Reading Cleansed by Sarah Kane
I took notes as I was reading this time.
+++ Really enjoyed Rod's little spiel of, "Don't make me lie to you," as Carl fell into all the same old cliches. Rod may be cynical, but he's honest.
+++ I can understand the deal with Graham's clothes. They're an outward reflection of who we are or how we want to the world to see us. To dress in his clothing is the next best thing of dressing herself in Graham.
+++ I laughed when Tinker cut out Carl's tongue. He can tell no more lies and with swallowing the ring, Carl swallowed his own words.
+++ Graham and Grace reminded me of Echo and Narcissus of Greek mythology.
Narcissus: May I die before I give you power over me.
Echo: I give you power over me.
Y'know, the repetition and play on words. They put an emphasis on being the same, so perhaps it is a narcissistic love in a sense.
+++ What's the deal with the sunflower? Graham pulls it toward him and smells it. He smiles. "Lovely." I think I heard somewhere that sunflowers don't have a scent. So why smell it and call it lovely? Is it because the scent is as absent as Graham and therefore as lovely as a dream? Is it superficial beauty? Just as brother and sister may look alike, but are always different?
+++ Off the top of my head, I can think of two Greek myths that involve a god that wouldn't show their face. Eros had taken Psyche as his lover, taking her at night, but forbade her from ever looking upon his face. I believe it was because he wanted her to love him for who he is rather than what. However, her sisters convinced Psyche to use a lantern to look upon her lover's face during his sleep. She looked, he woke and abandoned her for betraying him. She goes through a bunch of trials and so on and so forth.
The other myth is going back to Hippolytus and Artemis. Hippolytus chose to become a devotee of Artemis rather than Aphrodite, taking on a vow of chastity and such. Outraged at this slight, Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him. We all know what happens thereafter. However, as a disciple of Artemis, she had befriended Hippo and they often went hunting together. Only Artemis never actually appeared before him (if I recall correctly) but rather just spoke to him as a disembodied voice. Perhaps she was being cautious, because in some versions of yet another myth she killed Orion just for touching her robe. Anyway, he never betrayed her and yet ended up getting killed anyway. It's said that Artemis later resurrected him.
Why am I rambling on about mythology? Well, the dancing Woman is asked by Tinker to trust him, yet she had yet to see his face. Is she being smart by rejecting him? Is it only natural to wish for more of a connection with someone than just a voice?
+++ Tinker called the Woman Grace. Why? Is it really Grace? Is it too late because her brother is already gone? Or is this just some woman? A replacement? For she doesn't respond when he says the name. He couldn't even look at her face until the end of the scene.
+++ If she isn't Grace, what's the difference? She's not lying exactly, but failing to correct him. If he wants to help her... then maybe she'll go by any name he likes. Will she still be "Grace" to him when she's no longer dancing? When she's within his reach? I like that she won't call him friend. She makes no promises.
+++ Again with the flower, but now it's a daffodil. So apparently any theory I had about the sunflower was woefully mistaken. That's what I get for reading into things. But I'm still holding on to the Narcissus thing. First of all, Aphrodite had loved him and bloomed flowers from his blood so that he would be preserved in some way. Secondly, I once read something about a lesser known story of the reason why Narcissus was so enraptured by his own reflection. Most say that it was punishment from Artemis. He could sit and stare at his reflection, but any effort to touch his beloved would cause the visage to disappear as the water rippled. So he could not leave for sustenance nor could he drink from the wealth before him. (Lovely, lovely myth. One of my favorites.) However... the lesser known story says that he fell in love with his twin sister who had died, therefore it was his sister he saw in the reflection rather than himself. This wasn't well received by the people and was therefore left by the way side.
Back to the flower thing, Robin said that Grace smells like a flower. So when Graham says the flower's smell is lovely, he's really talking about his sister and... *sighs* Nope, still don't get it.
+++ Speaking of Robin, why does he cry? Is it because he sees the Woman as Grace will never be?
+++ I also laughed when Tinker ordered the Woman to touch herself. He had been treating her as a person up to that point, so I can understand her confusion. Was this his revenge on the Grace he could no longer reach? Not only was "Grace" touching herself by his command, but it forced her to face the fact that she is a woman, not Graham.
+++ Fucking love how Grace and Tinker both have these double speaking conversations. When Grace is talking to Robin (and later Tinker) she doesn't hear him but Graham and yet still manages to give cohesive answers to both. When Tinker speaks to the Woman, he's telling Grace that she is what she is, and yet it fits the dancer too.
+++ Did Tinker partially blame Robin? Must he take on the femininity that Grace has abandoned, as he did her clothes? The chocolate thing is definitely punishment for trying to woo her, but maybe it's also because he sees himself and his own failure to sway Grace in Robin. And of course Robin cannot tell Grace of his weakness.
+++ Rod realizes that there really is only now, so he has the power to promise Carl everything and really mean it. He knows that he's next, but when Tinker comes he asks for it to be himself not out of love but for escape. He admits as much.
+++ Robin fails to get Grace's attention even with a noose around his neck. Since Graham allowed Robin his hand, I'm assuming that pulling on his legs was a mercy to speed things along. Would he have loved Grace even as Graham? I think so. I think he may have even loved Graham because Grace loved him. Why does Graham stay with Robin? I don't know. Maybe Grace wasn't entirely immune to his advances.
+++ The Woman became Tinker's Grace. "I'll become anything you need," he had said, but it was the Woman in the end who held the promise. because he said he loved her. Because he said he'd help her.
Steff, have you read Chuck Palanhiuk's Invisible Monsters? If not, then you must. And Tasha! You should totally read Sarah Kane. If you'd like, I'll even lend it to you whenever you're done with Good Omens. How's that going by the way?
