Intolerance, scrutiny, and theocratic society all run rampant in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In retaliation to the outrageous accusations of people being communists without any evidence, Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy was the figurehead of the Red Scare at its height. Similar to McCarthy and his followers, Miller expresses his distain towards McCarthy's fear mongering by using the setting of Salem, Massachusetts during the early 1600s to show that McCarthy's hunt for communists were no different than the witch hunts committed back more than three centuries ago. After reading through The Crucible, I was able to pull more ideas on how to make comparisons to the Church's rule in the past while also borrowing some characteristics from certain characters.
During the time period of The Crucible, the Church spread its influence in all aspects of life and everyone was deemed either in support or against the Church. A completely black and white outlook with no room for grey areas. If you obeyed all the rules and established a good name for yourself, then your chances of going to heaven seemed that much more likely. Since religious laws were also society's laws, any who dabbled in scandalous behavior such as dancing or other forms of entertainment were looked down on and considered a bond with the devil. "You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time-we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world."(Act III, The Crucible, Arthur Miller). Like the Church, the Librarium views the world in the same black and white mindset. Any peasants who are openly against the Librarium are condemned to death and labeled a threat to the world's stability like how the Church would hang those who did not support the Church or its beliefs. The Librarium uses the Wings of Justice to conduct witch hunts of their own and considered the Librarium's most lethal and loyal force.
In The Crucible, John Proctor is the protagonist and serves as the voice against the Church and ultimately the iron grip it holds society in. As the play progresses and the witch trials escalate and it becomes more apparent to Proctor and the audience that all of these trials are groundless and illogical, Proctor starts seeing how flawed the system is and in the end rebels against it. It comes to a turning point when Proctor loses all faith in the Church when they accept the word of the manipulative and insane antagonist Abigail Williams. "Show honor now, show them a stony heart and sink them with it!"(Act IV, The Crucible, Arthur Miller). Once the protagonist of my story joins the Wings of Justice and is forced to kill innocent people, he starts realizing just how unfair and controlling the Librarium is in terms of magic and denying the peasants and ordinary citizens of the world to learn how to use it. Roland, my protagonist, ultimately rebels against the Librarium and organizes a standing army to fight them.
News of the devil making its way into Salem reaches the surrounding towns and cities which brings the attention of those who have experience in dealing with witch trials, specifically Judge Danforth. Over the course of the play, Danforth becomes the ruling authority of the court in Salem and represent the Church's theocratic principles and authority. While he is by no means an idiotic man, Danforth would rather keep his well respected name rather than admit the trials as a sham and makes it clear that there can never be a middle ground in the Church's society. "Do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe and what it shall set aside?....This is the highest court of the supreme government of this province, do you know?"(Act III, The Crucible, Arthur Miller). The Librarium has no concern with the millions of refugees that scatter the entire world. All they really want is to try and find the most intelligent of these peasants and convert them to the Librarium's cause. The enthrallment of power and knowledge has been enough for the Librarium to have these recruits abandon contact with their families and friends. If they don't, the other option is death.
The Crucible is exceptionally insightful play that has helped me gather new ideas and circumstances as I continue to work on my own story. I would recommend The Crucible to anyone interested in authoritarian governments or other oppressive regimes. This along with my other mentor texts can only benefit my final product!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Lost and Found Interview
Chris: "What sort of setting does your story take place in?"
Sara: "My story takes place in a space station comparable to the death star although much less intimidating. At a certain point in the story, the setting is then switched to Malca. The story takes place several hundred years in the future from our time."
Chris: "Why is there tension between the two planets?"
Sara: "the Tension stems from the cultural differences. Malca is very much like the Middle East where women have very little rights of their own and are treated like second class citizens. Trayit is the exact opposite where the women are in power and the men are second class citizens."
Chris: "What is the purpose of the Alliance?"
Sara: "The Alliance has 20 members. They all banded together in an attempt to make galactic trade and relations easier. The Alliance is largely modeled after the UN."
