#Narrative foils

[hastyprovocateur]

My Roman empire is how if Mizu hadn't doomed Akemi to her arranged marriage with the Shogun's son, Akemi would have never set out on the path of greatness.

Had Mizu not ruined her engagement, Akemi would've never run away from home, braved the world or met Kaji and learnt how to survive within her means.

Likewise, if not for Akemi, Ringo would've been stabbed and Mizu strangled to death. Had Akemi not attacked Mizu with her knife, Mizu's sword would be incomplete.

Without having betrayed Akemi, Mizu wouldn't have grasped the value Ringo, Taigen and Eiji have in her life. She wouldn't have understood the importance of love, friendship and weakness.

[shaylogic]

Trauma Trigger Response Mask Up Babes

[anxiousimpala]

So I’m trying to figure what the actual narrative parallels the RatGrinders and the BadKids have because the classes being the same are obvious but what else?

So the easiest is kind of Fig and Ruben, they were both sweet sorta preppy kids before rage turned them in the direction of more gritty music, rock and emo. Fig was mad that her dad left and her mom refusing to tell her who her bio dad was and Ruben just got rage crystalled.

Adaine and Oisin are odd because you’d think they’d be sorcerers. A subclass for sorcerer is literally dragon blood so why Oisin isn’t inherently magical is weird. But the biggest thing they have in common is that they were both scrawny weak-ish kids before getting buff in Junior year. (Adaine‘s furious fist and Oisin getting muscles)

I like to think that Gorgug and Mary-Ann parallel each other because they both do something that isn’t typical not them being barbarians per se. Mary-Ann, a kobold, being a barbarian and Gorgug, a half-orc, multiclassing an artifer. Which is great

Kristen and Buddy Dawn are much more obvious because it is said in the show that Buddy reminded Kristen of herself and that they both brought gods into the world in the gimnasium. Also Riz and Kipperlily are compared multiple times in the show so not really sure what to add.

But Fabian and Ivy are really hard. We’ve got no clue what Ivy’s homelife is like besides people theorising that she’s from leviathan. And that makes their dynamic the most interesting because she and Fabian have nothing in common except that they’re popular(not sure if Ivy is). If anything Ivy is more of what Fig would be like if her dad wasn’t Gorthalax. This catty, fashionable, ranger wood elf could easily have been Fig. So it’s kinda unfortunate we didn’t get a lot of characterisation for Ivy.

[solariaswitch]

Remember by post about Stella and Darcy supposedly being foils? Well, I just remembered some canonical details I forgot to include in my original post that supports my theory.

In S2E2 there's this scene where Wizgiz talks about how all magic has its dark counterpart.

Wizgiz: I know what you're thinking. Wouldn't it be nice if all the things in the universe were good? Well, that's not the case. Furthermore, that's not possible. Because in the universe, there is no light without darkness. When a form of energy is created, it produces an opposite force. Equally strong. Observe. What do you see? What I did was, I captured some of the light that was in the room. But it only shows its power in the darkness, its polar opposite. As I mentioned at the beginning of this introductory class, the existence of good energy results in the creation of an equal amount of evil energy. Normally, these forces are balanced. But sometimes, balancing needs a little bit of help. A dynamic energy between the dominant force and the recessive one.

This is the background to why the shadow phoenix was created as an opposite force to the dragon flame. But Wizgiz's statement still stands true for all other forces of magic, meaning there are some really interesting implications to it. This leads me to S2E12, where Faragonda explains that all Magic powers have a defining core, such as the dragon flame is the flame of life. And Stella's powers are....

Faragonda: Light is part of your expression of your power of inner vision, sight, clarity. Stella: Uh, what? Faragonda: Your power bursts forth to energize and illuminate so others can understand.

light, vision, sight, clarity, understanding, revelation. And what would the opposite of that be? Darkness, blindness, confusion, deception... Now, doesn't that sound familiar?

This establishes that Stella and Darcy are, whether it's intended or not, quite literally each others yin and yang, each others direct counterparts.

