>"Almost as if that part of her adult personality is radioactive."
I think that there are many canonical elements distinct to Natalie (not just her grandmother's abuse, established in "Dead of Night") that frequently get overlooked because Natalie is the "entry character." That is, Natalie, the human who knows about vampires, is the character with whom the audience is expected to share perspective, whose place the audience is expected to stand in, and in fact a majority of fans do seem to interact with the series from that position, whatever their faction.
This often seems to lead to peculiarities being smoothed off (or added to) Natalie's character to make her more like whomever is writing about her at the moment. For example, people who have an investment in domestic abuse as a story element see it in the scene in the back of the Raven in "Feeding the Beast," while those whose story needs are not served by that element do not see it there, or see it in a much dimmer and more muted way. Another example is the absence of Natalie's parents, or the presence of her brother.
In fanfiction, Natalie is perhaps the most flexed of the main characters, so to speak. For all that depictions of Nick and Lacroix and the others do vary widely -- goodness knows, they vary widely! -- I submit that it is Natalie who is most frequently recrafted wholesale to fit a fan's vision, because she is that "entry point" to the story.
I think that there are many canonical elements distinct to Natalie (not just her grandmother's abuse, established in "Dead of Night") that frequently get overlooked because Natalie is the "entry character." That is, Natalie, the human who knows about vampires, is the character with whom the audience is expected to share perspective, whose place the audience is expected to stand in, and in fact a majority of fans do seem to interact with the series from that position, whatever their faction.
This often seems to lead to peculiarities being smoothed off (or added to) Natalie's character to make her more like whomever is writing about her at the moment. For example, people who have an investment in domestic abuse as a story element see it in the scene in the back of the Raven in "Feeding the Beast," while those whose story needs are not served by that element do not see it there, or see it in a much dimmer and more muted way. Another example is the absence of Natalie's parents, or the presence of her brother.
In fanfiction, Natalie is perhaps the most flexed of the main characters, so to speak. For all that depictions of Nick and Lacroix and the others do vary widely -- goodness knows, they vary widely! -- I submit that it is Natalie who is most frequently recrafted wholesale to fit a fan's vision, because she is that "entry point" to the story.
Reply
Leave a comment