might be seen as an outlandish and fantastical sentiment.
Only in this series is Dust existent, though it is arguably a concept existing in our own universe, just beneath the surface. This quote connects Dust, a major theme in the book, to the almost fantasy element in the series. After all, what is fantasy without the fantastic, even if it can hardly be qualified as such?
As aforementioned, "death is going to die" is eloquent, poetic, and rather catchy. It sounds like a battle cry, something screamed while charging at the enemy on white horses with weapons raised. It is certainly easy to remember and a powerful message throughout the series. Although, by attempting to destroy death, he is doing the very thing he states human beings all want to do- see something and destroy it.
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