food for thought
Sep. 19th, 2008 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedlamsbardIt's almost the weekend. *stares* I just have the one more class, which is the first band rehearsal of the year. Of course, I have to figure out how to actually add it as a class, since TOUR wouldn't let me during the add/drop period, and now that's over. I know it's possible.
I was thinking today about how my Lucy characterization differs from Narnia fandom's accepted characterization, especially Lucy post-Narnia. A lot of fandom has Lucy characterized as the one of the Pevensies being least able to adapt to England, when I have her the exact opposite way: she adapts quickest, and it's the easiest for her. And the reason for that is set up in "In Constellated Wars" and "All Fall Down" -- she doesn't remember Narnia as well as the others do, and she's the youngest and most adaptable. And I think this is borne out in book canon as well -- the last time she's in Narnia is in VotDT, of course, and she's -- less of a queen, to an extent? Not quite as Narnian as Edmund, at least. There's the scene at the magician's island where she's using magic to spy on her schoolfriends, and there's an answer right there -- she has schoolfriends, and she's doing the relatively petty teenage girl thing. "What? You like HER better than you like ME? I shall never speak to you again!" It's not something Queen Lucy would do. (I don't think PC Lucy would have pulled that off, either, she's...older? Mentally, I think, in PC? As compared to VotDT. It's...complicated. Ask me to explain it, if you'd like.) I can't see Susan doing that post-Narnia; Susan plays at being more Narnian than she is English, but she's still very much Queen Susan. And neither Peter nor Edmund would do the equivalent male action; Peter just doesn't give a damn about England, period, and Edmund's play-acting almost as much as Susan is. He cares, but not to the extent that Lucy does. He's more aware of the demarcation between Narnia and England.
The reason this comes up is because I'm switching back and forth between my various Narnia playlists, as I am wont to do, and a lot of the time the stuff I haven't thought about consciously comes out in my music choices. Lucy and Edmund's music, compared to Susan and Peter's, is a lot more hopeful leaving/post-Narnia, for various reasons. It's sad and wistful and all that, but there's an undercurrent of hope and relief both, an undercurrent of, "Well, thank God that's over." Two songs especially for Lucy: The Wrights' "Butterflies" (and I'm sorry, I can't find the lyrics online right now; I'll try and transcribe the relevant parts later) and Emmylou Harris' "One of these Days". And the Harris especially, because of this line: "One of the days I'll look back and I'll say I left in time."
Edmund's playlist is interesting, too, for similar reasons. He's a little less wistful, a little more upbeat and looking straight ahead (in VotDT he accepts without a word of protest the change that's coming, that he's been barred from Narnia forever), but he changes to bitter near the end of the playlist. Song example here: Bruce Cockburn's "Tie Me At the Crossroads," and, "As the echoes of our passing fade, all there is to say is, 'You know that I loved you all in my particular way'."
As compared to Peter's playlist, which is kind of irrevocably intertwined with the Peter/Narnia playlist from Peter's POV and the Peter/Narnia playlist from Narnia's POV (it's kind of interesting, and one of these days I'll have to sit down and untangle the three of them. The Narnia POV is the closest to being done), and consists of doom and gloom "my baby done left me" country, and Susan's playlist, which speaks for itself.
I was thinking today about how my Lucy characterization differs from Narnia fandom's accepted characterization, especially Lucy post-Narnia. A lot of fandom has Lucy characterized as the one of the Pevensies being least able to adapt to England, when I have her the exact opposite way: she adapts quickest, and it's the easiest for her. And the reason for that is set up in "In Constellated Wars" and "All Fall Down" -- she doesn't remember Narnia as well as the others do, and she's the youngest and most adaptable. And I think this is borne out in book canon as well -- the last time she's in Narnia is in VotDT, of course, and she's -- less of a queen, to an extent? Not quite as Narnian as Edmund, at least. There's the scene at the magician's island where she's using magic to spy on her schoolfriends, and there's an answer right there -- she has schoolfriends, and she's doing the relatively petty teenage girl thing. "What? You like HER better than you like ME? I shall never speak to you again!" It's not something Queen Lucy would do. (I don't think PC Lucy would have pulled that off, either, she's...older? Mentally, I think, in PC? As compared to VotDT. It's...complicated. Ask me to explain it, if you'd like.) I can't see Susan doing that post-Narnia; Susan plays at being more Narnian than she is English, but she's still very much Queen Susan. And neither Peter nor Edmund would do the equivalent male action; Peter just doesn't give a damn about England, period, and Edmund's play-acting almost as much as Susan is. He cares, but not to the extent that Lucy does. He's more aware of the demarcation between Narnia and England.
The reason this comes up is because I'm switching back and forth between my various Narnia playlists, as I am wont to do, and a lot of the time the stuff I haven't thought about consciously comes out in my music choices. Lucy and Edmund's music, compared to Susan and Peter's, is a lot more hopeful leaving/post-Narnia, for various reasons. It's sad and wistful and all that, but there's an undercurrent of hope and relief both, an undercurrent of, "Well, thank God that's over." Two songs especially for Lucy: The Wrights' "Butterflies" (and I'm sorry, I can't find the lyrics online right now; I'll try and transcribe the relevant parts later) and Emmylou Harris' "One of these Days". And the Harris especially, because of this line: "One of the days I'll look back and I'll say I left in time."
Edmund's playlist is interesting, too, for similar reasons. He's a little less wistful, a little more upbeat and looking straight ahead (in VotDT he accepts without a word of protest the change that's coming, that he's been barred from Narnia forever), but he changes to bitter near the end of the playlist. Song example here: Bruce Cockburn's "Tie Me At the Crossroads," and, "As the echoes of our passing fade, all there is to say is, 'You know that I loved you all in my particular way'."
As compared to Peter's playlist, which is kind of irrevocably intertwined with the Peter/Narnia playlist from Peter's POV and the Peter/Narnia playlist from Narnia's POV (it's kind of interesting, and one of these days I'll have to sit down and untangle the three of them. The Narnia POV is the closest to being done), and consists of doom and gloom "my baby done left me" country, and Susan's playlist, which speaks for itself.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-20 02:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-20 02:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-20 02:15 am (UTC)No, I think I'll skip that experience, thanks. ;-)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-20 02:28 am (UTC)