Love and Marriage: An Essay
Title: Love and Marriage: An Essay
Rating: PG-13 (for mention of sexual acts as described in the book)
Summary: At the request of others, I am offering my analysis of a well-known passage, and its implications on another famous quote.
"I am married," she said, "just not to a man."
He raised his eyebrows. She put her hands to her face. He'd never seen her look like that-- her words had shocked herself. She had to turn her head away for an instant, clear her throat, blow her nose. "Oh damn, tears, they burn like fire," she cried, suddenly in a fury, and ran for an old blanket to dab her eyes before the salty wetness could run down her cheeks.
She stood bent over like an old woman, one arm on the counter, the blanket falling from her face to the floor. "Elphie, Elphie," he said, horrified, and lurched after her, and put his arms around her. The blanket hung between them, chin to ankles, but seemed about to burst into flame itself, or roses, or a fountain of champagne and incense. Odd how the richest images bloomed into mind when the body itself was most alert...
"No," she cried, "no no, I'm not a harem, I'm not a woman, I'm not a person, no." But her arms wheeled of their own accord, like windmill sails, like those magicked antlers, not to kill him, but to pin him with love, to mount him against the wall.
---
I. Let us first examine the trigger:
"I am married," she said, "just not to a man."
The statement is almost casual in its delivery. If we are to buy into the other side, many of us could easily imagine making the same facetious claim about our jobs. It is accordingly presumable that Elphaba could say it as a joke, and then move on with her life. That she was shocked implies it touched upon something she wasn't keen to admit.
II. So let us consider Elphaba's reaction:
"She put her hands to her face. He'd never seen her look like that-- her words had shocked herself."
As a terrorist with lurid goals, Elphaba is no stranger to duty. And thoroughly committing to a cause is, yes, akin to marrying it- the obvious foundation for many counterpoints. But there is, in retrospect, no real reason for Elphaba to be so vehemently disturbed, were that the central and singular case.
Her job is, by definition, dangerous. And she knows this, having carefully concealed both identity and location as a means of deflecting suspicion. So it couldn't have been a sudden epiphany she had, regarding obligation and its scope. The only remaining possibility is that she's ashamed to have revealed her self-made cage. But that doesn't make much sense, considering Fiyero already knows, more or less, the nature of what all she gets up to. At this point, surprise should have been nonexistent.
Her exaggerated reaction to an almost-offhand remark is, therefore, radically unusual.
III. It continues:
"She had to turn her head away for an instant, clear her throat, blow her nose. 'Oh damn, tears, they burn like fire,' she cried, suddenly in a fury, and ran for an old blanket to dab her eyes before the salty wetness could run down her cheeks."
While tears of resignation are common, both logic and timeline suggest she would be well beyond this stage of self-realization. Fiyero did not register the same horror at her statement-- merely intrigue. Ergo, it can be gathered that the issue runs psychologically deeper than alternative theories surmise.
And there arises the fundamental idea of her being chained, by guilt, to her memory of Glinda.
IV. "... a fountain of champagne..." / "Odd, how the richest images bloomed into mind when the body itself was most alert..."
The champagne, by itself, is not unusual imagery, and I wouldn't dare stretch subtext beyond its means. But, in tandem with the following sentence it proves startling, even if it's only mere coincidence.
Let us think back to another famous excerpt: "Some laughing, a glass of champagne, a handsome man taking off his cummerbund and pressing his starched cuffs against her neck, nibbling the teardrop-shaped rubies at her ears..."
Let us then consider Glinda's following reaction: "Glinda didn't really lose consciousness, but the uncomfortable physical nearness of the hawk-faced Elphaba after that undesired act of desire made her want to shiver with revulsion and to purr at the same time."
I think it's safe to assume that in the previous quotation, Glinda's body "was most alert." The following flow chart is therefore constructible:
It is fairly easy to establish a connection between these two scenes on this organized logic alone. Glinda is alert in two contexts: sexually and mentally.
1. She is still awake, having not lost consciousness.
a. She can mentally register Elphaba's nearness.
i. Elphaba's nearness is a cause for revulsion.
2. She is sexually stimulated.
a. She can mentally register Elphaba's nearness.
i. Elphaba's nearness is a cause for pleasure.
This is, in simplest terms, a matter of emotion versus intellect; heart versus brain.
Glinda is intellectually aware that homosexuality is "wrong"... A fact that is ultimately amplified by the "normalcy" of her heterosexual fantasy. Elphaba's nearness after such a vision inspires revulsion because of the obvious social taboo.