[aucris]

I had dreams too, you know? Dreams of a lost future and our shadows dancing in the narrow paths of what-if's. Dreams of all the burned bridges, air filled with toxic smoke of a fire we didn't start, but never tried to extinguish. I wish you could have saved me, little mouse, I wish I would have allowed it. We were always meant to collide, but we were doomed from the start.

[myrmeraki]

“In the mirror reflection, everything becomes transparent and hyper-visible, stripped of any illusion” - Basia Sliwinska

mirror - sylvia plath // black sails II and XIX gif from @brotherconstant // palindrome poetry shadowpoetry.com // black sails transcript xii // black sails xvx // palindrome poetry ethicalela.com // black sails viii gif from @saws2004

[thepariahcontinuum]

Sophia/Shadow Stalker's Trigger Event definitely involved her running for her life.

Having little Miss "You're either a predator or you're prey" have gotten her superpowers whilst being the prey and keeping that as a dirty little secret that she would rather die than admit to anyone just feels absolutely perfect.

It makes her just another traumatized teenager using her powers to take back some semblance of control over her life in a world that is objectively nuts. It also fits with her relationships with a few different characters.

Emma: Sophia has no friends outside of Emma, even Madison is more "Emma's other friend who's around sometimes" and they meet during what would have been Emma's Trigger event if she was a Cape....Sophia is, in a messed up way trying to be the person she never had in her own life; revealing that there's something more to her under all of that anger and cruelty.

Brian: Shadow Stalker wants Grue to be her nemesis so hard it hurts and honestly, if Brian "I'm going to lie about my Trigger Event" Laborn is going to have a nemesis then making it a Sophia who is similarly hiding her own insecurities and refusing to show weakness or vulnerability in front of anyone is just perfect, it makes them narrative foils.

Taylor: Remember the line where Sophia sees that Taylor took up running and loses her shit about it "You wanted to be strong so you copied me by running" or something to that effect....Gives it new context doesn't it?

Imagine:

You're on the track team in junior high.

The fact that all you can do is run is what saves your life.

You get superpowers designed to help you escape and still you refuse to ever be the victim or run away again.

You're forced to stay on the track team in high school just to keep up appearances.

The girl you've been bullying finally gets a bit of a spine, she's finally getting stronger.

She did it by taking inspiration from you..... By running

[ohmerricat]

does anybody else think about how the two-dimensional aliens in flatline…

are ‘experimenting. dissecting. testing. and trying to understand us’. just like somebody else is throughout the entire episode! she’s asking questions at first, uncertain (the 2D phase) — “that’s how you would do it, isn’t it”? — seeking reassurance from the earpiece, probing, trying the mask on for size.

in the warehouse getting more comfortable, settling into the role, taking on a leadership position and even succeeding at sounding intimidating in an all-too-doctorish way (“i’m your one chance of getting out of here alive, that’s what i am”) — as the TARDIS shrinks smaller and smaller, eventually falling out of view onto the tracks. powerless, energy drained, resorting to siege mode… while clara looms larger and larger, in lockstep with the creatures as they master the third dimension and emerge from the shadows wearing other people’s skin. that’s her, wearing the skin of the doctor.

as the threat starts to get tangible she gets more creative, stops defaulting to “what would he do if he was here”… what would she do? she’s all they’ve got! and comes up with an ingenious plan to rival any of his. “rule one of being the doctor: use the enemy’s power against them”. makes up her own “rule one” because the real rule one out in full force in flatline doesn’t need saying. rule one: clara lies and she does it exceptionally. goodness has nothing to do with it.

in a predominant number of previous episodes featuring clara, the doctor was faced with a narrative foil in the shape of that episode’s enemy, a gothic double of sorts, a funhouse mirror: the t-rex; the half-faced man; the “good dalek”; robin hood; the teller. in s7, albeit in a quite different manner, mr clever.

the crowning glory of flatline, then, is that instead of being another foil for some flaw of twelve’s, this monster-of-the-week is clara’s foil. a parallel for doctor oswald, doctor of lies: that other dimension, growing as the TARDIS shrinks.

p.s. yes, “we” are “still doing” doctor who meta in 2024 because i’m watching it for the first time. deal with it

[thegorydamnreaper]

Darrow vs Lysander - symbolism and favored weapons

Okay this I a bit of analysis that has been turning around in my brain since I finished Light Bringer. There will be major spoilers for all of the books, so read on at your own discretion.

