The Aquatic Uncle

   I found the use of land, water, and the line between the two as prominent symbols throughout the story. Obviously, they allude to our own difficulties of change in our contemporary world, especially for our older generations. When the uncle tells the protagonist that he would develop warts, referencing to change and rejection of the past traditional ways. The closer they grow to land, which the fish would consider the unknown, the more monstrous they grow. Whereas water meant life and youth.
 
   Each character in the story reminded me of people I personally know or situations I have gone through and continue to do so. Growing up with my grandparents, who grasp to their traditional conservative views, and yet surrounding myself with people of more broadened views from my own generation. I find myself in the same position of the protagonist, living in the middle, accepting change but still seldomly looking back to the past. To dismantle all prejudices and achieve acceptance.
 
   This story would adapt well into an animated film or even an illustrated graphic novel. The biggest changes it would need would be more description of the characters, since a majority were vague (save the uncle) and hard to get a clear image of what they would look like. If the characters were made human and the setting changed to a contemporary city or town, it could even be adapted to a live-action film.

Week 7: The Novel of Spiritual Education

 
I have had a copy of Erin Morgenstern's, The Night Circus, on my shelf for months now. I've been longing to read it, yet never had the time to spare. Finally, I was given that chance to sit and read it, well most of it that is.
   Like most fantasy series I've read, despite the fantasy setting, the characters are typically relatable. Celia's and Marco's challenge along with the high expectations placed on them by their parental figures puts a heavy burden on their shoulders, which many young adults can relate to. No matter how much they wish to escape their destiny, they are still bound to it and try to play around it. The novel differs from other fantasy books because of how the main characters want to shake off a destiny that was built for them. Since I have yet to finish reading, I will find out if they do or do not soon (hopefully).
   Overall, I really enjoy the book thus far. I especially enjoyed reading the different perspectives. I've formed a slight attachment to Widget and Poppet, probably the two most intuitive twins I've encountered in literature. Morgenstern's picturesque style of writing is wonderful, though it does leave me craving for more. I hope to elaborate more in this post once I have finished reading the entire novel.

Week 6: Classic Fantasy

As a lover of the fantasy genre, I have always had a hard time considering myself a true fan of the genre since I never had read any of Tolkien's work. Well, I can finally deem myself worthy of being called a fantasy fan, now that I have read The Hobbit (I have read 1/3rd of The Fellowship of the Ring, if that counts for anything).
   The Hobbit was definitely a pleasure to read, considering Tolkien wrote the story for his children, it's not surprising that the style it is written is is very much as if he was sitting by your bedside reading the story to you. Breaking the fourth wall and teasing the reader of future events in the book that have yet to happen. His description of characters, their voices, and the world they live in serve as a buffet for the imagination. You can hear Gollum's hissing within all his lines and the goblins grotesque descriptions and their aggressive chants created a clear image of what they looked like in my head. Tolkien's world creation is really the highlight of his story, as well as every fantasy story ever written. I do believe a well developed world is the core to creating an escape from reality into fantasy. Whether it be a world we would want to go to (ex. Middle-Earth) or a world we would rather stay clear from (ex. Westeros). Though, considering that these worlds still contain the as many dangers as the real world possesses, along with the struggles and hardships the characters must face, it's hard to consider some of these stories as a way of escaping reality. In the end, it's just a reflection of our own world, plus a dragon or two.
  Tolkien has obviously influenced other fantasy writers, so as a fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, it was a nice to see where a lot of his inspiration is drawn from, even if he writes "low fantasy". Even J.K. Rowling follows the tradition of the hero's quest in the Harry Potter series.
 

Week 5: Witches

 
Witches have increasingly become a popular subject in media, especially being portrayed in a positive light. Typically, they focus on women and therefore explore the many archetypes that us ladies are condensed to, whether being femme fatale or the young naive maiden. Though, considering the many archetypes that have evolved over time, they have stemmed from just simply being stereotypes.
   The idea of witches usually creates a matriarchal system within a narrative, which may result in a positive or negative outlook. In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, witches are portrayed in both a positive and negative light, the Wicked Witch of the West is portrayed as vile and cruel whereas Glinda is seen as beautiful and a shrine of goodness. In the classic 1960's television show, Bewitched, Samantha is by far the most likeable character, along with Endora and fellow witches. Though, it could be argued, that Bewitched can be seen as a way of domesticating women, considering Samantha is trying to conform to Darrin's human world, yet she still has her rebellious streaks. It is the 60's though, so it's not surprising. As we approach the modern day, our idea of women with power begins to shift into the positive light. For example, in Kiki's Delivery Service, the women in power are glorified rather than looked down on, they're respected and admired.

Week 4: New Weird

What is “weird”? Before reading From Hell, I had anticipated a historical fiction graphic novel that simply focused around the story of Jack the Ripper. The only previous knowledge I had of it was the film adaptation that I had watched many years ago. Upon reading, I quickly learned how loosely adapted it was.