However, the overall lack of phallic imagery in her fantasy allows for seamless juxtaposition of sapphic desire. Glinda's arousal "perverts" her intellect, allowing her to derive pleasure from that same nearness; Elphaba's tongue can go between her legs just as easily as a man's. The resulting purr might be testament to this.
Maguire has, intentionally or not, drawn a noticeable parallel between these two separate occurrences. This inkling is further enhanced by the purposeful use of ellipses for punctuation, which both adds to the surreal atmosphere as observed by Fiyero, and encourages the reader to reach this same culmination of facts.
Skeptics like to cast a shadow of doubt on even the original, rather blatant conclusion, but I think it's safe to infer that Glinda was, regardless of circumstances, sexually attracted to Elphaba.
V. "No, no, I'm not a harem. I'm not a woman, I'm not a person, no."
Let's break this quote down into its three distinct pieces and look at what each might mean as a sum of the whole.
I. "I'm not a harem."
A. Stage Three
1. Adult (Fiyero)
a. A statement which encompasses her immediate worries. Elphaba is first and
foremost asserting her place in his life.
i. She does not intend to be used, either physically or emotionally, as an escape
for a lackluster marriage.
ii. Favors commitment of all kinds.
II. "I'm not a woman."
A. Stage Two
1. Teenager (Shiz)
a. Elphaba preferred the harsh and neutral rigidity of academic life to either girly
whims or masculine preoccupation.
i. She recognizes the genderless mentality of her own psyche.
b. Probably a reference to indecisiveness regarding her own sexual preferences.
c. Could further solidify the notion that she was born a hermaphrodite.
III. "I'm not a person."
A. Stage One
1. Childhood (Melena, Frex, Nanny)
a. Treated as subhuman since her moment of birth.
i. Orchestrates the coming together of all doubts and insecurities, past and
present.
ii. Does not believe she has a soul.
The order of these is a potent clue in and of itself. It is a backwards progression from individualistic sentiment to drone-like subservience. That she starts out strong and ends in such total self-deprecation suggests these issues are, and have been, on the forefront of her mind. The target subjects of her stressing are very case-specific; Elphaba proves herself vulnerable to kinship and bonds. Thus making it far more likely that her previous outburst-- the core debate-- was centered around a who, and not a what.
Rating: PG-13 (for mention of sexual acts as described in the book)
Summary: At the request of others, I am offering my analysis of a well-known passage, and its implications on another famous quote.
"I am married," she said, "just not to a man."
He raised his eyebrows. She put her hands to her face. He'd never seen her look like that-- her words had shocked herself. She had to turn her head away for an instant, clear her throat, blow her nose. "Oh damn, tears, they burn like fire," she cried, suddenly in a fury, and ran for an old blanket to dab her eyes before the salty wetness could run down her cheeks.
She stood bent over like an old woman, one arm on the counter, the blanket falling from her face to the floor. "Elphie, Elphie," he said, horrified, and lurched after her, and put his arms around her. The blanket hung between them, chin to ankles, but seemed about to burst into flame itself, or roses, or a fountain of champagne and incense. Odd how the richest images bloomed into mind when the body itself was most alert...
"No," she cried, "no no, I'm not a harem, I'm not a woman, I'm not a person, no." But her arms wheeled of their own accord, like windmill sails, like those magicked antlers, not to kill him, but to pin him with love, to mount him against the wall.
---
I. Let us first examine the trigger:
"I am married," she said, "just not to a man."
The statement is almost casual in its delivery. If we are to buy into the other side, many of us could easily imagine making the same facetious claim about our jobs. It is accordingly presumable that Elphaba could say it as a joke, and then move on with her life. That she was shocked implies it touched upon something she wasn't keen to admit.
II. So let us consider Elphaba's reaction:
"She put her hands to her face. He'd never seen her look like that-- her words had shocked herself."
As a terrorist with lurid goals, Elphaba is no stranger to duty. And thoroughly committing to a cause is, yes, akin to marrying it- the obvious foundation for many counterpoints. But there is, in retrospect, no real reason for Elphaba to be so vehemently disturbed, were that the central and singular case.
Her job is, by definition, dangerous. And she knows this, having carefully concealed both identity and location as a means of deflecting suspicion. So it couldn't have been a sudden epiphany she had, regarding obligation and its scope. The only remaining possibility is that she's ashamed to have revealed her self-made cage. But that doesn't make much sense, considering Fiyero already knows, more or less, the nature of what all she gets up to. At this point, surprise should have been nonexistent.
