This post is based on wild speculation. I agree that what I'm writing about is not the only possible explanation; it's guesswork, and I only hope it's logical
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I absolutely agree with all of this, and incorporated a lot of this same thinking into my fic Blood Brothers. In terms of literature, I absolutely think that Damon and Stefan are the two periods of nineteenth century lit. Damon is the Romantic, Byronesque as fuck, and we can even look at Manfred as an example-- to steal the Wiki summary:
Manfred is a Faustian noble living in the Bernese Alps. Internally tortured by some mysterious guilt, which has to do with the death of his most beloved, Astarte, he uses his mastery of language and spell-casting to summon seven spirits, from whom he seeks forgetfulness. I don't think the number seven is a mistake; I haven't extensively studied this work but I doubt it would be a stretch to say anything about the seven deadly sins in relation to it. For Damon, he needs the Gothic, the Romantic, and it is all or nothing for him. I think he feels things TOO strongly rather than not strongly enough, and that's why the Civil War was especially traumatizing for him. And I think your assessment of basing
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OMG, what you're sayig about slavery is just amazing. Would you mind if I just edited the main post and quoted you? I was trying to think of a paraphrase, but failed miserably.
Damon is Byronic to the core, and I love to watch his romantic narrative getting crushed. Right now, I feel he is eclectic, constantly under construction, still, even after so many years, trying to find a narrative that would fit. The only difference is that now he has many more to choose from.
I like the fact that this show and True Blood are set in the South, because the fact is that we do have ghosts and vampires here.Interesting point. I'm from Europe, and from the part of Europe that didn't even experience colonialism, so every time there is a conversation about slavery, I have this nagging feeling that I don't know what I'm talking about. With TVD it's even harder, because the show itself avoids the subject. There seems to be a popular fandom opinion that Damon was an abolitionist, but I disagree? I mean, no one forced this uniform on him (or at least
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Please feel free to quote! I feel it's so important to Damon's characterization that he is just this absolutely crystallized moment in time. I'd actually like to see some more vampires of younger ages, such as during the Reconstruction or during the Civil Rights movement, to see how living and dying in that period forms them. I really liked the nod Stefan gave to remember Sheila Bennett as a young civil rights activist and how she was still fierce
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All this long history blabber is basically to say that there were a lot of reasons for what happened during the Civil War and for why people made decisions as they did (and my personal feelings that both sides made a lot of bad and long-lasting decisions). They are very complex and difficult issues, which is probably why TVD doesn't want to deal with them at all, which is somewhat typical for communities in the South: we don't want to live in the past, we want to move ahead. But the problems and complexities from the past, as well as the emotions attached to them, still come out. I've grown up in and around Atlanta, and I'm used to our demographics of ~50% blacks, ~40% whites, and ~10% Hispanic, Asian, and other populations. I love that amount of diversity. I love that Atlanta has such strong opportunities for POC to be in positions of authority where it's kinda a crapshoot elsewhere. And yet, we all check ourselves for trying to eradicate the problems that have evolved over the centuries, like we're looking back over our shoulders
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Oh, burning books is all shades of wrong, but I'd never say it makes no sense ;). Books are dangerous like fuck.
I love what you're saying about Damon's friendships being especially productive for him because of them not being the part of his grand narratives. The difference is, I don't really think he can be redeemed? I really think he is too far gone. But he can become a bit more adjusted, more functional, perhaps? And friendships snapping him out of narratives in a non-traumatizing way? Brilliant!
Love, for you, is larger than the usual romantic love. It's like a religion.upupa_epopsFebruary 7 2012, 23:56:35 UTC
YAY, more poetry! \o/
Stefan may be the one who journals religiously, but Damon is the writer.
I believe we've been reading the same fanfic by ghostrunner :). Yes, I could totally see Damon as a writer writing the same story over and over and over again. Also, I'm totally in love with all those tiny moments when Damon makes literary references. Am I missing something, or is he really the only character who does it? The Very Emerson of you quote will never not make me ridiculously happy.