And of course if anyone has points to add please do! This is by no means exhaustive, just a compilation of my main thoughts on the whole thing!

Darrow basically grew up with a weapon in his hand, since he started mining at age thirteen. It becomes part of his identity, an extension of himself. It’s also a symbol of his people, as all Red miners are given one. So as a Red, he already closely identifies with the slingBlade as a weapon, as a cultural symbol, and as a means of protection.

“I wonder what Eo wants of me. Does she want me to take my slingBlade and start a rebellion? I would die. My family would die. She would die, and nothing would make me risk her. She knows that.”

(RR Ch 4)

“This is your slingBlade, son. It will scrape the earth’s veins for you. It will kill pitvipers. Keep it sharp and if you get stuck in the drills, it will save your life for the price of a limb.” So said my uncle.”

(RR part III intro)

Lysander, on the other hand, is trained by his grandmother from childhood to use his mind as his weapon. He is capable of using a razor after spending a decade with Cassius, but his mind was his first weapon. It’s also a callback to the Jackal losing his hand and being mostly unaffected - because all Golds are taught that their mind is their first and greatest weapon.

“He sighs. “I told you. I am something different than you. A hand is a peasant’s tool. A Gold’s tool is his mind. Were you of better breeding, you may have realized this sacrifice means so very little to me”

(RR Ch 41)

“Skipping supper. No wonder you’re a little twig,” Cassius says, pinching my arm. “I daresay you don’t even weigh a hundred ten kilos, my goodman.”

“It’s usable weight,” I protest. “In any matter, I was reading.” He looks at me blankly. “You have your priorities. I have mine, muscly creature. So piss off.”

(IG Ch 8/ Lysander 1)

“My memory is a formidable thing. In many ways it is my grandmother’s great legacy, her teachings preserved in me.”

(IG Ch 8/ Lysander 1)

But the mind isn’t a symbol on its own, there’s no cultural gravitas to it. So to him physical weapons are tools that are an extension of his intellect. In that world view, a gun is the most practical choice of tool. Firearms are the great equalizer - you can be smaller, weaker, less trained than your opponent and there’s still a VERY good chance that you will win any fight.

This leads into another similar understanding that he and Darrow share: their rise must be meteoric. Darrow accomplishes this the hard way, through pain and training and failures. He builds himself as a symbol because he knows that’s the only way to start the chain reaction of bringing Gold down. He is a symbol, and so are his tools. The slingBlade becomes a symbols of liberation when once (as just a razor) it was a tool of the enemy.

Lysander? He cuts corners, because the tools don’t matter only the endgame does. He’s not trying to build something new, or inspire his followers to fight for something they never thought possible. He is fighting to reestablish the status quo as swiftly as he can. He doesn’t need to fight from the ground up to become a symbol - as a Lune, he already is a living breathing symbol of Gold, and that’s enough.

“Dancer would want me to accept the offer. It would guarantee my survival. Guarantee my meteoric rise. I would be inside the halls of the ArchGovernor’s mansion. I would be near the man who killed Eo. Oh, I want to accept. But then I would have to let the Proctors beat me. I’d have to let this little whorefart win and let his father smile and feel pride. I’d have to watch that smug smile spread across his bloodydamn face. Slag that. They’ll feel pain.”

(RR Ch 41)

“He sneers at the gun. “No honor.”

“No time.”

I shoot Alexandar in the head”

(DA Ch 81)

He studies those who came before him, flipping their symbols and methods against them instead of doing anything new. He quotes poems like Roque, uses Darrow’s Morningstar as his flagship, claims to be honorable like Cassius - but it’s hollow because these aren’t his achievements. He doesn’t subvert the paradigm like Darrow does constantly, he just borrows and steals to get his way.

