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fandomhigh2008-12-11 06:44 am
clevermsbennet.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2008-12-11 06:44 am
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Literature, Class 13: Period 3, Thursday, December 11
"In the year of Our Lord 1893," Miss Bennet said, "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published a story in Strand Magazine. It was the latest in his series featuring an idiosyncratic detective known as Sherlock Holmes, and it was notable for one reason: the story concluded with Mr. Holmes's untimely death. Sir Conan Doyle wished to focus his talents on his other literary works. What he did not anticipate was the vehement public response. Some devotees of the series wore black armbands, to show that they mourned their fallen hero. Others wrote vicious letters, accusing Conan Doyle of cruelty and murder. Eight years passed before Conan Doyle relented. Holmes reappeared, hearty and whole: his death had been but a clever ruse to fool his enemies. Or so he told his dear friend, Dr. Watson.
"This incident is hardly unique. When we, as readers, are given texts, we are asked to invest in the stories they tell us. If we were indifferent to the fate of these characters, unmoved by the twists and turns of the plot, I doubt we would be interested enough to finish the works. Therefore, it is only natural that we begin to feel that we have a claim to them, in some manner. It is easy to understand those supporters' outrage, viewed in that light. They came to care for Mr. Holmes, as a character, only to have the Sir Conan Doyle quite callously take him away.
"Yet the sentiment is telling. The unspoken question seems to be, how dare he? I should imagine he dares very easily: it is his work, after all. He created Mr. Holmes, as well as Dr. Watson and every detail of their domicile on 221b Baker Street. Had he woken one morning with a whim to place Mr. Holmes in a tiara and a bathing costume, then Mr. Holmes would have complied, with nary a complaint. As the author, he dictates the terms of this arrangement, and not his audience.
"But this answer is still vaguely unsatisfying. Once the work has been released, its success depends on its audience. Mr. Holmes may well have danced through a case wearing a bathing costume and holding his tiara'd head high, but many of his loyal readers would not have returned for his next adventure. Their trust would have been broken. For the relationship between author and audience may be surprisingly resilient, at times, but it is also occasionally quite delicate. And when the audience feels that the author does not care about their concerns, that is when fans become particularly agitated.
"Recently, I was introduced to something known as the Internet." She smiled, wryly, at her students. "I have been exploring it slowly, and with great trepidation, I assure you, for I have seen indications that it is not the most ... civil of environments, nor is it particularly concerned with whom it may upset, in its brashness. There is a phenomenon known as 'fanfiction,' which appears to have proliferated in this setting, and I am certain that a number of you are already familiar with it. For those who are not: it is, essentially, storytelling which follows the confines of other worlds and frameworks. One individual wishes to explore the gap that lies between two parts of a story, and writes what he believes occurred in the interim. Another decides to expand upon a particular tale, sharing what she feels happened to the main characters after the curtain rose or the book's last page was turned.
"Many of these stories exist solely to address what the reader-turned-author found to be inadequate or even incorrect in the original text. Certain secondary characters were not given sufficient backstory, or proper motivation; this is rectified in the new work. Or perhaps there are elements which are seen to be a betrayal, such as Holmes's demise. In that case, someone might write a story which retells the drama of Reichenbach Falls, but allows Holmes to make a daring escape. I should add that it seems a particular betrayal, at least in the realm of this 'fanfiction,' appears to be closely tied to what characters are romantically involved, and whether the newly-minted author believes other characters are more suited.
"Nor is that particular affectation limited to modern times. A few weeks ago, we discussed Randolph Park. Many readers, historically, have expressed an interest in changing the ending, in pairing Fern and Peter with the Hawthorne siblings and not one another; some have proceeded to write such a tale. There have been both 'authorized' and 'unauthorized' sequels to Departed with the Flurries, dependent on which ones the estate of the late author chose to approve. One suspects there were financial considerations at play, not just narrative concerns.
"Who has the right to say, in that position? How dare Conan Doyle send Holmes to an early grave? How dare fans of Miss Austen rearrange the marriage plot which serves as Randolph Park's framework? How dare Barry Plodder devotees rewrite the sixth book in the series, in order to bring secondary characters into the spotlight and substitute Barry's love interest for another? How dare any of us? Who is it that owns a text, in the literary sense if not the legal one?"
