rthstewart (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rthstewart) wrote2012-12-16 10:26 am
rthstewart) wrote2012-12-16 10:26 am
Entry tags:
Sir Papa, Wandbreaker
I posted Wandbreaker last night. It is perhaps, too sweet for your tastes. But ‘tis the season and given the last couple of days here in the states I wanted something to drive the dark away.
A huge thanks to Adaeseadaese who suggested Edmund breaking his daughter’s fairy wand on Boxing Day and the invention of Peter’s constituency in Cowley – East Oxford.
Those who have read TQSiT will recognize the story of Cyrus, the Satyr in the tree and Peter's oath to him.
The Pigeon story was set in November 2012; this one is over 40 years earlier, sometime in the late 1960s. The cannibal dinosaur Emma refers to is Coelophysis bauri which is not, in fact, cannibal at all, though widely reported as such until barely two years ago. The Disney animated movies, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella were all released and re-released in theaters – Snow White was in fact the first movie I ever saw in theaters – a reward for giving up my bottle -- and while I am very old, neither am I so old as to recall its original 1937 theatrical release.
As everyone is supposed to die in 1949 or thereabouts except for Susan, the idea of spouses isn’t something I’ve thought about at all, so I’m making this up as I go. I’d mentioned that Miriam, Edmund’s Jewish wife and Holocaust survivor, is someone who has been in my head for a very long time, even before Morgan. So, I’ve used the last two stories to trot out some of her backstory.
Careful readers undoubtedly figured out that I’ve married Peter off to Mary Russell. I know, I know. That seemed the best of the many even less satisfactory options. The one time I tried to write them in the trial balloon AU story, everyone hated it. The fact that I tried it and people so disliked it really, really gave me pause and I’ve struggled with how to deal with that because there were aspects of the pairing that I liked and so was surprised at how badly I flubbed it. I tried Jill with Peter (even in AW) and for various reasons, rejected the pairing. So, Mary it is. I’ll try to make it work. Except this isn’t supposed to work, as this is all AU, right? RIGHT? Remember? Everybody dies??
The Mary in my head is very different from the Mary a lot of readers see and so obviously the fault lies in the writing. She’s a divisive character and while we only get glimpses of her here, it is hard to reconcile that full steam ahead, selfish character of TSG to someone who appears far more settled and content in her role here, carrying her young son around like a rugby ball, advising her daughter on life in a highly energetic family, and playing the role of a politician’s wife. There’s a story, a long story, there, that we’ll just have to imagine because Mary and her relationship with anybody is not the focus of any of these stories, AU or not. Her growth does begin in the last chapters of AW, as she, a very young woman, copes with the terminal, decaying illness and ultimate death of her husband and first love.
As Heliopause mentioned to me last night, there is the underlying issue of the poor always being with you. This was very, very tricky and I danced around it quite a while. There’s the Great White Savior problem (though the constituency is certainly predominantly white though I don't know the precise demographics) and there’s the idea that doing good works out of duty or for hope of eternal reward is… well, ugly. I had Peter trying to explain this to Emma in various ways that all failed. Finally I went to showing, not telling, less is more. It is a joyful sharing of bountiful gifts, Mary, Peter and the rest of the family like being with people, and it recalls Susan’s greater comfort with the urban blacks in TQSiT.
And now I have no further excuse and shall return to Apostolic Way, though even I am reconsidering the everybody dies part. Really it is just so much more fun to have everyone live, isn’t it?
A huge thanks to Adaese
adaese who suggested Edmund breaking his daughter’s fairy wand on Boxing Day and the invention of Peter’s constituency in Cowley – East Oxford.Those who have read TQSiT will recognize the story of Cyrus, the Satyr in the tree and Peter's oath to him.
The Pigeon story was set in November 2012; this one is over 40 years earlier, sometime in the late 1960s. The cannibal dinosaur Emma refers to is Coelophysis bauri which is not, in fact, cannibal at all, though widely reported as such until barely two years ago. The Disney animated movies, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella were all released and re-released in theaters – Snow White was in fact the first movie I ever saw in theaters – a reward for giving up my bottle -- and while I am very old, neither am I so old as to recall its original 1937 theatrical release.