Darrow sees himself as the sword of his people, but he’s more than that because he put in the work to be more. He questions if he’s a good man, but the we see the weight his decisions have on him. But because he built himself up, he has a community that loves him, friends and family that are truly loyal and will check his worst impulses. He is the symbol, but he’s anchored by those he represent. It’s real and has meaning because of all the sacrifices he has had to make.

Lysander can’t even unite the Golds because he is built upon lies. His parents and their deaths, a lie. His grandmother’s teachings, all lies and propaganda. The Golden lies of the Society he so desperately wants to restore. He is built upon lies and hollow promises, of course he collapses into Gold dogma at the first sign of pressure. He has no idea what he’s doing, but he’s sacrificing everything and everyone to prop up this dying system, because that’s where he feels safe. He has no symbols to look up to, no culture to give him strength and community. Anything that could have grounded him is gone (often because of his own actions). Pytha and Cassius were his only family left and he rejected them and their teachings. More than ever before there’s nothing holding him back. He has his mind and it is telling him the only way to be safe is to double down and become the worst of Gold.

[manglednatalia]

I'm scared to ask but

Are Thistle and Marcille foils?

[youhavethesun]

I love love love reflections in swords. love them. like you are my enemy and I am here to destroy you but also you are my mirror image and my narrative foil. your pain is my pain and we are each other. to destroy you is to destroy a part of myself. your anguish depicted in my blade parallels my horror at being the one to end your life. in life and in death we are two sides of the same coin.. just reflections in swords !

[macabresque]

ron is james, harry is sirius, and hermione is lily

both ron and james are loud quidditch nerds

harry and sirius run away from their abusive households to their best friend's house

lily and hermione are both underestimated witches and constantly dealing with the other two's tomfoolery

i'm fairly certain this has been said before but i'm reiterating it because it's true

[shaylogic]

Thinking about how Crystal's wearing a brown jacket because she's wrapped up in concern about David

Monty's wearing a blue jacket because he's wrapped up in concern about Edwin

Crystal's jacket has a burgundy hem with two yellow stripes, like burgundy polo Charles' collar (conflation of Charles and the demon ; reference to character dynamics of Crystal, Charles, David battle in the forest scene)

Monty's got a scarf that is seemingly just red as that's what's always showing, indicating Charles as a barrier

Just realized that the scarf looks like it's actually red on one side, blue on the other, referencing Edwin & Charles' inextricable connection--THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHICH WEIGHS HEAVY AROUND MONTY'S THROAT

I maintain that The Case of the Creeping Forest is a Monty and Crystal parallel arc episode

[212thghost]

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Maul: Perfect Character Foils, In My Opinion

buckle your seat belts this is gonna be a long ass yapfest.

To clarify, this is not a ship post.

for starters, a foil in media is a character that contrasts with another character. these characters are used to highlight the qualities of one or both character. a foil is, generally, an opposite.

Obi-Wan:

this might be controversial to say, but Obi-Wan is the best Jedi. by no means, am I saying that he is the strongest Jedi (though in my opinion he's up there), nor am I saying he is the ideal Jedi. when it comes to the adherence to the Jedi Code and Jedi morals, Obi-Wan excels in a way that others simply do not. He is not without flaws, but his qualities outweigh them.

-> for the sake of my sanity: Love ≠ Attachment -> The issue "Kanan 7" of the canon comic series Star Wars: Kanan offers a differing version of the Jedi Code which I will be using in this analysis as canon, mainly because I prefer it and view it as the more canon of the two. This Code states: "Emotion, yet Peace. Ignorance, yet Knowledge. Passion, yet Serenity. Chaos, yet Harmony. Death, yet the Force."

Emotion, yet Peace: Obi-Wan is not emotionless, he does not allow his emotions to rule him. It is something he had to work at, as seen in the comparison in how he wins Duel of the Fates, in which he uses his anger and despair to defeat Maul, and when he encounters Maul on Mandalore. When he reencounters Maul on Mandalore and Maul kills Satine, he does not lash out and recklessly attack Maul. He allows himself to feel the pain of losing Satine as he holds her as she dies, then is able to regain his sense of Peace and escape Mandalore. As seen in season 7, Satine's death still hurts, but he does not allow that pain to control his choices.

