rthstewart | Entry the One

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Entry the One

I was up too late last night and now am up too early this morning after checking my office Blackberry (yes, you read that correctly) and seeing a delightful entry from

lady_songsmith She wrote that she had some thoughts on this Thing I am working on/have been working on, and would I be interested in starting a conversation? So I naturally came downstairs, fired up the laptop and now say yes! yes! yes!

I am an egotistical sot, I suppose. But I adore talking about stuff and my brain hurts in the best of possible ways after some NFFR conversations about Difficult Themes and then diving (again) into the work of

bethemoon and

bedlamsbard

So,

lady_songsmith bring it on.

Also, update of sorts, I was sorta, kinda, maybe hoping to get another in for this short month of February. I could probably pull out (maybe) the first part of chapter 17 that is actually all back in England and in Oxforshire, mostly the OCs, with Digory and Polly, on the night Peter left. I was in the car yesterday, alone (important qualifier that) , driving to an event and had a long conversation with myself about it and I've decided I'm really angry with Richard Russell. I'm also wrestling a bit with Asim, trying to decide just how convoluted to make the scene where he pieces some of the story together - how many characters, how much to stuff in, etc. My realization is that despite the title, this chapter is really about how at this point in time the boundaries between Spare Oom and Narnia are really, really porous. In the story, this is the day Peter hares off to Oxford and Aslan began the morning reaching into this world and pulling Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace into Narnia and then pushing them back. When I get back to Washington and Susan, Narnia is very much on her mind as well.

Also, I really wanted to do Valentine's short -- Briony and Lambert with their puppies, Mrs. Beaver telling Mr. Beaver that Jezebel is up to no good, and Richard and Polly in New York buying a copy of the Karma Sutra and Richard whinging about how he doesn't really want to marry Mary, as well as something about Harold and Morgan in the Lone Islands walking along a dock and being awkward. Obviously didn't happen, but I'm thinking about it. Maybe Next Year. Or for a summer holiday.

Err, yeah. back to bed.

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Harold and Morgan should definitely be saved for 15 April. Though they would probably consider that a day of mourning, the end of "tax season" and all.

I'm really intrigued as to why you're angry at Richard. Because he's dancing around the Narnia topic with Peter? And I can't wait to see how Asim puts things together.

I can't believe we're coming full circle already. And yet even though we "know" what's going to happen next, I still have no idea what's in store. And it drives me nuts, in the best possible way.

keeperofqkeys, I am curious as to why you'd be angry at Richard.

Sometimes, it's very hard to remember that the day Peter heads off to Cambridge is the same day the other three went to Narnia and then came back; I think it's because we've been so enmeshed in the world of Susan and Tashbaan for so very long.

As you mention Richard, Polly and the Kama Sutra, one thought occurred to me -- I wonder if they would be just as interested in a certain book of Calormene poetry. :-)

And somewhat off-topic, but will the other residents of Russell Hall ever meet the infamous Peter Pevensie? After all that Asim has mentioned of him, it'll be interesting to see what they think of Peter if they ever saw him.

OK, you've got it. Harold and Morgan HAVE to have something in honor of April 15.

As for Richard, it's stupid of course for anything he thinks and feels is because I put it there. It's been a couple of things. First that as I've worked with Tebbitt, a lot of the nastiness toward women that his inspiration had, has fallen away. Tebbitt is still a bit weak and hedonistic, but he's not mean. Richard has a mean streak that I realized was there from Part 1 and as I started thinking about the Valentine's story with him and Polly. In the cross-pollination chapters in Part 1, Richard bemoans the fact that Peter knows these incredible things, but that the world may never know of them. Well, except that his own wife is a natural scientist and while there are his promises to Peter, he managed to manipulate Peter into telling him and could probably figure out some way to work Mary if he wished to. But, he does not and the answer lies in a later chapter. In Crossroads, as Mary considers the mystery of Peter, she reflects that Richard holds Peter in an echelon of high regard reserved for Digory Kirke and Louis Leakey -- a standard so high, she does not even meet it.

So yeah, I'm mad at Richard. I put it there and I'm back in his head again for Chapter 17, and it's a fun perspective to write and I'm happy with what I've done, but I'm not liking him very much.

See above for my explanation of Richard. As for the Calormene poetry, Richard and Polly would have probably been even more enthusiastic about it than Morgan and Harold. No question. He's a goat and she's no maiden aunt, which is why the idea is amusing of them going into this funky bookstore in 1930s New York to find a copy of the Kama Sutra that Mr. Patel has arranged for Richard to purchase. They only realize it's Valentine's Day when they go to dinner and are surrounded by all these sweet, demure couples. Polly decides to have a martini, is feeling very amorous, Richard brings the book out and wildly inappropriate, hilarious conversation ensues. The short ends with the two of them running off to the Waldorf Astoria to try out some things.

