Herd Mentality, Chapter 3
I finally posted the conclusion to Herd Mentality here, chapter 3, Rule of Law.
As I posted on Twitter, for all that I"m the poster child for all that is deemed immoral in the Narnia fandom, with Herd Mentality, I earn the title. When I wrote I love not man the less but nature more, the ideas behind that story were the impetus for picking up writing again after a long absence. With Herd Mentality, this story results from my interactions with and learning more about a segment of the Narnia fandom.
Some of the analogies and parallels work well, others less so.
The story also fits well with other storylines, in particular the recent chapters of Harold & Morgan and the decision, so very long ago, in TSG Part 1 to send the Otters to the Glasswater. Heliopausa directed me to this great link about why heroes are weirdos and it certainly applies to the Otters. By the way, in H&M, an Otter arrives by Gryphon in a cage to Queen Lucy's camp. Here we learn that Otter was Gnash.
A huge thanks to
starbrow who helped me translate some of the culture and dogma into this story. Also, Miniver mentioned in her review of a previous chapter about C.S. Lewis' musings on judgment which I found here.
We need not therefore be surprised if the Psalms, and the Prophets, are full of the longing for judgement, and regard the announcement that ‘judgement’ is coming as good news. Hundreds and thousands of people who have been stripped of all they possess and who have the right entirely on their side will at last be heard. Of course they are not afraid of judgement. ..... The ‘just’ judge, then, is primarily he who rights a wrong in a civil case.
I returned to this passage several times as I struggled with the trial. Another challenge was to make sure that I had Edmund doing his duties but also giving Lucy something important to do and have them come to the decision together. There are a lot of parallels to H&M, too. Lucy's oath to Rose parallels Edmund's oath to Morgan's father; their solution for Kethin and Edmund's statements parallel their actions with Seth.
A relatively recent add not very well articulated was Rose's mourning at being separated from the other members of her community. She is a herd Beast, a joiner, a follower, social. This is her family and it really hurts her that this has happened and that the females by and large blame her for not doing her duty and sucking it up as they do. Intrikate had mentioned in a tweet how not adhering to the teachings means losing that community and sense of belonging. I wanted Rose to build the start of a new community with other survivors and hence she and Gwen ride off into the sunset. I fear, though, that unlike Gwen, Rose never fully trusts male Horses again.
A lot of reviewers found Rose's timidity frustrating. She underwent some change in response to that critique and does find her voice, though I found the transition too abrupt, I suppose. However, as reader E pointed out, that passivity is part of what the culture instilled in her. To be anything other than accepting and passive is to contravene the cultural norms of her Herd, defy patriarchal authority and, so she is told, to be wicked and willful, in contravention of Herd rules and Aslan's will.
There is, speaking of Aslan's will, a story that really needs to be written in which Lucy discusses with Aslan how and why he ripped Aravis' back. I can't square that incident with the benevolent Aslan I like to write at all. My only solution so far has been that if Aslan didn't do it, the Trickster was going to punish her instead and that would be much worse for her and so Aslan convinces the Trickster that he will satisfy the god's revenge for the injury done to the poor slave Aravis deceived. But Edmund and Lucy are pretty free in condemning physical violence as contrary to Aslan and Narnia law given what Aslan did to Aravis.
There's more. There's a lot more. People can pull out of this story what they wish. Some of the critique is pretty heavy handed -- other things, like Bree's very important line about how if Narnian stallions can't be around mares, they aren't trying hard enough, are more subtle (that one goes after the mindset that women must be covered because otherwise they would incite lust in men not their husbands and for the same reason women may not hold any authority in these religious communities because they are women and therefore sex? I guess?).
In The Horse and Her Girl, Aravis mentions Bree's mate/companion/mother of his foals, Captain Gwen.
I guess that's all. There might be more. Thank you so much to those who commented and encouraged and helped me through this dark story. I'm going to post a meme shortly requesting prompts for happy things. In dark times, a little happy is not amiss.
Last, I hope you and yours are safe tonight.
