Teachers have tried this and are amazed when their classes don’t go feral like in the book. It’s almost as if the book was supposed to be satire and not a treaty on the nature of humanity.
there’s a timeskip
THERE’S A TIMESKIP
THERE’S A TIMESKIP
THERE’S A TIMESKIP
after losing control of the signal fire there’s a FUCKING TIMESKIP and when the next chapter starts everyone’s hair is several inches longer and their clothes have rotted to shreds and they’re still just kind of chilling!!!!
IT TAKES THE TERRIBLE IMPERIALISM MIND-POISONED EXCESSIVELY BRITISH BOYS IN THE ACTUAL BOOK SEVERAL MONTHS TO COMMIT A SINGLE ACT OF INTENTIONAL VIOLENCE, EVEN THE ONE (1) CHILD WRITTEN AS AN ACTUAL SOCIOPATH
AND then when they DO turn on each other it is because
THERE’S AN UNSPECIFIED WORLD WAR HAPPENING
AND A PILOT’S CORPSE CRASH LANDS ON THE ISLAND POST-DOGFIGHT AND THE CHILDREN MISTAKE THE PARACHUTE FOR A MONSTER AND SPIRAL INTO PARANOIA
BECAUSE CHILDREN INHERIT THE LEGACY AND TRAUMA OF VIOLENCE FROM THE ADULTS WAGING WAR AROUND THEM
HURR DURR IN THE REAL WORLD IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN LIKE IN LORD OF THE FLIES -
IT DIDN’T HAPPEN THAT WAY IN LORD OF THE FLIES EITHER YOU JUST HAVEN’T READ IT SINCE HIGH SCHOOL IF EVER AND DON’T REMEMBER WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE GODDAMN BOOK
actually that fits w my theory that fanfiction is closer to literary analysis than it is to creative writing. like i feel like so much of fanfiction is more about “this is my interpretation of the text, and i’m teasing out the complexities of this interpretation by writing it in the format of a creative writing piece” than it is about an original piece of fiction
I have often commented that so much of my fanfic is either “here are all of my headcanons about this setting, in 30k (or 300k) fic format” or “I spent 10 hours of my life trying to get into the head of this character to make sense of their motivations, and y’all get to read the conclusions”
The tag “You gotta GET the original before you can translate it” is SUCH a Very Good Take
This actually fits with what I’ve understood of actors who read fan fiction about their characters. Nearly always it’s someone who wants more analysis of the character than they’re getting from the scripts, so they look to what fans are producing and find those deep dives there.
ID: a screenshot of tumblr tags that reads: “see my word splurge the other day about transmuting elements of canon to an AU. you gotta GET the original before you can translate it.”
Kaladin has several motives when he considers assassinating Elhokar (justice, vengeance, hatred, patriotism, loyalty, prejudice, hope), and he doesn’t want to acknowledge the dishonorable reasons he has, so he projects those onto Moash:
“You don’t care about the country,” Kaladin snapped. “You just want to pursue your grudge.” (Chapter 46)
and
“I only agree,” Kaladin said, “because it’s for the best. For you, Moash, this is about revenge—and don’t try to deny it. I really think it is what Alethkar needs. Maybe what the world needs.” (Chapter 66)
Moash doesn’t deny that he wants revenge. However, Kaladin is wrong in saying that that is all Moash cares about. He has the same negative feelings that Kaladin has (and doesn’t want to claim), but he also genuinely believes he’ll be doing good by killing Elhokar. Look at how Moash responds the first time Kaladin accuses him of only acting out of a grudge:
“All right, fine. But Kaladin, did you notice? Graves treats all men the same, regardless of eye color. He doesn’t care that we’re darkeyed. He married a darkeyed woman. […] One of his sons is even a one-eye. Graves doesn’t give a storm about what other people think of him. He does what is right. (Chapter 46)
Moash has really bought into the vision Graves was selling. He admires Graves for the fairness, morality, and love for darkeyes he seems to have. Moash’s little speech on Graves’s goodness comes across as totally genuine to me, but it’s reasonable that other readers might have some doubt. Moash could just be saying what he thinks will convince Kaladin. However, Moash’s final scene in Words of Radiance makes it clear that Moash had been telling Kaladin his honest feelings about Graves. When Moash learns that Graves had ulterior motives for wanting to kill Elhokar, Moash is disenchanted and embarrassed:
I’ve been played for one of the ten fools, Moash thought, chin to his chest. And I don’t even know how. (Chapter 87)
If Moash had only cared about revenge, he wouldn’t have cared about his ally’s reasons for the assassination plot. Graves had convinced Moash that they were doing a great thing for Alethkar, and Moash is disappointed to learn that he was lied to.
every man is gorgeous and I’m sick of pretending they’re not! its good to just Find Men Hot there’s no reason we have to add disclaimers about how ‘most of them are scummy and ugly’ and ‘all people who aren’t guys plus one male celebrity is hot hahaha’ NO it’s fine to simply know that guys as a broad inclusive group are something you enjoy looking at and to recognise that plenty of specific ones make you happy. no more downplaying how good liking men is for the comfort of others!!! no more pretending to be grossed out by the subjects of our attraction just so we pass some shitty clique test. fuck this shit I’m gonna be a man enjoyer on main