"Lastly." She smiled at her students, taking a seat at the edge of her desk. "You are all aware, I imagine, that next week is our last class together. I confess, I've no real notion how to test you, or what sort of final I should be writing. Any insights or advice you have would be greatly appreciated."
"This incident is hardly unique. When we, as readers, are given texts, we are asked to invest in the stories they tell us. If we were indifferent to the fate of these characters, unmoved by the twists and turns of the plot, I doubt we would be interested enough to finish the works. Therefore, it is only natural that we begin to feel that we have a claim to them, in some manner. It is easy to understand those supporters' outrage, viewed in that light. They came to care for Mr. Holmes, as a character, only to have the Sir Conan Doyle quite callously take him away.
"Yet the sentiment is telling. The unspoken question seems to be, how dare he? I should imagine he dares very easily: it is his work, after all. He created Mr. Holmes, as well as Dr. Watson and every detail of their domicile on 221b Baker Street. Had he woken one morning with a whim to place Mr. Holmes in a tiara and a bathing costume, then Mr. Holmes would have complied, with nary a complaint. As the author, he dictates the terms of this arrangement, and not his audience.
"But this answer is still vaguely unsatisfying. Once the work has been released, its success depends on its audience. Mr. Holmes may well have danced through a case wearing a bathing costume and holding his tiara'd head high, but many of his loyal readers would not have returned for his next adventure. Their trust would have been broken. For the relationship between author and audience may be surprisingly resilient, at times, but it is also occasionally quite delicate. And when the audience feels that the author does not care about their concerns, that is when fans become particularly agitated.
"Recently, I was introduced to something known as the Internet." She smiled, wryly, at her students. "I have been exploring it slowly, and with great trepidation, I assure you, for I have seen indications that it is not the most ... civil of environments, nor is it particularly concerned with whom it may upset, in its brashness. There is a phenomenon known as 'fanfiction,' which appears to have proliferated in this setting, and I am certain that a number of you are already familiar with it. For those who are not: it is, essentially, storytelling which follows the confines of other worlds and frameworks. One individual wishes to explore the gap that lies between two parts of a story, and writes what he believes occurred in the interim. Another decides to expand upon a particular tale, sharing what she feels happened to the main characters after the curtain rose or the book's last page was turned.
"Many of these stories exist solely to address what the reader-turned-author found to be inadequate or even incorrect in the original text. Certain secondary characters were not given sufficient backstory, or proper motivation; this is rectified in the new work. Or perhaps there are elements which are seen to be a betrayal, such as Holmes's demise. In that case, someone might write a story which retells the drama of Reichenbach Falls, but allows Holmes to make a daring escape. I should add that it seems a particular betrayal, at least in the realm of this 'fanfiction,' appears to be closely tied to what characters are romantically involved, and whether the newly-minted author believes other characters are more suited.
"Nor is that particular affectation limited to modern times. A few weeks ago, we discussed Randolph Park. Many readers, historically, have expressed an interest in changing the ending, in pairing Fern and Peter with the Hawthorne siblings and not one another; some have proceeded to write such a tale. There have been both 'authorized' and 'unauthorized' sequels to Departed with the Flurries, dependent on which ones the estate of the late author chose to approve. One suspects there were financial considerations at play, not just narrative concerns.
"Who has the right to say, in that position? How dare Conan Doyle send Holmes to an early grave? How dare fans of Miss Austen rearrange the marriage plot which serves as Randolph Park's framework? How dare Barry Plodder devotees rewrite the sixth book in the series, in order to bring secondary characters into the spotlight and substitute Barry's love interest for another? How dare any of us? Who is it that owns a text, in the literary sense if not the legal one?"
"Lastly." She smiled at her students, taking a seat at the edge of her desk. "You are all aware, I imagine, that next week is our last class together. I confess, I've no real notion how to test you, or what sort of final I should be writing. Any insights or advice you have would be greatly appreciated."
Re: Discussion #1: Ownership (LIT-13)
"I would think that the text, the words were the author's and the author's alone. But the story was never theirs to begin with."
Re: Discussion #1: Ownership (LIT-13)
Re: Discussion #1: Ownership (LIT-13)
The whole thing had him thinking of the romances his Nanny would read, the comics Teddy had shown him, the movies Andrew had spoken about.
"How do people describe characters they truly like? They don't say 'his character, Suchandsuch'. They say 'he's my hero' or 'he's the kind of person I wish could be my friend'. They've taken the character in."