Damon, Elena, Stefan - the question of narratives

[upupa_epops]

This entry is based on a comment I posted in an episode discussion hosted by ever-neutral. It's some sort of an intellectual experiment ― I'm bored, my literature classes are not as good as I expected them to be, my TVD discussions on a forum are mostly dying, so I've been entertaining myself with creating this interpretation. I'm well aware that it's not the

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[eowyn_315]

LITERARY ANALYSIS OF SHINY VAMPIRE SHOWS = WIN

Ironically, it turns out that 21st century audience is quite conservative and doesn't like stepping out of certain conventions. I'd say they want to keep some sort of decorum (in a sense that they want Damon to have one, consistent narrative; they cannot accept the switch of narratives), although I doubt they explain it like that. The same audience will probably react badly to Stefan's and Elena's arcs in s3. Change of narrative is stepping out of comfort zone.

WORD. We are the unconventional minority! (But seriously, how often does life follow one consistent narrative? It's much more interesting to me to see those narratives torn apart and watch the characters flail around without them.)

[upupa_epops]

Hi, good to see you on my journal :).

Awwwwwwww, how did you know Donna is my favorite Doctor Who character? :DDDDDD

LITERARY ANALYSIS OF SHINY VAMPIRE SHOWS = WIN

That's what happens when they don't let mi analyse Hemingway at school - I come back home and do sth insane!

But seriously, how often does life follow one consistent narrative? It's much more interesting to me to see those narratives torn apart and watch the characters flail around without them.

Life certainly doesn't do anything like that, but then not everybody is interested in art that mirrors life. Many people like narratives and want them to work. I usually avoid comparisons like that, but this example is so striking I can't resist it: in 18th century people in England were staging Shakespeare's King Lear with a happy ending. Not because they were dumb or were avoiding depressing subjects, but because their sense of aesthetics was so closely bound with conventions they viewed the original ending as a mistake, as bad literature. So, while I believe that many of the people who can't handle the changes of narratives in TVD are simply avoiding difficult subjects, because they are afraid that their little shiny bubble of delusions about life would be broken, there is also some aesthetic background in their opinion. There is more to that than just artistic cowardice.

Though personally I think there is a good deal of cowardice as well...