Though I've not written it, and based on some NFFR conversations, Polly has had a very adventuresome life -- things involving dirigibles, steam punk, safaris, and Sherlock Holmes.

As for the residents of Russell Hall, and indeed, the place itself and those other characters all play a significant role in Part 3 (if I ever get there). So yes, definitely. Some of those scenes are the oldest I've had -- they go back, at this point, well over a year. As I've fleshed it out, spending time with the Cair Paravel staff, elements of those characters will find their way into Mr. Patel, Kwong Lee and Lin Kun. If, I ever get there.

Oh, Richard. And I can't help but wonder how Mary feels about all this. We got some of her fears and frustrations in the Christmas piece, which was delightful, but their whole relationship is such an enigma. The Mary of early TSG was sooo accepting - she knows about Richard's family in Africa, and doesn't care, and overall seems willing, if not content, to follow his wishes, except for the ridiculous one in which he wants to 'free' her. But I wonder - she is a very brilliant and perceptive person, and I wonder if she doesn't see how very meanly he is treating her. If she can; I suppose their whole relationship has been very whirlwind and adventurous and besotted, and maybe it is that now that he is so sick and they have to sit in one place, things are cropping up that they've not really had to deal with before - as, of course, such an illness does to a family.
Bleh. Now I'm mad at Richard, too, except that I still adore him so much.

Wow, I have stage fright. :-P Ok, here we go:

I keep imagining what would happen if RR were to get together with E on the subject of Peter Being Thick. The combination of formidable mentor and stubborn brother would probably break down his overdeveloped sense of Duty. Or possibly, given later sibling interactions in QSiT, RR should work with Lucy on the subject of Peter Being Thick. On a writing-meta level, teaming RR up with either sibling would be a bit too easy a solution, but internally to the story it would be a logical tack for RR to take; he's already mused on E's role as counterbalance to P's mule-headedness.

I also find D's insistence on P's continuing interesting -- I fully understand and sympathize with D's feeling that P can succeed at anything and his reluctance to challenge the High King (even if he doesn't quite think of it that way consciously), but it must be obvious to him that P is not suited to the classics curriculum. One would think that he would want P to use his gifts to their fullest extent, which is not going to be realized on his present course. What goal does P (and D) see as the eventual outcome of this course of study? What career is P being prepared for? I fully see RR's point, and rather imagine P entering what is now called public policy or administration and would, I think, have been termed simply 'governance' in the 40s, inasmuch as it was considered a discipline at all (my knowledge of the field's history only extends with any certainty to the 60s). Possibly, given his interest in construction, civil engineering of some sort, but I have trouble picturing P as the implementation end rather than the guiding force; however much he enjoys getting his hands dirty with the Dwarfs, he is very much the King. When he turns in the essay on Greek architecture, with the digression into iron work -- I rather wish for his sake he'd gone into the mortarless construction after all. It's precisely the sort of thing that a mentor like D would and should nurture; as, indeed, he did by taking it to a colleague. Does he not press the topic with P because he believes P knows what he's doing, or because he does not recognize it as a better path for his student? Does he hope to see P follow his own scholarly path?

What truly frightens me is that I understand enough of D's notes on P's essay that I am halfway tempted to read the Dunce, and I did quite enough reading of impenetrable sources when I still harbored notions of a medieval history focus. I have no desire to inflict more on myself. Yet, every time I read this story, I have to sit on my hands until the fit of insanity passes.

I have great sympathy for P's Latin trials -- cf that period of medievalist insanity -- I started well in Latin, but didn't realize until too late that it was due to an oddity of a teacher who approached Latin as a living language. After a year of "conversational Latin" (how many people can say that?), I got plunged into the world of dusty translations and every bit of it started spilling out my ears. The Aenead was particularly impenetrable, and there are entire passages I still don't understand at all because no combination of declension and tense made sense of the linguistic muddle. And this in the internet age, with online references to turn to in desperate moments. Poor, poor P.

P earning his spurs again is an interesting image, especially since it seems E is already established (despite his own doubts). Also interesting is that E and L are both Major Arcana while P is Minor -- I have no idea what to do with that thought, but I do find it interesting. I suppose, though, that the Justice aspect of E's character is entrenched/inherent at this point. He may not know how to express it in English terms yet, but he's changed too profoundly to lose that part of himself in crossing worlds. Whereas P seems to be lacking a sense of self; for all that he tells D that PP and the High King are the same person -- or possibly because he sees it that way -- he's defining himself by his work rather than expressing himself through his work. Which would seem to be A's message to him, in that everything around him is bent on recognizing the uniqueness and value inherent to all of Creation. And poor P is trying so hard to listen that he can't hear a thing. I'd feel sorry for him if I didn't want to shake him.