+++ Really enjoyed Rod's little spiel of, "Don't make me lie to you," as Carl fell into all the same old cliches. Rod may be cynical, but he's honest.
+++ I can understand the deal with Graham's clothes. They're an outward reflection of who we are or how we want to the world to see us. To dress in his clothing is the next best thing of dressing herself in Graham.
+++ I laughed when Tinker cut out Carl's tongue. He can tell no more lies and with swallowing the ring, Carl swallowed his own words.
+++ Graham and Grace reminded me of Echo and Narcissus of Greek mythology.
Narcissus: May I die before I give you power over me.
Echo: I give you power over me.
Y'know, the repetition and play on words. They put an emphasis on being the same, so perhaps it is a narcissistic love in a sense.
+++ What's the deal with the sunflower? Graham pulls it toward him and smells it. He smiles. "Lovely." I think I heard somewhere that sunflowers don't have a scent. So why smell it and call it lovely? Is it because the scent is as absent as Graham and therefore as lovely as a dream? Is it superficial beauty? Just as brother and sister may look alike, but are always different?
+++ Off the top of my head, I can think of two Greek myths that involve a god that wouldn't show their face. Eros had taken Psyche as his lover, taking her at night, but forbade her from ever looking upon his face. I believe it was because he wanted her to love him for who he is rather than what. However, her sisters convinced Psyche to use a lantern to look upon her lover's face during his sleep. She looked, he woke and abandoned her for betraying him. She goes through a bunch of trials and so on and so forth.
The other myth is going back to Hippolytus and Artemis. Hippolytus chose to become a devotee of Artemis rather than Aphrodite, taking on a vow of chastity and such. Outraged at this slight, Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him. We all know what happens thereafter. However, as a disciple of Artemis, she had befriended Hippo and they often went hunting together. Only Artemis never actually appeared before him (if I recall correctly) but rather just spoke to him as a disembodied voice. Perhaps she was being cautious, because in some versions of yet another myth she killed Orion just for touching her robe. Anyway, he never betrayed her and yet ended up getting killed anyway. It's said that Artemis later resurrected him.
Why am I rambling on about mythology? Well, the dancing Woman is asked by Tinker to trust him, yet she had yet to see his face. Is she being smart by rejecting him? Is it only natural to wish for more of a connection with someone than just a voice?
+++ Tinker called the Woman Grace. Why? Is it really Grace? Is it too late because her brother is already gone? Or is this just some woman? A replacement? For she doesn't respond when he says the name. He couldn't even look at her face until the end of the scene.
+++ If she isn't Grace, what's the difference? She's not lying exactly, but failing to correct him. If he wants to help her... then maybe she'll go by any name he likes. Will she still be "Grace" to him when she's no longer dancing? When she's within his reach? I like that she won't call him friend. She makes no promises.
+++ Again with the flower, but now it's a daffodil. So apparently any theory I had about the sunflower was woefully mistaken. That's what I get for reading into things. But I'm still holding on to the Narcissus thing. First of all, Aphrodite had loved him and bloomed flowers from his blood so that he would be preserved in some way. Secondly, I once read something about a lesser known story of the reason why Narcissus was so enraptured by his own reflection. Most say that it was punishment from Artemis. He could sit and stare at his reflection, but any effort to touch his beloved would cause the visage to disappear as the water rippled. So he could not leave for sustenance nor could he drink from the wealth before him. (Lovely, lovely myth. One of my favorites.) However... the lesser known story says that he fell in love with his twin sister who had died, therefore it was his sister he saw in the reflection rather than himself. This wasn't well received by the people and was therefore left by the way side.
Back to the flower thing, Robin said that Grace smells like a flower. So when Graham says the flower's smell is lovely, he's really talking about his sister and... *sighs* Nope, still don't get it.
+++ Speaking of Robin, why does he cry? Is it because he sees the Woman as Grace will never be?
+++ I also laughed when Tinker ordered the Woman to touch herself. He had been treating her as a person up to that point, so I can understand her confusion. Was this his revenge on the Grace he could no longer reach? Not only was "Grace" touching herself by his command, but it forced her to face the fact that she is a woman, not Graham.
+++ Fucking love how Grace and Tinker both have these double speaking conversations. When Grace is talking to Robin (and later Tinker) she doesn't hear him but Graham and yet still manages to give cohesive answers to both. When Tinker speaks to the Woman, he's telling Grace that she is what she is, and yet it fits the dancer too.
+++ Did Tinker partially blame Robin? Must he take on the femininity that Grace has abandoned, as he did her clothes? The chocolate thing is definitely punishment for trying to woo her, but maybe it's also because he sees himself and his own failure to sway Grace in Robin. And of course Robin cannot tell Grace of his weakness.
+++ Rod realizes that there really is only now, so he has the power to promise Carl everything and really mean it. He knows that he's next, but when Tinker comes he asks for it to be himself not out of love but for escape. He admits as much.
+++ Robin fails to get Grace's attention even with a noose around his neck. Since Graham allowed Robin his hand, I'm assuming that pulling on his legs was a mercy to speed things along. Would he have loved Grace even as Graham? I think so. I think he may have even loved Graham because Grace loved him. Why does Graham stay with Robin? I don't know. Maybe Grace wasn't entirely immune to his advances.
+++ The Woman became Tinker's Grace. "I'll become anything you need," he had said, but it was the Woman in the end who held the promise. because he said he loved her. Because he said he'd help her.
Steff, have you read Chuck Palanhiuk's Invisible Monsters? If not, then you must. And Tasha! You should totally read Sarah Kane. If you'd like, I'll even lend it to you whenever you're done with Good Omens. How's that going by the way?