Chris: "Do the politial stipulations reflect our world?"
Sara: "In a way Malca does because it's supposed to reflect how the Muslim world is today. Not so much Trayit because there is no country like that in existence."
Chris: "Does the princess become friends with Scarlet?"
Sara: "Yes, they were friends even before the kidnapping incident and maintain their friendship when they're trapped together."
Chris: "What movies or books inspired your story?"
Sara: "Since I'm a pretty big science fiction nerd, Star Wars and Star Trek are the most obvious examples. The Ender's Game was also another mentor text of mine."
Chris: "Why is John Do on trial?"
Sara: "John Do is responsible for kidnapping Scarlet and Sonya."
Chris: "This may seem like a dumb question, but since this story is taking place hundreds of years in outer space, will there be super advanced technology?"
Sara: "Indeed, hyper speed space travel will play a big factor. There will also be gigantic space stations that even rival the size of the death star along with smart matter(not revealing that yet)."
Chris: "Why is it so hard to break away from the Alliance?"
Sara: "It's not hard to leave, but it is hard to kick someone out. Requires the full support against the planet being kicked out. And I mean ALL the other planets must vote against the planet under dispute. Not the majority, but all."
Chris: "Do Scarlet and Sonya start off as friends or do they develop their friendship?"
Sara: "Scarlet and Sonya were already freinds before the kidnapping."
Chris: "What planets besides Earth do humans populate?"
Sara: "Most planets in our solar society and some planets that go past our solar system."
Chris: "What are some of the key differences between Malca and Trayit?"
Sara: "Trayit was controlled by the men previously before the women rebelled and took over. Ever since then, tensions have been high and it's a somewhat similar atmosphere to the Palestinian and Israel feud."
Chris: "Is the conflict between Malca and Trayit open warfare or more like the Cold War?"
Sara: "Very much like the Cold War. Both planets are always trying to meddle in each other's affairs. They would destroy each other completely if it came to full warfare."
Chris: "Will Malca and Trayit recieve help or build alliances with other countries?"
Sara: "No, because nobody else really likes them because nobody wants to put up with them and is one of the reasons why their not in the alliance. Trayit is trying to make it seem like there is equality by filtering information.
Chris: "Does this story take place in the far off future?"
Sara: "Yes, hundreds of years past our own time?"
Chris: "Is there a specific date?"
Sara: "No, I haven't pinpointed the story to a specific date."
Chris: "Are there any aliens in your story?"
Sara: "Aliens do exist and are mentioned, but all the characters in the story are human."
Chris: "How is the government set up for Trayit?"
Sara: "Trayit is ruled by a queen along with a council of nobles. In that regard, it's set up much like a traditional monarchy."
Chris: "How is the government set up for Malca?"
Sara: "Malca is ruled by a king, but it also has a council of nobles along with commoners. There is a little more political freedom compared to Trayit."
Chris: "Why were the two girls at the treaty?"
Sara: "Princess was brought along to see how politics work in the galaxy with her mother. Scarlet's parents were soldiers in the Alliance which means she now goes to school on the Alliance space ships scattered around the galaxy until she is eighteen years old."
To check out the rough draft of "Lost and Found", click here
Sara: "My story takes place in a space station comparable to the death star although much less intimidating. At a certain point in the story, the setting is then switched to Malca. The story takes place several hundred years in the future from our time."
Chris: "Why is there tension between the two planets?"
Sara: "the Tension stems from the cultural differences. Malca is very much like the Middle East where women have very little rights of their own and are treated like second class citizens. Trayit is the exact opposite where the women are in power and the men are second class citizens."
Chris: "What is the purpose of the Alliance?"
Sara: "The Alliance has 20 members. They all banded together in an attempt to make galactic trade and relations easier. The Alliance is largely modeled after the UN."
Chris: "Do the politial stipulations reflect our world?"
Sara: "In a way Malca does because it's supposed to reflect how the Muslim world is today. Not so much Trayit because there is no country like that in existence."
Chris: "Does the princess become friends with Scarlet?"
