I believe in peace, bitch
May. 7th, 2010 10:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shamanicshayminI might be thinking too hard about this. But really. It's something odd about writing and media.
How do people respond with something they don't understand? Sadness. How do people respond when they're abused by someone they thought was their friend? Sadness. Their world is spiraling and everything is going wrong, how do they respond? Sadness.
Allow me to be more specific.
People are different. People respond to a lot of things with sadness, including I. But here's the thing: I am an angry girl too. I will admit it. I refuse to give up, believing something can be done. I believe sadness is the residue of anger after the fire fades away into the realization of helplessness. If something is wrong, I'm likely to face it with confusion. Then depending on the situation, I'm likely to be pissed off.
Let's use some examples on how I'd react if I was the protagonist.
Do you remember the Snow Queen? I do too. What would happen if your brother suddenly turned into a grade-A douchebag? Of course I'd be confused. Of course I'd cry. I'd also go, "Dude, what's gotten into you? What the hell is your problem!? Stop treating me like dirt!" The heroine does everything but the latter.
I've been told all my life not to show any kind of emotion, namely sadness, which would lead to me crying. Yet no one has told me why I can't cry, why I can't grieve for my mother and father. Suddenly, I meet a blue hedgehog who showed me what it means to live. Amidst all we been through together, said blue hedgehog is now dead. It's more than just grief. It's more than just confusion and helplessness. It's why the hell couldn't I have done anything and how dare Mephiles take away the only friend I ever had that allowed me to be myself. Hell yeah I'd be infuriated. Like that Elise/Jojo parody I found on DA.
If I met Tory Lund, I'd be confused as to why he's afraid of every Pokemon ever. He refuses to listen to explanation, thinking I'm an enemy just because I'm a trainer. Confused? You bet I am. I'd also be frustrated and want to strangle the fucking kid.
How do Ash and friends react? "Awww, poor Tory, it's such a pity. What a tragic existence he leads!"
Is anger an unspoken sin among protagonists? Are the only characters who are allowed to be angry the irrational and cocky best friend who rushes into things and pays for his behavior? Villains because it's the only sensible thing they can feel as a "bad" emotion? Then when we are angry, we can only be mad at the villain. Never at the good guys. Unless it's a spat with family, 'cause then we'd both regret it and apologize in the end.
When is anger, aka natural normal anger that doesn't involve an abusive temperamental rampage for the character to pay dearly for later, justified for the protagonist? When are they not "in the wrong" for being mad?
Men are allowed to cry in classic literature, and flood the canals in bad yaoi. Why can't we be frustrated? Why can't we question? Why can't we be as mad as hell? I certainly can't take it anymore.
It'd be healthier to express our anger than blow up later after being forced to hold it back for so long.
How do people respond with something they don't understand? Sadness. How do people respond when they're abused by someone they thought was their friend? Sadness. Their world is spiraling and everything is going wrong, how do they respond? Sadness.
Allow me to be more specific.
People are different. People respond to a lot of things with sadness, including I. But here's the thing: I am an angry girl too. I will admit it. I refuse to give up, believing something can be done. I believe sadness is the residue of anger after the fire fades away into the realization of helplessness. If something is wrong, I'm likely to face it with confusion. Then depending on the situation, I'm likely to be pissed off.
Let's use some examples on how I'd react if I was the protagonist.
Do you remember the Snow Queen? I do too. What would happen if your brother suddenly turned into a grade-A douchebag? Of course I'd be confused. Of course I'd cry. I'd also go, "Dude, what's gotten into you? What the hell is your problem!? Stop treating me like dirt!" The heroine does everything but the latter.
I've been told all my life not to show any kind of emotion, namely sadness, which would lead to me crying. Yet no one has told me why I can't cry, why I can't grieve for my mother and father. Suddenly, I meet a blue hedgehog who showed me what it means to live. Amidst all we been through together, said blue hedgehog is now dead. It's more than just grief. It's more than just confusion and helplessness. It's why the hell couldn't I have done anything and how dare Mephiles take away the only friend I ever had that allowed me to be myself. Hell yeah I'd be infuriated. Like that Elise/Jojo parody I found on DA.
If I met Tory Lund, I'd be confused as to why he's afraid of every Pokemon ever. He refuses to listen to explanation, thinking I'm an enemy just because I'm a trainer. Confused? You bet I am. I'd also be frustrated and want to strangle the fucking kid.
How do Ash and friends react? "Awww, poor Tory, it's such a pity. What a tragic existence he leads!"
Is anger an unspoken sin among protagonists? Are the only characters who are allowed to be angry the irrational and cocky best friend who rushes into things and pays for his behavior? Villains because it's the only sensible thing they can feel as a "bad" emotion? Then when we are angry, we can only be mad at the villain. Never at the good guys. Unless it's a spat with family, 'cause then we'd both regret it and apologize in the end.
When is anger, aka natural normal anger that doesn't involve an abusive temperamental rampage for the character to pay dearly for later, justified for the protagonist? When are they not "in the wrong" for being mad?
Men are allowed to cry in classic literature, and flood the canals in bad yaoi. Why can't we be frustrated? Why can't we question? Why can't we be as mad as hell? I certainly can't take it anymore.
It'd be healthier to express our anger than blow up later after being forced to hold it back for so long.
