Radical Revision

Art comes in many different forms. Some given more credit than others. But one of the most versatile forms of art, in my opinion, is drawn/painted/charcoalled art. The old phrase, “A picture can tell a thousand words,”  rings truth in my ears. Therefore, for my radical revision, I have chosen to draw a scene from my short story. One of the most important aspects of my short story, and one of the reasons why it has its title of “A Reflection,” is when the main character, Alex, touches her mirror, and sees her reflection speaking to her. This scene is extremely important because it adds a new level to the story, and her reflection is the driving force of her story.

The picture will also have a piece cut out of it – this is a way to show that all that Alex sees at that moment is her reflection and the mirror. 

It Works

There are many ways to tell a story. Authors choose from a plethora of literary devices to captivate or entice emotion from their audiences. Some devices of course, are more compelling than others, depending on their usage by the author. Classic authors – such as Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, and Kate Chopin – have the capability to utilize however many devices they choose to captivate their readers, though sometimes a single device stands out as the most effective.

In Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, he employs an interesting, intoxicating ambiguous dialogue. As the young couple is resting at a train station, their conversation seems relatively harmless. This is until the mention of an operation. An “awfully simple operation”, that has been had by many known by the girl. It is not until later analysis that this operation, and their entire conversation, is understood to be abortion. Hemingway’s use of ambiguity makes his audience wonder and yearn to know exactly what this couple is discussing. The hills? Elephants? A simple operation? The drinks they’re having? It’s this uncertainty that Hemingway creates that captivates his audience. He also keeps a grip on his audience by withholding many details from them – the couple, even, remains nameless.

Edgar Allen Poe, known for his haunting stories, uses setting to create and scare his audience. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Poe fabricates a cellar – a set of catacombs – in which the majority of this short story takes place. His use of descriptors, such as “damp”, “walls of piled bones”, “foulness of the air”, and so forth. Poe is able to create this setting of a damp, dark, foreboding atmosphere, that only his readers experience. This is because the two characters of the story are either the source of the grotesqueness, or too intoxicated to notice. The aloofness of the main characters also creates a feeling of anxiety within the reader, a sort of “no, don’t open the closet, you fool!” type of awareness and worry.

Kate Chopin, an author famous for her works about women, wrote “Regret”, a short story about a woman who is tasked with taking care of her neighbor’s children. Chopin was able to create a relatable story through the development she employed for her main character, Mamzelle Aurlie. The power her development brings to the story and the wrenching connection that the reader makes with her is the point Chopin was going for. You begin with a woman who does not desire children as a part of her lifestyle – completely fine with not even marrying, turning down a proposal when she was 20. Then, through the short amount of time the audience has with her, you feel her love for and acceptance of the children grow, until she eventually weeps at the children leaving her. Following her down this path of development allows the audience to connect to, and empathize with her.

Truth of an Act

It’s said that our character isn’t defined by our words, but by our actions. Words are hollow – it’s how we follow up on what we say that truly matters. Sometimes a person’s actions are turning points, where who they are, or who they’ve become, is revealed. In Marvel’s adaptation of Thor, we follow the development of a foolish, naive warrior who courted war, to a wise, humble king. He makes nearly fatal, idiotic choices, and is sent to Earth to learn the error of his ways by his father Oden. On Earth, he Asgardian is taught humility. The point in which this is most evident, where his actions truly define him, is when his brother Loki sends the Destroyer to kill him. As this machine is reeking havoc on the small New Mexico town, Thor, and his friends who have come to retrieve him and take him home, do their best to defeat it, but there seems to be no possible way without many deaths. It’s at this moment, that Thor shows how much he has changed as a person, and we see his true heroism. All his efforts are toward keeping Jane, the woman he loves, and his friends safe. He finds his good friend Sif, sends her to safety, and takes her shield. As those he loves attempts to get to safety, he begins goes the opposite direction – towards the towering Destroyer. It’s now when he drops Sif’s shield, and says to his Loki (through the machine), standing directly in front of death,

Brother, whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever I have done to lead you to do this, I am truly sorry. But these people are innocent. Taking their lives, will gain you nothing. So take mine. And end this.”

All seems fine, as the Destroyer turns to leave. But he turns back, and hits Thor, sending him flying backwards, and landing, immobile, on the ground. His love, Jane, runs to him, and he says

It’s over. You’re safe… it’s over.”