Sara: "Yes, they were friends even before the kidnapping incident and maintain their friendship when they're trapped together."
Chris: "What movies or books inspired your story?"
Sara: "Since I'm a pretty big science fiction nerd, Star Wars and Star Trek are the most obvious examples. The Ender's Game was also another mentor text of mine."
Chris: "Why is John Do on trial?"
Sara: "John Do is responsible for kidnapping Scarlet and Sonya."
Chris: "This may seem like a dumb question, but since this story is taking place hundreds of years in outer space, will there be super advanced technology?"
Sara: "Indeed, hyper speed space travel will play a big factor. There will also be gigantic space stations that even rival the size of the death star along with smart matter(not revealing that yet)."
Chris: "Why is it so hard to break away from the Alliance?"
Sara: "It's not hard to leave, but it is hard to kick someone out. Requires the full support against the planet being kicked out. And I mean ALL the other planets must vote against the planet under dispute. Not the majority, but all."
Chris: "Do Scarlet and Sonya start off as friends or do they develop their friendship?"
Sara: "Scarlet and Sonya were already freinds before the kidnapping."
Chris: "What planets besides Earth do humans populate?"
Sara: "Most planets in our solar society and some planets that go past our solar system."
Chris: "What are some of the key differences between Malca and Trayit?"
Sara: "Trayit was controlled by the men previously before the women rebelled and took over. Ever since then, tensions have been high and it's a somewhat similar atmosphere to the Palestinian and Israel feud."
Chris: "Is the conflict between Malca and Trayit open warfare or more like the Cold War?"
Sara: "Very much like the Cold War. Both planets are always trying to meddle in each other's affairs. They would destroy each other completely if it came to full warfare."
Chris: "Will Malca and Trayit recieve help or build alliances with other countries?"
Sara: "No, because nobody else really likes them because nobody wants to put up with them and is one of the reasons why their not in the alliance. Trayit is trying to make it seem like there is equality by filtering information.
Chris: "Does this story take place in the far off future?"
Sara: "Yes, hundreds of years past our own time?"
Chris: "Is there a specific date?"
Sara: "No, I haven't pinpointed the story to a specific date."
Chris: "Are there any aliens in your story?"
Sara: "Aliens do exist and are mentioned, but all the characters in the story are human."
Chris: "How is the government set up for Trayit?"
Sara: "Trayit is ruled by a queen along with a council of nobles. In that regard, it's set up much like a traditional monarchy."
Chris: "How is the government set up for Malca?"
Sara: "Malca is ruled by a king, but it also has a council of nobles along with commoners. There is a little more political freedom compared to Trayit."
Chris: "Why were the two girls at the treaty?"
Sara: "Princess was brought along to see how politics work in the galaxy with her mother. Scarlet's parents were soldiers in the Alliance which means she now goes to school on the Alliance space ships scattered around the galaxy until she is eighteen years old."
To check out the rough draft of "Lost and Found", click here
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Librarium(Rough Draft)
"Hey, sleepy head!", called Charles from the bottom of the bunk beds. "It's orientation for the academy today. A golden boy like you should be on his toes for an event like this.", mumbled Charles as he was barely rolling out of bed himself. With that said, mentally forced himself out of bed and gradually walked towards the bathroom to prepare for the day. "Isn't the Emperor himself coming to give us a speech Charles?", yelled Roland as the showers sprayed water in a fury. "That's what the rumors say, but they are rumors after all. Honestly, with all the Librarium academies scattered across the globe why would the Emperor want to visit this one?", Curiously asked Charles with a puzzled tone in his voice. "Might be another speech on the importance of safeguarding magic and all that other rabble, but you know as well as I do who follows the Emperor wherever he goes.", Roland answered back. "The Wings of Justice...", gulped Charles. "You know, you should probably stop asking me questions right about now and get dressed yourself. It's our first year here at the academy and I'd hate to leave a bad impression on the professors. I will be the greatest wizard the Librarium has ever seen. Have I said this before Charles?", asked Roland condescendingly. "Yes Roland, you only remind me every single day, but we've wasted enough time already. If we keep this chatter up we'll surely be late!", yelled Charles, and with that in mind the two boys quickly washed, got dressed, ate their meals and proceeded to the inner sanctum of the academy.