Her exaggerated reaction to an almost-offhand remark is, therefore, radically unusual.
III. It continues:
"She had to turn her head away for an instant, clear her throat, blow her nose. 'Oh damn, tears, they burn like fire,' she cried, suddenly in a fury, and ran for an old blanket to dab her eyes before the salty wetness could run down her cheeks."
While tears of resignation are common, both logic and timeline suggest she would be well beyond this stage of self-realization. Fiyero did not register the same horror at her statement-- merely intrigue. Ergo, it can be gathered that the issue runs psychologically deeper than alternative theories surmise.
And there arises the fundamental idea of her being chained, by guilt, to her memory of Glinda.
IV. "... a fountain of champagne..." / "Odd, how the richest images bloomed into mind when the body itself was most alert..."
The champagne, by itself, is not unusual imagery, and I wouldn't dare stretch subtext beyond its means. But, in tandem with the following sentence it proves startling, even if it's only mere coincidence.
Let us think back to another famous excerpt: "Some laughing, a glass of champagne, a handsome man taking off his cummerbund and pressing his starched cuffs against her neck, nibbling the teardrop-shaped rubies at her ears..."
Let us then consider Glinda's following reaction: "Glinda didn't really lose consciousness, but the uncomfortable physical nearness of the hawk-faced Elphaba after that undesired act of desire made her want to shiver with revulsion and to purr at the same time."
I think it's safe to assume that in the previous quotation, Glinda's body "was most alert." The following flow chart is therefore constructible:
It is fairly easy to establish a connection between these two scenes on this organized logic alone. Glinda is alert in two contexts: sexually and mentally.
1. She is still awake, having not lost consciousness.
a. She can mentally register Elphaba's nearness.
i. Elphaba's nearness is a cause for revulsion.
2. She is sexually stimulated.
a. She can mentally register Elphaba's nearness.
i. Elphaba's nearness is a cause for pleasure.
This is, in simplest terms, a matter of emotion versus intellect; heart versus brain.
Glinda is intellectually aware that homosexuality is "wrong"... A fact that is ultimately amplified by the "normalcy" of her heterosexual fantasy. Elphaba's nearness after such a vision inspires revulsion because of the obvious social taboo.
However, the overall lack of phallic imagery in her fantasy allows for seamless juxtaposition of sapphic desire. Glinda's arousal "perverts" her intellect, allowing her to derive pleasure from that same nearness; Elphaba's tongue can go between her legs just as easily as a man's. The resulting purr might be testament to this.
Maguire has, intentionally or not, drawn a noticeable parallel between these two separate occurrences. This inkling is further enhanced by the purposeful use of ellipses for punctuation, which both adds to the surreal atmosphere as observed by Fiyero, and encourages the reader to reach this same culmination of facts.
Skeptics like to cast a shadow of doubt on even the original, rather blatant conclusion, but I think it's safe to infer that Glinda was, regardless of circumstances, sexually attracted to Elphaba.
V. "No, no, I'm not a harem. I'm not a woman, I'm not a person, no."
Let's break this quote down into its three distinct pieces and look at what each might mean as a sum of the whole.
I. "I'm not a harem."
A. Stage Three
1. Adult (Fiyero)
a. A statement which encompasses her immediate worries. Elphaba is first and
foremost asserting her place in his life.
i. She does not intend to be used, either physically or emotionally, as an escape
for a lackluster marriage.
ii. Favors commitment of all kinds.
II. "I'm not a woman."
A. Stage Two
1. Teenager (Shiz)
a. Elphaba preferred the harsh and neutral rigidity of academic life to either girly
whims or masculine preoccupation.
i. She recognizes the genderless mentality of her own psyche.
b. Probably a reference to indecisiveness regarding her own sexual preferences.
c. Could further solidify the notion that she was born a hermaphrodite.
III. "I'm not a person."
A. Stage One
1. Childhood (Melena, Frex, Nanny)
a. Treated as subhuman since her moment of birth.
i. Orchestrates the coming together of all doubts and insecurities, past and
present.
ii. Does not believe she has a soul.
The order of these is a potent clue in and of itself. It is a backwards progression from individualistic sentiment to drone-like subservience. That she starts out strong and ends in such total self-deprecation suggests these issues are, and have been, on the forefront of her mind. The target subjects of her stressing are very case-specific; Elphaba proves herself vulnerable to kinship and bonds. Thus making it far more likely that her previous outburst-- the core debate-- was centered around a who, and not a what.