You have to admit that linguistically, they're at least interesting.
Yep, that's right, I'm getting this discussion bitch started off. :D
And on that note, swearing. I've recently been pondering how to address swearing in Twilight, and I think it's time to here what you all think.
Now, SMeyers doesn't particularly have her characters swearing, but I've always had to ask myself, is that because they wouldn't swear, or ( Read more... )
And on that note, swearing. I've recently been pondering how to address swearing in Twilight, and I think it's time to here what you all think.
Now, SMeyers doesn't particularly have her characters swearing, but I've always had to ask myself, is that because they wouldn't swear, or ( Read more... )
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As for the raising, there was no hope for me. I practically grew up at my Gramma's, and everything was 'bloody' this or 'fuckin' that (I don't know where she got it from, my Grandfather was the Scotsman, and while he could swear up a storm, he was precise about when he'd do it. Gramma would curse the sewing, the soup pot, and the vaccuum all in one breath if she had the notion.), and my Dad's side.... Ohhhh, my Dad's side, The most lovable bunch of biker alcoholics you'll meet, I swear XD. "Fucking idiot" it pretty much the standard term of endearment over there, though that might have something to do with how the only thing they do when they get together is argue over the accuracy of their memories on the past.
It was pretty much fate that I own this gutter mouth XD.
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Granpa had this awesome tendency where if you disrespected him, he'd throw you off the porch. First time he did it was to a Jehovah's Witness who told him his religion was wrong, and the next in memory was to a Red Wings fan...
...because Red Wings fans weren't welcome in his home XD. Hockey is serious business in Canada.
The only downside is the culture shock I experience because of it. Whatever my upbringing was, it wasn't your average Canadian childhood. I thought Scotland had to be either attached to Canada or just off the coast for YEARS as a kid due to my Grandfather's pride over it (just assumed it had to be close), and it's why I still don't get why swearing is bad, because I grew up in a household where it wasn't.
I'm a giant weirdo, aren't I? 8D
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Bella. I dont think Bella swears if she can help it. Swearing requires a certain nonchalance about what people think of you and I think Bella is too self-conscious for that. However I have a lot of fun coming up with fun alternatives to Bella swearing. Its downright horribly cute sometimes darnit. And in this way when Bella does swear its easy for the people around her to know that she is REALLY FUCKING ANGRY!!!! its a great plot device. ;)
Jacob. He's easy. He swears just like any regular guy. But I think he tries to tone it down around Bella. Like he actually puts a conscious effort into not swearing around her. I think i might have developed this theory as a result of the books. We never see Jacob when he is not in the presence of Bella. And therefore I guess I just assumed (since it is virtually impossible to find a teenage guy who doesn't swear), that there must be a reason for his clean mouth ( ... )
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The latter. Now, mind, given that it's a young adult novel, I can see how she won't be dropping the F-Bomb every five pages. But what I'm referring to specifically here is that "Holy crow!" nonsense. Whenever Bella said that, it actually made the narrative grind to a halt as I blinked at the page. Bella's obviously a good and proper little girl, in spite of how Meyer tries to tell us she's otherwise, so she would never even say "Holy cow!" (which would also be kinda dorky, but not screeching-to-a-halt odd). My understanding on the subject is that Holy Cow (the toned down version of Holy Crap, which is the toned down version of Holy Shit, of course) is still too blasphemous, in that it technically refers to certain Hindu beliefs as holy, or alternatively refers to the golden calf from the Old Testament as holy (I'm pretty sure it's usually mean to be the former). So "Holy cow!" is too much, and it has to be "Holy crow ( ... )
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This is true. Joss Whedon does some pretty interesting thing things with language in his projects, like using "gorram" instead of "goddamn" in Firefly. "Frilly heck" is also one of my faves from BtVS.
And I think in the Harry Potter series Ron drops a few colorful phrases about Merlin's genitalia. It's all about being creative with language, sometimes just to get past the censors. And do I even need to mention the word "frak"?
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In fact, I don't think they even live in the same plane of existence.
(oh,fireflyimissyou)
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In Twilight, it may be a choice made by the author or it really could be who Bella hangs out with that keeps her from swearing. I really can't see her swearing around Edward, and I can't see Charlie or Renee swearing so I don't think it would be a huge thing for her, when she's not surrounded by it.
As for Jake and the pack, I really think they'd be the ones swearing. 16 year old boys swear, its what they do. So that might be a little bit of SMeyer's choice.
Honestly though, I think the 'holy crow's' are quite endearing, and I don't think the lack of swearing takes away from the story. I think it's good when used for character development, like a character who really has a potty mouth but won't say fuck in front of strangers (that's a character in one of my favorite books actually).
And dude, if Stephenie Meyer had really channeled Leah, there would have been way more than thirty swear words my friend
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