With the flood of other students pouring into the inner sanctum, the masses of bodies squirmed and squeezed their way to find a seat. As Roland and Charles searched a seat themselves, a girl with light brown hair put into a neat ponytail and a happy-go-lucky demeanor skipped her way over to greet them. "Morning gentleman, I'm pleasantly surprised to see you two actually made it on time.", cracked Charlotte with a teasing demeanor. "Honestly, does sleeping in on one of the most important days of our lives really surprised you?", questioned Roland. "Now that you think about it, no, it hardly does", smirked Charlotte with a small laugh. This band of three boasted and laughed as much as they could until members of the Wings of Justice made their way to their seats on top of the stage. Their golden masks glimmered in the light. Majestic and intimidating. The masses of students quickly came to a dreaded silence. The Emperor made his way down behind them, regal robes and scars ran down his face. He may have been an aristocrat all his life, but he had seen his share of warfare in the Oxford Conflict.
"Young wizards and witches, let me begin by saying how much joy it brings to an old man's heart to see such fresh and eager minds enter the halls of one of the Librarium's academies. This is a special day for you all that you'll all remember fondly when you all see your children entering these same halls. Magic is a gift to mankind, but it is also a burden. Only the brightest of humanity can be trusted with this precious gift. If we were to simply let every single human on the face of the earth gain access to magic, the circumstances could be astronomical. Therefore, it is imperative that you all try to understand this at an early age: the entire human population is not ready to handle the responsibility that comes with magic.", with this said, all the students in the sanctum applauded. The Wings of Justice bowed and escorted the Emperor back behind the scenes of the Librarium.
With the excitement of magic flowing in the minds of all the young wizards and witches, the year passed by within the blink of an eye. Roland was making leaps and strides to become top of his class. His aptitude for magic was marked above average and was even being considered to be inducted into the Wings of Justice. Charles didn't share the same kind of ambition Roland did and decided to study in order to become a professor since helping others was something he could happily see himself doing for the rest of his life. Charlotte would follow the same path as Charles and continue her education in order to become a professor herself. Everyone's lives seemed like they were going to be perfect fits for them, but things didn't go exactly as everyone had hoped.
"We're going to pay a visit to some of the civilians in London for your first mission.", growled one of Roland's senior officers. Roland looked around the surroundings and was quite disgusted with what he saw. Buildings once glamorous and proud were reduced to rubble and the locals wore mostly rags and tattered old clothing long in need of replacements. Once they caught sight of Roland's uniform and golden mask, terror filled their eyes and ran furiously in the other direction. Just ahead were giant protests with makeshift signs such as "Down With The Emperor" and "Why Can't We Have Magic". While Roland was considered to be a diligently loyal soldier of the Librarium, he wished sometimes that magic could be shared with humanity, seeing as how much of the population lived like refugees and the plague was making a deadly comeback. "Let me show you how to deal with upstarts. Remember this." The senior officer leaped towards the crowd and immediately started snapping his fingers which produced multiple explosions near the protesters. The point of this was to try and frighten them, but a large portion refused to back down. The protesters charged the officer with rusty repair tools which the officer could only snicker at. "Fools", he muttered to himself before encasing the protesters in ice with elemental magic. One by one, the senior officer walked up to the frozen statues that used to be people and kicked them over. A horrified expression was painted on Roland's face as he watched what used to be people break into a hundred pieces as they smashed into the ground. "They never said anything about this at the academy..."
To Be Continued...