   In From Hell, Prince Albert Victor weds and fathers a child with a girl from London’s East End known as Annie. To cover up this scandal, Queen Victoria separates Annie from Albert and has her sentenced to a mental institute, where her royal physician, Dr. Gull, impairs Annie’s sanity. A group of prostitutes discover the secrets of this scandal and attempt to use it as blackmail against the crown. Dr. Gull then begins to kill off these prostitutes, not only to suppress an illuminati threat, but also to ensure male dominance through mystical ritual.

     This historical fiction story reels in a more science fiction element, bringing out it’s “weird” quality, playing with the idea of time. Visions and prophecies are constantly recurring throughout the narrative, in the prologue, Lees tells Abberline how all his visions were false, yet they still came true.

    “What is the fourth dimension?”.  

   As Dr. Gull murders his last victim, he has visions of the future, where the art takes us away from Victorian London to a more modern setting of skyscrapers and businessmen on their computers. As he dies, his soul transcends through the past and future, inspiring other serial killers and visiting those that escaped him and aided him of his murders.  Dr. Gull is portrayed as an extremely misogynist character that believes women had ruled over men for some time:

   “Women had power once: Back in the caves, life hinged on childbirth’s mystery, and we served mother goddesses, not father gods, ‘twas thus for several million years. Then men rebelled, perhaps a few at first, a small conspiracy.. who, by some act of social magic, politics, or force, cast woman down that man might rule. Time passed, and kingdoms passed from father unto son. The matriarchy was forgotten.”

   During his vision on his death, Dr. Gull believes to have become God and has ensured male dominance throughout the twentieth century.  

       “And this perplexing vision is the last thing that I see as I become God.”

Week 3: Asian Horror

   Reading Kwaidan introduced me to the Asian horror genre, that I was originally unfamiliar with, besides a very few films I might have seen over my lifespan. Asian literature is much more new to me, especially the structure of their culture and take on morality, whereas Western culture is almost on a completely different spectrum. Rather than just viewing good and evil as black and white, their idea of morality covers the grey. 

   In the one of the short stories found in Kwaidan, Jikininki, a priest named Muso was travelling alone in the mountains and lost his way. Along his path he comes across a hermitage where an aged priest lives. When Muso begged for lodging, the priest refused him, but redirected him to a nearby village where he may obtain food and lodging. At the village, he encounters a funeral and decides to perform the service for this death to express his gratitude for hosts' generous hospitality. Overnight, as he performs the service, he encounters a flesh eating monster that consumes the deceased body. After this event, Muso learns from his host that the priest he encountered earlier does not actually exist. He then returned o the hermitage and found the priest once more and discovers that he is actually a jikininki -- an eater of human flesh. Due to his greed and selfishness during his life as a priest he was reborn this way and cursed to feed off all the deceased of that district. He then seeks Muso's pity to pray for him and release him from this state, which Muso does.

   This short story is a good example to demonstrate the difference between Asian horror and Western horror. Here, the jikininki is a pitiful monster that isn't truly evil yet also not truly good. He only feasts upon the deceased and when Muso first asked for shelter, rather than killing (or eating) him, he kindly redirects him to where he may find lodging and food. He even begs for Muso to free him from his state, his only sin is that he was greedy and selfish. In the end, it is suggested that he finds peace thanks to Muso's services. In a more Western take, the jikininki would have leaned much more towards evil on the morality scale and appear less pitiful and more grotesque, especially since our sense of morality is highly influenced by Christianity, which is more strict in those rules.

Week Two: Vampires

 

Considering I haven't read Interview with the Vampire in years and have had no time to spare to reread it, I'll be focusing on the relationships in Byzantium for this week. I have had Byzantium sitting on my "to-watch" list for months now, so to finally be able to watch it was FANTASTIC. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and scold myself for not watching it sooner.
  What really drew my attention to Byzantium was the relationship between Clara and Eleanor. At the beginning of the film, the two pass themselves off as sisters, subtle hints reveal that there is more to their relationship than simply being siblings. Through flashbacks and writing, Eleanor reveals that Clara is actually her mother. It is also revealed how these two became vampires, and considering they are two female leads in the story, it becomes even more interesting to me. Whereas most vampire stories I am familiar with focus on male vampires and their relationships with mortal females, this film turns the table on that aspect.
    Clara and Eleanor rely on each other to survive in the modern world by maintaining a living, with Eleanor relying more on Clara. Clara typically uses men as bait for her feasting and her schemes, whereas Eleanor prefers the old and sick. One of the men that Clara uses is Noel, who provides the two girls a place to stay and a brothel to build. At the end of the film, our two leads split ways to live their own individual lives. Clara leaves with Darvell, who is also a vampire and the reason Clara was able to become one initially. Eleanor leaves with Frank (her love interest), a sickly mortal boy who, with Eleanor's help, becomes a vampire at the end. Both ladies are either in mutual respect for their partner or above them in power, which is a nice difference to see in comparison to other vampire stories that tend to show the opposite.