Ignorance, yet Knowledge: This goes without saying, but Obi-Wan is incredibly smart and wise. Though, he knows there is always more to learn. This is what makes him such a skilled duelist. Obi-Wan was not a naturally profoundly skilled fighter, but always kept training and learning and this is what caused him to be the powerful fighter we see in ROTS.

Passion, yet Serenity: The best example of this I believe is Obi-Wan's mental state on Tatooine during the Kenobi series. In the beginning of the series, the Obi-Wan we see is broken, drowning in his despair. By the end of the series, Obi-Wan has reconnected with the Force. Throughout the show, he was about to heal from (some) of the intense pain, guilt, and sadness that came from Anakin's Fall and was absolved of his guilt through Vader's words in the finale. He was able to see Qui-Gon once again through the serenity he found.

Chaos, yet Harmony: Despite the chaos that was the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan did not falter in his core morals and values. Though he became more skeptical of the the Council, he held fast in the morals that the Jedi should represent.

Death, yet the Force: Obi-Wan allows Vader to strike him down and become a Force Ghost. He does not fear death, he trusts in the Force.

Attachment: The best example is Obi-Wan defeating Anakin on Mustafar. Despite his love for his brother and best friend, Obi-Wan was able to strike down Anakin for the chance that the Republic would be saved. He loved him, but he was not willing to sacrifice the galaxy. This is most comparable to Anakin joining Palpatine to save Padme--his love had become possessive, even saying "I can't live without her"--and caused the fall of the Republic and genocide of the Jedi (not bashing on Anakin, i love him, but Anakin Critical). Similarly, Obi-Wan loved Satine and would have left the Order to be with her, but was able to let her go when she chose her duty as Duchess.

This code, as well as the Jedi's focus on conquering the inner Dark, is the baseline for Obi-Wan's character. He is kind and compassionate for all living things.

There are many, many, instances in Obi-Wan's life where he could have and even probably should have Fallen to the Dark Side. Yet he never does. He is tempted, but does not give in. This is best summed up by this quote:

"I think the real tragedy of Obi-Wan was that he deserved better. He played by the rules, he always strived to be better, to be kinder, to be wiser and he never let his friends down. And he lost everything he ever loved anyway. The greatest Jedi who ever lived, the man who sacrificed all that he had, all for a reward of nothing." -Eddie Curtis

Maul:

In perfect contrast to Obi-Wan, I think Maul is the perfect Clone Wars era Sith. Again, I don't think Maul is the strongest Sith, but in relation to the Sith philosophy, he's perfect.

The Sith Code: "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."

Passion, strength: Maul, in true Sith fashion, used his emotion to gain strength. His hatred for Obi-Wan kept him alive in junk pits for ~17ish years and allowed him to frankly beat the shit out of Obi-Wan in the Clone Wars episode Revenge (s4 ep22).

Strength, power: This one is self-explanatory, but is best shown by how Maul uses his strength to defeat Pre Viszla in the duel for the Darksaber. This duel and use of his strength allowed him to rule Mandalore for a brief period of time.

Power, victory: Using his power as ruler of Mandalore, Maul was able to lure Obi-Wan to Mandalore where he killed Satine, thus winning a victory over him. While he ultimately did not defeat Sideous, which was his overarching plan, he did not stop in his quest for victory over Obi-Wan.

Victory, freedom: Maul believed that killing Obi-Wan and enacting his revenge would satisfy him and became his purpose. He was consumed by his desire for victory.

Maul was ruled by his emotions, particularly his anger. Despite this, he was cold and calculating. Maul craved power and victory, and often had rage-fueled outbursts at the mere mention of Obi-Wan. -> While Sidious is the most successful Sith, Maul's raw rage and uncontrollable passion are what makes him a more perfect example of the Sith philosophy. Sidious has a strong control over his emotions while the Sith Code preaches unbridled emotion.

Foils:

Where Obi-Wan is the perfect Jedi, Maul is the perfect Sith.