With the flood of other students pouring into the inner sanctum, the masses of bodies squirmed and squeezed their way to find a seat. As Roland and Charles searched a seat themselves, a girl with light brown hair put into a neat ponytail and a happy-go-lucky demeanor skipped her way over to greet them. "Morning gentleman, I'm pleasantly surprised to see you two actually made it on time.", cracked Charlotte with a teasing demeanor. "Honestly, does sleeping in on one of the most important days of our lives really surprised you?", questioned Roland. "Now that you think about it, no, it hardly does", smirked Charlotte with a small laugh. This band of three boasted and laughed as much as they could until members of the Wings of Justice made their way to their seats on top of the stage. Their golden masks glimmered in the light. Majestic and intimidating. The masses of students quickly came to a dreaded silence. The Emperor made his way down behind them, regal robes and scars ran down his face. He may have been an aristocrat all his life, but he had seen his share of warfare in the Oxford Conflict.
"Young wizards and witches, let me begin by saying how much joy it brings to an old man's heart to see such fresh and eager minds enter the halls of one of the Librarium's academies. This is a special day for you all that you'll all remember fondly when you all see your children entering these same halls. Magic is a gift to mankind, but it is also a burden. Only the brightest of humanity can be trusted with this precious gift. If we were to simply let every single human on the face of the earth gain access to magic, the circumstances could be astronomical. Therefore, it is imperative that you all try to understand this at an early age: the entire human population is not ready to handle the responsibility that comes with magic.", with this said, all the students in the sanctum applauded. The Wings of Justice bowed and escorted the Emperor back behind the scenes of the Librarium.
With the excitement of magic flowing in the minds of all the young wizards and witches, the year passed by within the blink of an eye. Roland was making leaps and strides to become top of his class. His aptitude for magic was marked above average and was even being considered to be inducted into the Wings of Justice. Charles didn't share the same kind of ambition Roland did and decided to study in order to become a professor since helping others was something he could happily see himself doing for the rest of his life. Charlotte would follow the same path as Charles and continue her education in order to become a professor herself. Everyone's lives seemed like they were going to be perfect fits for them, but things didn't go exactly as everyone had hoped.
"We're going to pay a visit to some of the civilians in London for your first mission.", growled one of Roland's senior officers. Roland looked around the surroundings and was quite disgusted with what he saw. Buildings once glamorous and proud were reduced to rubble and the locals wore mostly rags and tattered old clothing long in need of replacements. Once they caught sight of Roland's uniform and golden mask, terror filled their eyes and ran furiously in the other direction. Just ahead were giant protests with makeshift signs such as "Down With The Emperor" and "Why Can't We Have Magic". While Roland was considered to be a diligently loyal soldier of the Librarium, he wished sometimes that magic could be shared with humanity, seeing as how much of the population lived like refugees and the plague was making a deadly comeback. "Let me show you how to deal with upstarts. Remember this." The senior officer leaped towards the crowd and immediately started snapping his fingers which produced multiple explosions near the protesters. The point of this was to try and frighten them, but a large portion refused to back down. The protesters charged the officer with rusty repair tools which the officer could only snicker at. "Fools", he muttered to himself before encasing the protesters in ice with elemental magic. One by one, the senior officer walked up to the frozen statues that used to be people and kicked them over. A horrified expression was painted on Roland's face as he watched what used to be people break into a hundred pieces as they smashed into the ground. "They never said anything about this at the academy..."
To Be Continued...