The parallel of E & P's conversation about truth and lie (and the brief flashback to the gallows game is heartbreaking) is a marvelous echo and expansion of Asim's remark to P when they were discussing the landings in French territory. P accepted that so easily, but clearly he hadn't wholly considered just what it meant for Asim to be so involved in the war and so obviously a spy. He's accepted it in theory, but when he smacked into the truth of it he got angry -- hypocrisy, credulity, or seeing Asim as 'his' man to some extent, and thus expecting to be privy to matters which concern him?

P's struggles with the grey are well done. What's interesting is that E comes across as the elder brother in those discussions. I'm not sure P is really so ignorant of the necessities of war, for all that he's delegated them; it goes against his protector-of-the-family persona to allow his little siblings to dabble in darkness that he won't face. And yet he does have that inherent nobility which I can easily see S and especially E trying to preserve. It's a delicate balance and about half the time I think you've nailed it, and the other half I want to quibble. E's noting to P that one of them would have stepped in to do the seducing rather than ordering 'Peridan' to do it is very much in the model of Narnian kings, never delegating a task they would be unwilling to do themselves. That is precisely the mindset that makes P's ignorance of Rat and Crow methods somewhat iffy.

The way Asim's description of P grows with each section is a powerful and engaging device. I love the insight it gives us into his evolving understanding of the puzzle that is P. That bit at the end, where Asim recognizes P's gesture as King to guard has some very interesting overtones as regards P's history with his Guard and his trust issues with Asim. I'm still picking through it, and looking forward to whatever developments come out of P & E's returning to the subject of Asim in the next chapter.

Um. Wow. *bows down* This is the sort of review I read as avidly as I read rth's writing of the actual story. I love reading your thoughts about Peter's education and how Digory is pushing him through it (is he though? I get the impression that as much as Peter probably knows he could say anything and Digory would do it, Peter would never ever feel like he could come straight out and tell his respected mentor that this just is not working for him. I think in this case, odd though it is for the Pevensies, the matter rests much more closely with Peter's father than with the Friends of Narnia. Peter is Following his Father's Footsteps, and I think - and Richard actually points this out, in Ch. 9 - that Peter's sense of duty and responsibility are going to win out for now, and that he wouldn't even mention his issues with it to Digory, for fear of sounding ungrateful on a matter that Peter assumes he cannot change). I suppose what that all makes me wonder about is how much Digory sees that Peter needs another path, and, as you say, *what* precisely he sees Peter doing with his life. Because it is certain that he sees how special Peter is - that's a given. The question is, I think: to what extent does Digory fully understand Peter the High King and his unique gifts?

Gah! Love this review so so much - it's making me want to go reread the stories yet again and think about these things you're pointing out and it's so *happy*!

This, my friend, is going to take me DAYS to work through, for which I most earnestly thank you. My only regret is that some of the critique amid the most flattering praise are ideas that I really wished I had considered earlier as I might have done something about some of them!

Don't read Duns Scotus!! Don't!! We have Duns Scotus for Dummies here in the house. I gave it to the spousal unit a few years ago as a Christmas gift when he was trying to parse through the development of the whole of Franciscan thought -- he's the theologian, I just sort of skim.

I may cut and paste some of your posts into new, separate posts to make it easier to comment upon them.

Thank you so much.

It's very much my pleasure, and I'm sorry I procrastinated so long about doing this! I'm really terrible about reviewing, which is extra-awful because I write and ought to know how important reviews are. *sheepish* Mind if I friend you?

Please do! I thought I'd already friended you! If not, I'll remember that. I'm cutting and pasting the entries into new entries now. I'm really honored by the candor of this critique.

You very well may have already; I think my notifications are off. But there, now I've friended you. :)

Well, I suppose I should clarify a bit where I'm coming from here, because it's three perspectives at once which may make me a bit more sensitive to the issues between Peter and Digory: I've been a teacher, I've changed career directions fairly radically, and I'm currently involved in politics/government.

I think you're right that a lot of Peter's issues stem from his father's expectations rather than his siblings' or Digory's, and perhaps it's unfair of me to expect Digory to push him away from those expectations. But between seeing Peter's struggles with the work and actually being approached by Richard, I would think Digory more aware of Peter's situation. And he's in a unique place to assist Peter, because Peter does so earnestly want to earn his high regard in this world.