Thor’s true character has been revealed – the man, the hero, who will sacrifice himself to protect and keep safe those he loves, and the innocent. This scene evokes so many emotions in its audience because we slowly watched the boy who will put anyone in danger (as his father said when he exiled him to Earth “…through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!”), to the person that will give everything to protect from his brother. Thor’s transformation shows and inspires its audience to be heroic, sacrificial, and humble.

It’s this action with the Destroyer, in fact, that makes him who he should have always been in the eyes of his father Oden; therefore, he gets his powers and his hammer, Mjolnir, back, and can be the powerful god he was destined to be and defeat the Destroyer!

Basically Thor is awesome.

Definition of a Villain

It’s natural for the human mind to try to understand things – we don’t like to be confused or misguided. This thirst for knowledge means we are always trying to define something. Be it a scientific concept, math, philosophy, etc, the yearning for knowledge is strong. Therefore, there have been many attempts to define and understand villainy. Mike Alsford took a shot at it, and seemed to understand the concept very well. He was able to boil villainy and the mindset of a villain down to two parts: the strive for individualism and the choice to allow impulses to be expressed. A villain’s primary goal is power; to recreate the world in their own image and individual value system – driven by the desire to dominate and use others as a resource. This means that the villain will simply not care about anyone or anything but oneself. Joss Whedon, the creator of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, also decided to explore the definition of villainy. Now, while it is more difficult to completely understand what Whedon decided to make the villain, an assumption can be made: the villain, in this case Dr. Horrible, is simply, an ordinary person, driven to villainy. Dr. Horrible is a man who does not crave individuality, but strives for acceptance (into an Evil League of Evil, in fact). This is contrary to the definition derived from Alsford. However, both definitions emphasize on the struggle to maintain the inner “beast” of the villain, at least initially. In Whedon’s adaptation, his villain falls in love with a “good girl” named Penny. Throughout the film, we watch Dr. Horrible be extremely conflicted between his “beast” and desire to be evil, and his “spirit” and connection to humanity, because of his love for Penny. This leads us to not only feel sympathy for the man, but also empathy, as we often have to face our own battles between our impulses and our morality. Alsford’s villain allows their impulses to win the fight.

More to the Hero

Both Joseph Campbell and Mike Alsford have explored, and tried to define, the word “hero” and the concept of heroism. Some readers may agree primarily with Campbell – stating that a “hero” goes through a journey to achieve a certain character or to learn the lesson necessary to ascend above the ranks and reach their true potential. While this journey, similar to the that of Thor in the Marvel movie universe, is a very important factor for the development of a heroic figure and their character, it does not truly define what a hero’s character consists of. Alsford gets closer to this goal – he states that a hero has learned, and through his experiences, is humbled. The definitions proposed by these two authors does not expand as much on a certain idea that I feel is very important: a hero is used for and created as a symbol of hope. This aspect of a hero can be seen in the creation of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (affectionately known by Tony Stark as Cap’). Rogers was developed in a great time of need – when the United States needed a figure to represent hope and patriotism. A hero is one who brings hope and who is humble. These characteristics of a hero, however, do not mean that this person is necessarily perfect. A hero is also relatable; therefore, makes mistakes. An example of a character with this type of tragic is Katniss Everdeen. Katniss, although wanting to protect those who she loves and cares for, is incredibly reckless, while also being fairly narrow-minded. Although yes, a hero is somehow different than those they represent – having powers of influence, supernatural, however they may be – they are still a person.

Why?

That’s always the question, really. Human curiosity is an instinctual trait. It’s not taught, it’s not even truly developed. It just happens, and at an extremely early age we begin to question the things around us. Why are you choosing to do something, why is the sky blue, why did so many different languages develop? There really is no complete answer to the more thought provoking questions as truth is relative. Sure, a person can find a scientific reason for why the sky is blue. Someone can find an explanation derived from historians as to why languages developed on such a wide spectrum.

Sometimes, though, the answer isn’t that simple. Ask someone why they chose to do something. Ask them why you picked a certain class above the other options. Some may say they choose a class because it was required or it was the only one that fit in their schedule. Ask a person why they chose to put up with being bullied and degraded. Why they would just crawl inside themselves and never want to let anyone in. Ask them how they dealt with it. Eventually they may be able to answer you, though it may not be as direct or obvious as you hoped. It may be an explanation as to why they picked a class about superheroes and villains. A desire to try to understand the same question, why are people the way they are. When someone decides they’ll make it to the top of the hill, how do they figure out if they’ll either pull others down or help push them up.

How are people supposed to know the difference between right and wrong. Why are their truths, good vs evil, internal vs external, not subjective?

That’s what I want to know – that’s why I picked this class.