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Comments on Free Blog Posts
http://scriordan94.blogspot.com/2011/11/history-of-malca-and-trayit.html?showComment=1321225771280#c1958754575540906598
http://adamferguson16.blogspot.com/2011/11/introduction-to-andrew-father-alcoholic.html?showComment=1321226357364#c6355689705203765544
http://sphackett.blogspot.com/2011/11/happiness.html?showComment=1321226774538#c1532625844716233849
http://labates.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-times-have-changed.html?showComment=1321227109855#c1733560919566739373
http://freelandjesse.blogspot.com/2011/11/growing-up-with-war.html?showComment=1321227548188#c862230102158514142
http://adamferguson16.blogspot.com/2011/11/introduction-to-andrew-father-alcoholic.html?showComment=1321226357364#c6355689705203765544
http://sphackett.blogspot.com/2011/11/happiness.html?showComment=1321226774538#c1532625844716233849
http://labates.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-times-have-changed.html?showComment=1321227109855#c1733560919566739373
http://freelandjesse.blogspot.com/2011/11/growing-up-with-war.html?showComment=1321227548188#c862230102158514142
Thursday, November 10, 2011
China: The America of Asia
The 20th century was no doubt dominated by the United States of America. With so many engineering, military, and cultural innovations throughout America's short history, many people today hold the U.S. as one of the greatest, if not the greatest nation of the world. If history is to repeat itself, America like so many other great civilizations will eventually fall and the torch will be passed onto a new developing super power. China's influence throughout the world is spreading with an astounding rate and looks to even surpass our nation.
America has seen better days. With the economy in decline, people out of jobs, soldiers still in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the politicians in Washington being as unpopular as ever, the U.S. isn't performing at full capacity as it always has. Bureaucracy halts progress to a standstill, only leaving workers and officials with headaches. Despite the many criticisms of the Chinese government's methods, when there is a project underway, It gets done. Fast. No red tape, no agreements, and no external factors to interfere with the workers and projects. For example, the high speed rail trains connecting China's coastal cities have only been built within the past four years. Despite China's authoritarian government being restrictive and harsh, you have to give credit to the rate of progress thats been taking place their over the past decade.
The people of China have are as motivated as ever and look to take full advantage of the new opportunities presented to them by the Chinese Communist Party. It's quite ironic, the dream of becoming wealthy and westernization is spreading like wildfire in a country where the government still keeps a tight hold on the political arena. That is what the situation in China has ultimately come down to: the opportunity of wealth in exchange for the public to stay out of politics. For the majority of China's 1.3 billion population, they are content with this deal. Millions of Chinese far away from the coast have traveled to the coastal cities with the dream of earning their own wealth. China is truly becoming Asia's America.
A growing concern for all nations in the world is the rising price and depleting source of oil and other limited resources. While we struggle to keep good relations in the Middle East, China has built close ties with countries with large quantities of oil that we refuse to do business with such as Iran and Sudan. The Chinese government simply doesn't care about their business partner's political position or global opinion. While our country frowns upon negotiating with oppressive regimes, we are in no position to pressure China to severe ties with these nations. Our debt to the Chinese reaches into the trillions with little to no thought of how to possibly pay that much money back.
China is rapidly establishing itself as a key player in the world. Its size and economy requires it to consume massive amounts of raw materials and resources. Is America to become like Rome: an empire in decline? For the time being, It's China's world. We're just living in it.
America has seen better days. With the economy in decline, people out of jobs, soldiers still in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the politicians in Washington being as unpopular as ever, the U.S. isn't performing at full capacity as it always has. Bureaucracy halts progress to a standstill, only leaving workers and officials with headaches. Despite the many criticisms of the Chinese government's methods, when there is a project underway, It gets done. Fast. No red tape, no agreements, and no external factors to interfere with the workers and projects. For example, the high speed rail trains connecting China's coastal cities have only been built within the past four years. Despite China's authoritarian government being restrictive and harsh, you have to give credit to the rate of progress thats been taking place their over the past decade.
The people of China have are as motivated as ever and look to take full advantage of the new opportunities presented to them by the Chinese Communist Party. It's quite ironic, the dream of becoming wealthy and westernization is spreading like wildfire in a country where the government still keeps a tight hold on the political arena. That is what the situation in China has ultimately come down to: the opportunity of wealth in exchange for the public to stay out of politics. For the majority of China's 1.3 billion population, they are content with this deal. Millions of Chinese far away from the coast have traveled to the coastal cities with the dream of earning their own wealth. China is truly becoming Asia's America.
