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fandomhigh2012-01-18 06:50 am
steel-not-glass.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2012-01-18 06:50 am
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Is A Cigar Just A Cigar, Wednesday, Period 3
Class met in the Danger Shop today, though when they stepped through the door, they'd find themselves outside the gates of the school. The gates themselves were closed, and the only sign of Cindy was in fact a literal sign; fastened to the gates was a sheet of paper that said Meet me at The Perk.
Apparently, they needed to travel a bit to enjoy the privilege of a lecture. But at least there would coffee at the end!
After their adventures getting into town, they would find Cindy sitting inside, sipping a peppermint mocha. "Glad to see you all arrived," she said. "Get yourself something warm to drink and let's talk about that quest you just went on." She smiled at them. "Oh, didn't you know? All trips are quests. All birds are ducks."
"Almost anytime you see someone traveling in a novel, that trip is more than just a trip from Point A to Point B," Cindy said, once her students had gotten themselves situated. "What you are reading is a quest, even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface. This is obviously true in novels that are specifically about a trip, like The Odyssey, for example, but anytime an author bothers telling you about the journey a character is taking, it's because it's important. Remember, an author is consciously choosing what to include in the novel. If something is unimportant, they'll skip it. So if the author is going to spend several thousand words--and however much time it took him or her to write those several thousand words--describing a bus trip to Duluth or whatever, it's because there is a reason. That reason? Usually because it is a quest."
Cindy pulled out a marker from her purse and began writing on the table--upside down, of course. She wasn't writing it for her benefit:
A) The hero
B) A place to go
C) A stated reason to go there
D) Challenges and trials en route
E) The real reason
"So, A is obvious. That's the character we're reading about. B and C are also pretty obvious: wherever the character is going and why they have chosen or been told to go there. The reasons don't have to be all that noble and heroic--running away is just as valid as a rescue, as is a plan to go do something not very nice, like buy or sell drugs or commit violence. They don't have to be all that great as a reason because the stated reason they're traveling is never the actual reason. Odds are, the hero is never actually going to accomplish the stated reason for the task, and, if he or she does, they usually come to regret it and try to undo it if they can. Why? Because the real reason for a quest is self-knowledge. So whether your hero is questing around in search of the Holy Grail or just on his way to work in the morning, what they find is a deeper understanding of the self, what they're capable of, and what they want to do with their life."
"Keep in mind that when I say 'all trips are quests,' it's about as accurate as saying 'all birds are ducks.' Sometimes, I may slip up and use words like 'always' and 'never.' Trips are always quests. Spring is always about fertility and growing things. 'Always' and 'never' are wrong: while things are commonly or usually true, there is nothing I tell you in this class that is set in stone. People are always experimenting, forging ahead to try something new, or using irony to subvert the common meanings of things. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes a trip really is just a trip. This isn't like math or science, where there really are concrete answers to things. In nine books out of ten, a trip really will be a quest, but it's that tenth book that can trip you up. So don't be afraid to call me on it, if I use 'always' or 'never' and don't be afraid to point out things you've read that don't agree with what I'm saying, okay?"
She finished her mocha and set the empty cup back on the table, careful not to obscure her lecture notes. "So, let's break down your quest to get here." She pulled out a book of fairy tales and held it up for them. "Thinking traditionally, a quest involves a knight, a goal or 'Holy Grail', a dangerous road, a dragon or two, an evil knight, and a prince or princess. What parts of your walk corresponded to which parts of the quest? Was this a true quest at all?"
[Please wait for the OCD is up!]
Apparently, they needed to travel a bit to enjoy the privilege of a lecture. But at least there would coffee at the end!
After their adventures getting into town, they would find Cindy sitting inside, sipping a peppermint mocha. "Glad to see you all arrived," she said. "Get yourself something warm to drink and let's talk about that quest you just went on." She smiled at them. "Oh, didn't you know? All trips are quests. All birds are ducks."
"Almost anytime you see someone traveling in a novel, that trip is more than just a trip from Point A to Point B," Cindy said, once her students had gotten themselves situated. "What you are reading is a quest, even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface. This is obviously true in novels that are specifically about a trip, like The Odyssey, for example, but anytime an author bothers telling you about the journey a character is taking, it's because it's important. Remember, an author is consciously choosing what to include in the novel. If something is unimportant, they'll skip it. So if the author is going to spend several thousand words--and however much time it took him or her to write those several thousand words--describing a bus trip to Duluth or whatever, it's because there is a reason. That reason? Usually because it is a quest."
Cindy pulled out a marker from her purse and began writing on the table--upside down, of course. She wasn't writing it for her benefit:
A) The hero
B) A place to go
C) A stated reason to go there
D) Challenges and trials en route
E) The real reason
"So, A is obvious. That's the character we're reading about. B and C are also pretty obvious: wherever the character is going and why they have chosen or been told to go there. The reasons don't have to be all that noble and heroic--running away is just as valid as a rescue, as is a plan to go do something not very nice, like buy or sell drugs or commit violence. They don't have to be all that great as a reason because the stated reason they're traveling is never the actual reason. Odds are, the hero is never actually going to accomplish the stated reason for the task, and, if he or she does, they usually come to regret it and try to undo it if they can. Why? Because the real reason for a quest is self-knowledge. So whether your hero is questing around in search of the Holy Grail or just on his way to work in the morning, what they find is a deeper understanding of the self, what they're capable of, and what they want to do with their life."
"Keep in mind that when I say 'all trips are quests,' it's about as accurate as saying 'all birds are ducks.' Sometimes, I may slip up and use words like 'always' and 'never.' Trips are always quests. Spring is always about fertility and growing things. 'Always' and 'never' are wrong: while things are commonly or usually true, there is nothing I tell you in this class that is set in stone. People are always experimenting, forging ahead to try something new, or using irony to subvert the common meanings of things. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes a trip really is just a trip. This isn't like math or science, where there really are concrete answers to things. In nine books out of ten, a trip really will be a quest, but it's that tenth book that can trip you up. So don't be afraid to call me on it, if I use 'always' or 'never' and don't be afraid to point out things you've read that don't agree with what I'm saying, okay?"
She finished her mocha and set the empty cup back on the table, careful not to obscure her lecture notes. "So, let's break down your quest to get here." She pulled out a book of fairy tales and held it up for them. "Thinking traditionally, a quest involves a knight, a goal or 'Holy Grail', a dangerous road, a dragon or two, an evil knight, and a prince or princess. What parts of your walk corresponded to which parts of the quest? Was this a true quest at all?"
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Discuss
Re: Discuss
Sorry, Cindy. Rinoa had her Crankypants on. Soon enough, her Nerd Engines would engage and she'd be more interested in dealing with the fascinating symbolism than bitching about her walk o'doom, but the super-mature sulky fit seemed to need to go first.
Re: Discuss
Okay, she was just teasing. But SOMEONE was adorable with her crankypants.
Re: Discuss
Damnit, Kenzi still wanted her boot back. "If this was a fairy tale, there would be a moral here about not doing that. I'm going to ignore it."
Re: Discuss
Well, as innocent as she could while laughing.
Re: Discuss