Funny you should say this, because I've always thought Damon would have deeply identified with the Lost Generation and its literature, and even the 20's in general. Another triumph of the Damon stan hive mind! \o/OMG YES!!! I'M SO GLAD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE! In my head!canon, Damon totally went to France in the 1920s, and bonded with other American emigrants. It was the first time that he could meet a group of people who would admit to having war trauma similar to what he himself experienced. Not a few individuals here and there, a whole freaking generation!
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Am I missing something, or is he really the only character who does it?
No, Damon's pretty much the only one who does it on a regular basis. (Stefan sometimes talks about books, but that's always more in a "look how knowledgeable I am about humans and their ways" fashion.) He's definitely well-read. Pity he acts like a two year old.
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Manfred is a Faustian noble living in the Bernese Alps. Internally tortured by some mysterious guilt, which has to do with the death of his most beloved, Astarte, he uses his mastery of language and spell-casting to summon seven spirits, from whom he seeks forgetfulness. I don't think the number seven is a mistake; I haven't extensively studied this work but I doubt it would be a stretch to say anything about the seven deadly sins in relation to it. For Damon, he needs the Gothic, the Romantic, and it is all or nothing for him. I think he feels things TOO strongly rather than not strongly enough, and that's why the Civil War was especially traumatizing for him. And I think your assessment of basing ( ... )
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Damon is Byronic to the core, and I love to watch his romantic narrative getting crushed. Right now, I feel he is eclectic, constantly under construction, still, even after so many years, trying to find a narrative that would fit. The only difference is that now he has many more to choose from.
I like the fact that this show and True Blood are set in the South, because the fact is that we do have ghosts and vampires here.Interesting point. I'm from Europe, and from the part of Europe that didn't even experience colonialism, so every time there is a conversation about slavery, I have this nagging feeling that I don't know what I'm talking about. With TVD it's even harder, because the show itself avoids the subject. There seems to be a popular fandom opinion that Damon was an abolitionist, but I disagree? I mean, no one forced this uniform on him (or at least ( ... )
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Please be back and overanalyse teen vampire shows with me some more!
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I love what you're saying about Damon's friendships being especially productive for him because of them not being the part of his grand narratives. The difference is, I don't really think he can be redeemed? I really think he is too far gone. But he can become a bit more adjusted, more functional, perhaps? And friendships snapping him out of narratives in a non-traumatizing way? Brilliant!
I hope you wasn't late after all ;).
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Sometimes I love my Internet life more than Real Life.
And then two Asians looked at me suspiciously while I sniffed ferociously.
And also books.
I'll come back to say something coherent later, for now
*huggles!Damon*
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Stefan may be the one who journals religiously, but Damon is the writer.
I believe we've been reading the same fanfic by ghostrunner :). Yes, I could totally see Damon as a writer writing the same story over and over and over again. Also, I'm totally in love with all those tiny moments when Damon makes literary references. Am I missing something, or is he really the only character who does it? The Very Emerson of you quote will never not make me ridiculously happy.
Funny you should say this, because I've always thought Damon would have deeply identified with the Lost Generation and its literature, and even the 20's in general. Another triumph of the Damon stan hive mind! \o/OMG YES!!! I'M SO GLAD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE! In my head!canon, Damon totally went to France in the 1920s, and bonded with other American emigrants. It was the first time that he could meet a group of people who would admit to having war trauma similar to what he himself experienced. Not a few individuals here and there, a whole freaking generation! ( ... )
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No, Damon's pretty much the only one who does it on a regular basis. (Stefan sometimes talks about books, but that's always more in a "look how knowledgeable I am about humans and their ways" fashion.) He's definitely well-read. Pity he acts like a two year old.
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Yes, we all regret that deeply :D.
I love Damon's bookishness. AND HE KEEPS GONE WITH THE WIND BY HIS BED!!!
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