A growing concern for all nations in the world is the rising price and depleting source of oil and other limited resources. While we struggle to keep good relations in the Middle East, China has built close ties with countries with large quantities of oil that we refuse to do business with such as Iran and Sudan. The Chinese government simply doesn't care about their business partner's political position or global opinion. While our country frowns upon negotiating with oppressive regimes, we are in no position to pressure China to severe ties with these nations. Our debt to the Chinese reaches into the trillions with little to no thought of how to possibly pay that much money back.
China is rapidly establishing itself as a key player in the world. Its size and economy requires it to consume massive amounts of raw materials and resources. Is America to become like Rome: an empire in decline? For the time being, It's China's world. We're just living in it.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Comments For Mentor Text #2
http://sally-girouard.blogspot.com/2011/10/dennis-menace.html?showComment=1319978878323#c4240304298125737834
http://007themoraldilema.blogspot.com/2011/10/johnny-benched-mentor-text.html?showComment=1319979718744#c765970112684408847
http://kaileymazzillimorality.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-girl-closer-look.html?showComment=1319980237313#c3316917734351591259
http://freelandjesse.blogspot.com/2011/10/walking-dead-season-2.html?showComment=1319980728189#c8812750156426724840
http://adamferguson16.blogspot.com/2011/10/common-sense-sparks-more-important.html?showComment=1319982573526#c8748582733452953862
http://007themoraldilema.blogspot.com/2011/10/johnny-benched-mentor-text.html?showComment=1319979718744#c765970112684408847
http://kaileymazzillimorality.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-girl-closer-look.html?showComment=1319980237313#c3316917734351591259
http://freelandjesse.blogspot.com/2011/10/walking-dead-season-2.html?showComment=1319980728189#c8812750156426724840
http://adamferguson16.blogspot.com/2011/10/common-sense-sparks-more-important.html?showComment=1319982573526#c8748582733452953862
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Armored Bears Make Everything Better
Mystery, conspiracy, oppressive regimes, and armored bears. What's not to like about The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman? During this year, one of our projects is to write our own story while pulling inspiration from various pieces of literature that are similar and add ideas to our own work. In my previous blog, I explained how Wizard's Hall helped me gather more ideas and inspiration for Librarium while making comparisons in the process. While reading The Golden Compass, I was able to draw more ideas and noticed shocking comparisons to my story Librarium. Not only has The Golden Compass been a pleasure to read, but has benefited my ideas and plot development.
The main protagonist of the The Golden Compass is a young girl by the name of Lyra. Overall, her personality and character aren't drastically similar to Roland of my story, but their early childhoods and attitude towards family are somewhat on par with each other. Lyra is raised by the scholars of Jordan College in Oxford, England and grows up not knowing the truth about her parents who are presumed to be dead in an air ship accident. Lyra is quite care free and content with having things remain the way they are. Before the shocking turn of events that are thrown upon Lyra, she's very much content with spending the rest of her days frolicking around Jordan College with her ragamuffin friends. "That was Lyra's world and her delight. She was a coarse and greedy little savage, for the most part. But she always had a dim sense that it wasn't her whole world; that part of her also belonged in the grandeur and ritual of Jordan College."(Page 36, The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman). While Lyra adores the environment she has grown up in, the same could not be said for Roland of Librarium. Since members of the Librarium aren't able to converse freely, restricted to the walls of the academy, and heavily encouraged to follow the Librarium's propoganda, Roland feels like a bird in a gilded cage at best. While all of the Librarium's academies offer some of the best educations in the world, Roland feels that sharing magic with the world's regular citizens is a much better use of spreading knowledge rather than keeping it all to one's self.
One of the things I'm really trying to emulate from my mentor text is emulating a creature, weapon, or force that creates as much fear as armored bears do in The Golden Compass. Armored bears are intelligent polar bears that act as mercenaries and body guards and make themselves even more fearsome by donning themselves in plated armor. "They been raiding the Skraelings for centuries. They're vicious killers, absolutely pitiless. But they keep their word."(The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, Page 109). My goal is build up the hype of the Wings of Justice in Librarium the way armored bears are hyped up in The Golden Compass. The Wings of Justice will serve as the strongest military power the Librarium has and are constantly on witch hunts to oust those who would oppose the Librarium and seem like a legitimate threat.