As everyone is supposed to die in 1949 or thereabouts except for Susan, the idea of spouses isn’t something I’ve thought about at all, so I’m making this up as I go. I’d mentioned that Miriam, Edmund’s Jewish wife and Holocaust survivor, is someone who has been in my head for a very long time, even before Morgan. So, I’ve used the last two stories to trot out some of her backstory.
Careful readers undoubtedly figured out that I’ve married Peter off to Mary Russell. I know, I know. That seemed the best of the many even less satisfactory options. The one time I tried to write them in the trial balloon AU story, everyone hated it. The fact that I tried it and people so disliked it really, really gave me pause and I’ve struggled with how to deal with that because there were aspects of the pairing that I liked and so was surprised at how badly I flubbed it. I tried Jill with Peter (even in AW) and for various reasons, rejected the pairing. So, Mary it is. I’ll try to make it work. Except this isn’t supposed to work, as this is all AU, right? RIGHT? Remember? Everybody dies??
The Mary in my head is very different from the Mary a lot of readers see and so obviously the fault lies in the writing. She’s a divisive character and while we only get glimpses of her here, it is hard to reconcile that full steam ahead, selfish character of TSG to someone who appears far more settled and content in her role here, carrying her young son around like a rugby ball, advising her daughter on life in a highly energetic family, and playing the role of a politician’s wife. There’s a story, a long story, there, that we’ll just have to imagine because Mary and her relationship with anybody is not the focus of any of these stories, AU or not. Her growth does begin in the last chapters of AW, as she, a very young woman, copes with the terminal, decaying illness and ultimate death of her husband and first love.
As Heliopause mentioned to me last night, there is the underlying issue of the poor always being with you. This was very, very tricky and I danced around it quite a while. There’s the Great White Savior problem (though the constituency is certainly predominantly white though I don't know the precise demographics) and there’s the idea that doing good works out of duty or for hope of eternal reward is… well, ugly. I had Peter trying to explain this to Emma in various ways that all failed. Finally I went to showing, not telling, less is more. It is a joyful sharing of bountiful gifts, Mary, Peter and the rest of the family like being with people, and it recalls Susan’s greater comfort with the urban blacks in TQSiT.
And now I have no further excuse and shall return to Apostolic Way, though even I am reconsidering the everybody dies part. Really it is just so much more fun to have everyone live, isn’t it?
Wandbreaker
(Anonymous) 2012-12-23 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)I agree with many of the points mentioned by the other reviewers. What really struck me was how you have the adults take Helen and Emma seriously. Instead of patting Helen on the head and saying "There, there dear, it's just pretend", they phone for Uncle Peter. Helen knows that Uncle Peter helps people and fixes things and he is the only person who can help her undo her disastrous spell. And Uncle Peter does not fail her, even bringing along his special tool box with the magical sellotape, instead of relying on the chance of there being sellotape at Edmund's house. All this, when he obviously has a busy day ahead of him.
Then there is the bittersweet moment when Edmund bows (very nicely) to his daughter and addresses her as lady and princess. The children are all princes and princesses of Narnia, even if they don't know it.
I don't have a problem with the Mary/Peter pairing. I always liked Mary and always thought there was an attraction between them. It's a bit more of a stretch seeing her as a political wife. Althought it wouldn't bother Peter to have a wife with an active career, it would be a bit unusual I think given the time. Still, their joint personalities would carry the day. I would think their household would have some domestic help though. If Edmund needed a large staff and a Tiger to keep him in order, I can't see Mary being a cooking and cleaning kind of wife and mum!
One of the reviewers said she thought that being Peter's daughter and living up to his expectations and legacy would be very difficult. I would think being Susan's daughter would be worse--such a beautiful, accomplished and brilliant woman. Very intimidating prospect.
Just a few random thoughts. Thank you for this wonhderful Christmas present. I hope you will share any other Commoner Royalty stories which occur to you. They are such a marvelous family.
ClaireI
Re: Wandbreaker
anyway, thank you very very much and I hope you had a lovely holiday and happy new year!