So true. I totally agree with the hope/thought that Digory would be helping guide Peter to whatever path would really be best for Peter - though it does work with the lovely Peter is Thick theme. I suppose that if Digory had been talking to Peter about what he (Peter) really wanted/needed to be doing with his life, Peter might be more receptive to it when Richard brings it up, and then we wouldn't have the journey that Peter's going through to get to a more ...not self-aware but sort of that... a better path, I guess.

Hm. I'm feeling incoherent. I'm just going to go read your reviews again. :)

I really have to just add here that I agree with

metonomia about your review here. Wow!

In your thoughts and comments on Peter, somehow you have managed to answer questions that I had thought about with regards to his relationship with Richard, and R's advice and assessment that a classical education just really would not suit Peter.

I think I need to go and re-read all of Part 1 again after this.

While I have not gotten there yet, Peter's father will be indeed by very disappointed in his eldest son's flounderings and choices. The idea of Peter as High King not finding his place in this world is a very common one and I'm not planning on wasting as lot of time wallowing in Peter angst. By the time we revisit his point of view in earnest in Part 3 (if/when I get there), the wallow is over and Peter's finally more open to where he should be headed.

As to Digory's role, I had thought a couple of things. First, there's a bit of irritation, as Polly expresses, that Richard is bossing everyone around when they feel they know Peter so much better than Richard does. Richard has only barged into the scene and Peter's life for a few short weeks. Second, they are all blinded by Peter's title, authority, accomplishments in Narnia, and love. They really believe he can do anything and it's only a matter of effort. They assume that having been High King of Narnia (knowledge that Richard does not have), this sort of thing would be, as an RAF pilot would say, "a piece of cake." Latin and Greek are easy, right? It's running a country that would be hard!

And of course, Peter would never, ever complain of it. Digory has no idea Peter is unhappy. Peter really doesn't even know that he's unhappy because Peter values his own happiness as immaterial. It never even occurs to him that what he enjoys might be the same sorts of things that Aslan wants for him. He doesn't even see his time with Richard in terms of his own personal happiness but that it is something he should be doing because it is good for Richard, because Aslan wishes it. He enjoys it, to be sure, but that is just a byproduct. Peter would do almost the same thing even if he hated it. He assumes Aslan wants him to do his duty, which he is doing.

As I'm going to have to rehaul parts of Part 3 anyway, the role that Digory and Polly might play in helping Peter through this is one to add to the list. This is definitely something that can be developed further.

Peter on rat and crow and delegation -- I have thought about this one a lot as the story developed because it's a delicate line to walk. I do not want Peter to appear negligent or naive, but I do seem him as superb administrator and delegator. I have been careful to never actually say what, if anything, Edmund and Susan have concealed from him, or the depth of it. The ambiguity is deliberate. I think Peter has assumed that he did know most of what occurred in his realm. To the extent he did not, it is, as they have decided, and rightly so, in the past and the future is here. What is important is the extent to which those habits and patterns reassert themselves in Spare Oom and what Peter might want to do differently this time around, now knowing what he does, not of Narnia, but of Spare Oom. The gallows humor, the lie to me, and the fact that Edmund will not lie to Peter -- the depth of his loyalty to his brother will (I hope) come into play in Edmund's journey if/when I get to it in Part 3. Even trying to sort through this -- how it relates to Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Asim -- underscores how careful I need to be to get this right. Daunting, it is.

Peter assuming his happiness is immaterial kinda smacked me between the eyes. I mean, it's simultaneously an "oh, yeah, of course he does" and a "wait, what?" But, yes, I see the Peter you've written thinking that way. I imagine his siblings probably smack him for it regularly. But that changes the whole dynamic from a question of 'what is the best thing to do?' to 'what does Aslan want done?' Which, I suppose in Peter's mind, the best thing and what Aslan wants is the same thing anyway -- and it is... but it seems like Peter's taking what he thinks is the best thing -- following the expectations laid out for him -- and assuming Aslan wants that, rather than working from Aslan to action.

but it seems like Peter's taking what he thinks is the best thing -- following the expectations laid out for him -- and assuming Aslan wants that, rather than working from Aslan to action.

There's one part where Peter says to Edmund that of course Aslan would not want him to be neglecting his studies. Of course Aslan would not want him to disappoint expectation. I had one reviewer comment on how very typical that is of Peter in this story. This Peter is, as Lucy says, incapable of a self-interested act. He keeps nothing for himself, including his own happiness. It never occurs to him that he and Aslan might want the same things, that Aslan wants his King to be both happy and to DO, and well, you get the picture.

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Entry the One

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On Peter's Journey 1/2

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