Re: Languages
anonymous
September 27 2009, 21:05:24 UTC
I don't know if this is what you wanted, but have a fill.
America knows a lot of languages.
He knows the language of victorious people. He can easily interpret the the sound of the victory shot from all shots in the battle field. He can easily hear the victory chants and shouts and songs from across streets, or fields, or miles or oceans or continents. He can communicate in that victorious language as well as any of his children. He knows the language of victory well, but he knows others too.
America knows the language of a defeated people. He knows the sound of the losing shot from all the other shots in the battle field. America is more than familiar with the moans and groans of dying men. He knows the sobs of a wife, and of mother, and of brothers and sisters and of children, as they mourn. He knows the sound of a final night, knows how to speak with it, knows how to scream and cry for the fallen just as well as his children (“remember Alfred, you'll cry one tear for every soldier, and one for every family too...”). America
( ... )
Languages explination from authoranon
anonymous
September 27 2009, 21:12:31 UTC
So, italics number one is just some advice about the nature of being a nation, or how this anon interprets is at any rate. The second group is the war of 1812, and the third italicised bit is about the American involvement in Korea.
The last bit is from a poem by a Canadian aboriginal Rita Joe called "I Lost My Talk". It's actually about the residential schools that were in North America, and weren't shut down until the 1930s in the US and even worse, the 1970s in Canada. This is something the Canadian government is working to rectify, though not as sincerely as some would want. It's an important subject to this anon, so I hope OP doesn't mind I explored it a bit in this fill.
Re: Languages explination from authoranon
anonymous
September 29 2009, 00:08:19 UTC
I'm not sure what kind of reaction you expected people to get out of this, but right now, all I can feel is, oh. The story's very poetic, and I'm glad you started out with America knowing figurative languages, rather then listing at the start. Packs a hell of a punch.
Writer anon
anonymous
September 29 2009, 21:30:21 UTC
I'm glad you liked it, I wasn't sure how people would react, as some just sort of want to forget about the residential schools. Basically when I started out the mission was to write a "not-a-total-idiot" version of Alfred. He's seen some stuff after all.
Re: Languages explination from authoranon
anonymous
September 29 2009, 01:03:48 UTC
This fic was truly beautiful anon! The ending made me wibble. It really exemplified a bit of my head!canon for Alfred and the fact that it was just enough writing to convey the right effect really just kept it all together. I haven't read a good fill like this in days. <3
Re: Languages explination from authoranon
anonymous
September 29 2009, 02:11:01 UTC
Anon, this fill was wonderful. I love love love it when an author takes a prompt and fills it in the most creative way possible, which is really what I feel you've done with this. The historical note about Rita Joe was a great bonus as well.
America knows a lot of languages.
He knows the language of victorious people. He can easily interpret the the sound of the victory shot from all shots in the battle field. He can easily hear the victory chants and shouts and songs from across streets, or fields, or miles or oceans or continents. He can communicate in that victorious language as well as any of his children. He knows the language of victory well, but he knows others too.
America knows the language of a defeated people. He knows the sound of the losing shot from all the other shots in the battle field. America is more than familiar with the moans and groans of dying men. He knows the sobs of a wife, and of mother, and of brothers and sisters and of children, as they mourn. He knows the sound of a final night, knows how to speak with it, knows how to scream and cry for the fallen just as well as his children (“remember Alfred, you'll cry one tear for every soldier, and one for every family too...”). America ( ... )
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The last bit is from a poem by a Canadian aboriginal Rita Joe called "I Lost My Talk". It's actually about the residential schools that were in North America, and weren't shut down until the 1930s in the US and even worse, the 1970s in Canada. This is something the Canadian government is working to rectify, though not as sincerely as some would want. It's an important subject to this anon, so I hope OP doesn't mind I explored it a bit in this fill.
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I love love love it when an author takes a prompt and fills it in the most creative way possible, which is really what I feel you've done with this. The historical note about Rita Joe was a great bonus as well.
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