There are also other elements that I haven't included in my story that I hadn't have even considered. In the Golden Compass, the Gobblers are a group of people that steal young children on the Church's behalf for reasons unknown to the populace and isn't revealed until near the end of the novel. Not to spoil the novel, but what they do with these stolen children is not pleasant in the slightest. "As for where they took these lost children, no two stories agreed. Some said it was to Hell, under the ground, to Fairyland. Others said to a farm where the children were kept and fattened for the table. Others said the children were kept and sold as slaves to rich Tartars...And so on."(The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, Page 45). I would really like to incorporate something as despicable as kidnapping in my story. I feel that it will really paint the Librarium as completely pitiless and be seen as a "ends justify the means" kind organization.
With excellent and inspirational ideas from both Wizard's Hall and The Golden Compass, my story can only benefit from these masterful works of literature. I would recommend both books to anyone looking for an exciting story about overcoming seemingly impossible circumstances and the supernatural. Not to mention armored bears because who doesn't think that's cool?
The main protagonist of the The Golden Compass is a young girl by the name of Lyra. Overall, her personality and character aren't drastically similar to Roland of my story, but their early childhoods and attitude towards family are somewhat on par with each other. Lyra is raised by the scholars of Jordan College in Oxford, England and grows up not knowing the truth about her parents who are presumed to be dead in an air ship accident. Lyra is quite care free and content with having things remain the way they are. Before the shocking turn of events that are thrown upon Lyra, she's very much content with spending the rest of her days frolicking around Jordan College with her ragamuffin friends. "That was Lyra's world and her delight. She was a coarse and greedy little savage, for the most part. But she always had a dim sense that it wasn't her whole world; that part of her also belonged in the grandeur and ritual of Jordan College."(Page 36, The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman). While Lyra adores the environment she has grown up in, the same could not be said for Roland of Librarium. Since members of the Librarium aren't able to converse freely, restricted to the walls of the academy, and heavily encouraged to follow the Librarium's propoganda, Roland feels like a bird in a gilded cage at best. While all of the Librarium's academies offer some of the best educations in the world, Roland feels that sharing magic with the world's regular citizens is a much better use of spreading knowledge rather than keeping it all to one's self.
One of the things I'm really trying to emulate from my mentor text is emulating a creature, weapon, or force that creates as much fear as armored bears do in The Golden Compass. Armored bears are intelligent polar bears that act as mercenaries and body guards and make themselves even more fearsome by donning themselves in plated armor. "They been raiding the Skraelings for centuries. They're vicious killers, absolutely pitiless. But they keep their word."(The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, Page 109). My goal is build up the hype of the Wings of Justice in Librarium the way armored bears are hyped up in The Golden Compass. The Wings of Justice will serve as the strongest military power the Librarium has and are constantly on witch hunts to oust those who would oppose the Librarium and seem like a legitimate threat.
There are also other elements that I haven't included in my story that I hadn't have even considered. In the Golden Compass, the Gobblers are a group of people that steal young children on the Church's behalf for reasons unknown to the populace and isn't revealed until near the end of the novel. Not to spoil the novel, but what they do with these stolen children is not pleasant in the slightest. "As for where they took these lost children, no two stories agreed. Some said it was to Hell, under the ground, to Fairyland. Others said to a farm where the children were kept and fattened for the table. Others said the children were kept and sold as slaves to rich Tartars...And so on."(The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, Page 45). I would really like to incorporate something as despicable as kidnapping in my story. I feel that it will really paint the Librarium as completely pitiless and be seen as a "ends justify the means" kind organization.
With excellent and inspirational ideas from both Wizard's Hall and The Golden Compass, my story can only benefit from these masterful works of literature. I would recommend both books to anyone looking for an exciting story about overcoming seemingly impossible circumstances and the supernatural. Not to mention armored bears because who doesn't think that's cool?
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