These characters are inherently intertwined, as their first interaction causes a domino effect that makes them the people they become. If Maul was never cut in half by Obi-Wan, he likely would have been murdered by Sidious or a new apprentice (such as Dooku) when he was no longer useful to Sidious's plans. If Maul never killed Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan would not have trained Anakin and become the person we know him as. If you enjoy Legends, it is even possible Obi-Wan would never have been knighted, as Qui-Gon was willing to repudiate him to train Anakin. Both Obi-Wan and Maul were apprentices of a higher power, the Jedi and Sith respectively, and were tools in Sidious's plan. In the Duel of the Fates, they fight over Anakin's fate, with Maul both winning and losing. Both Obi-Wan and Maul are unaware of their impact on the galaxy, but their actions here change everything, including each other.

Their characters cannot exist without the other.

Where Obi-Wan is ruled by a serene mind, Maul is ruled by his emotions. Where Obi-Wan is kind, Maul is equally cruel. Where Obi-Wan loves, Maul hates. They are complete opposites of each other and only highlight the other's personality traits with each interactions. Everything one of them does, the other will inherently do the opposite.

Maul, in a sense, is a symbol of the Dark itself and Obi-Wan is the Light. Neither ever waver from their respective sides. (Mortis fans please don't attack me).

My favorite example of their mirroring is The Duel of the Twin Suns in the Rebels episode Twin Suns (s3 ep20). It is best explained by Sam Witwer, here.

This duel begins with Obi-Wan and Maul's typical opening stances, with Obi-Wan using Soresu and Maul activates both sides of his lightsaber. After a moment, Obi-Wan switches to the Ataru opening stance once used by Qui-Gon, knowing that Maul would attempt to kill him in the same way he killed Qui-Gon. He was correct. Obi-Wan has played that duel on Naboo over and over in his mind and Maul was so set in his ways that he fell right into the trap. Obi-Wan defeats Maul in about three moves when Maul attempted to hit him with the hilt of his saber like he did with Qui-Gon.

What stands out the most to me about this battle, is that Obi-Wan catches Maul and shows him compassion, going as far to close his eyes and even bury his body. Despite the fact Maul killed Qui-Gon, Satine, and was attempting to murder and humiliate him, Obi-Wan is kind to him in his final moments. In this moment, Obi-Wan is compassionate as Jedi should be and Maul was vengeful as Sith should be. They are, in a sense, the Twin Suns. Their characters are narrative twins, so opposite that they become similar.

TLDR:

Maul and Obi-Wan's actions shaped each other into the characters we know them to be starting with the Duel of the Fates.

[little-miss-sad-eyes]

CORIOLANUS AND LUCY GRAY ARE THE REVERSED BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

I know this sounds crazy but hear me out.

In the original tale, the Beast keeps his roses hidden, and wants no one to touch them. The tale starts with the Beauty asking her father for the purest rose he can find as a gift from his travels. She could have asked for anything, trasures, money, jewelry, but she only asks for a single rose.

In this story, roses simbolize the human side of the Beast, that wants to remain isolated and never be close to someone again after being cursed. The Beast shows only the monster, hides the human. Similarly, the Beauty asked for something kind and sweet as a gift, for the simplest act of love and humanness.

Now, let's get back to the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

The first thing Coriolanus does when he meets Lucy Gray is gifting her a rose, and the first thing she does is EATING it.

Coriolanus doesn't hide his human side for selfish motivations (gain her trust), using the rose to cover his monstrous and wicked one. Lucy Gray didn't ask for a rose, she didn't want or expext it, and when it's offered to her she eats it, consuming it like an animal would. He acts like a human and she acts like a monster, but the truth is the opposite.

They both act like this because they're performers. All the story is just a long performance that breaks in this two points. Coriolanus shows the human because he's the Beast. Lucy shows the monster because she's the Beauty.

[aucris]

We're not so different, little mouse. You were raised in sunlight, loved by all, and I was raised by beasts in the dark, but our hearts know the same rhythm, and our blood is of the same colour. In another life, you could have been my mirror - showing me what I could have been - but I was taught to use shards as a weapon.