This entry was originally posted at http://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/92658.html.
As I posted on Twitter, for all that I"m the poster child for all that is deemed immoral in the Narnia fandom, with Herd Mentality, I earn the title. When I wrote I love not man the less but nature more, the ideas behind that story were the impetus for picking up writing again after a long absence. With Herd Mentality, this story results from my interactions with and learning more about a segment of the Narnia fandom.
Some of the analogies and parallels work well, others less so.
The story also fits well with other storylines, in particular the recent chapters of Harold & Morgan and the decision, so very long ago, in TSG Part 1 to send the Otters to the Glasswater. Heliopausa directed me to this great link about why heroes are weirdos and it certainly applies to the Otters. By the way, in H&M, an Otter arrives by Gryphon in a cage to Queen Lucy's camp. Here we learn that Otter was Gnash.
A huge thanks to
starbrow who helped me translate some of the culture and dogma into this story. Also, Miniver mentioned in her review of a previous chapter about C.S. Lewis' musings on judgment which I found here.
We need not therefore be surprised if the Psalms, and the Prophets, are full of the longing for judgement, and regard the announcement that ‘judgement’ is coming as good news. Hundreds and thousands of people who have been stripped of all they possess and who have the right entirely on their side will at last be heard. Of course they are not afraid of judgement. ..... The ‘just’ judge, then, is primarily he who rights a wrong in a civil case.
I returned to this passage several times as I struggled with the trial. Another challenge was to make sure that I had Edmund doing his duties but also giving Lucy something important to do and have them come to the decision together. There are a lot of parallels to H&M, too. Lucy's oath to Rose parallels Edmund's oath to Morgan's father; their solution for Kethin and Edmund's statements parallel their actions with Seth.
A relatively recent add not very well articulated was Rose's mourning at being separated from the other members of her community. She is a herd Beast, a joiner, a follower, social. This is her family and it really hurts her that this has happened and that the females by and large blame her for not doing her duty and sucking it up as they do. Intrikate had mentioned in a tweet how not adhering to the teachings means losing that community and sense of belonging. I wanted Rose to build the start of a new community with other survivors and hence she and Gwen ride off into the sunset. I fear, though, that unlike Gwen, Rose never fully trusts male Horses again.
A lot of reviewers found Rose's timidity frustrating. She underwent some change in response to that critique and does find her voice, though I found the transition too abrupt, I suppose. However, as reader E pointed out, that passivity is part of what the culture instilled in her. To be anything other than accepting and passive is to contravene the cultural norms of her Herd, defy patriarchal authority and, so she is told, to be wicked and willful, in contravention of Herd rules and Aslan's will.
There is, speaking of Aslan's will, a story that really needs to be written in which Lucy discusses with Aslan how and why he ripped Aravis' back. I can't square that incident with the benevolent Aslan I like to write at all. My only solution so far has been that if Aslan didn't do it, the Trickster was going to punish her instead and that would be much worse for her and so Aslan convinces the Trickster that he will satisfy the god's revenge for the injury done to the poor slave Aravis deceived. But Edmund and Lucy are pretty free in condemning physical violence as contrary to Aslan and Narnia law given what Aslan did to Aravis.
There's more. There's a lot more. People can pull out of this story what they wish. Some of the critique is pretty heavy handed -- other things, like Bree's very important line about how if Narnian stallions can't be around mares, they aren't trying hard enough, are more subtle (that one goes after the mindset that women must be covered because otherwise they would incite lust in men not their husbands and for the same reason women may not hold any authority in these religious communities because they are women and therefore sex? I guess?).
In The Horse and Her Girl, Aravis mentions Bree's mate/companion/mother of his foals, Captain Gwen.
I guess that's all. There might be more. Thank you so much to those who commented and encouraged and helped me through this dark story. I'm going to post a meme shortly requesting prompts for happy things. In dark times, a little happy is not amiss.
Last, I hope you and yours are safe tonight.
This entry was originally posted at http://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/92658.html.