#Impressive Path

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

An unbothered queen has entered, and subsequently left.

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[tratatdragonlord]

Joker can be scary when he's protecting a certain someone (named goro akechi)

Aka my part of the collab I did on twitter for day two of AkeShuAke fluff week!

Here’s the fic!

[silksongeveryday]

Drawing Hornet everyday until Silksong comes out - Day 361

results of the poll, purple paint!

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

Wei Wuxian and Narrative Agency – Part Three

For Xiantober Day Five: Past and Present, in which the author gets very unhinged about what parts of the past are shown and how that’s affected by the present!

(Part One | Part Two | Full version on AO3)

The Power of Agency: Shaping the Narrative

When I've discussed Wei Wuxian's agency previously, I’ve talked about how what’s shown and omitted tells us about a character, and we’ve talked about the character himself. Though this is a niche topic, it’s not necessarily something out of the ordinary to analyse, and we can assume everything up to here has been in some way intentional.

This? Linking structure to a character’s in-universe preferences?

This is where we get unhinged.

Before I start, let’s quickly establish something which will be important later: although Wei Wuxian is the central character, MDZS isn’t strictly from his POV. While omitting events a character doesn’t like to dwell on and concealing things the character wishes to hide is common in books with only one narrator, MDZS has multiple narrators which it switches between relatively quickly. This includes Wei Wuxian, but it also includes nearly every major character that appears in the story, and omniscient narrator as well. As a default, this format doesn’t lead to this deliberate shaping and omission because of one character’s preferences, since we have many other sources of information and events – which is what makes Wei Wuxian’s influence over the narrative and structure so interesting. We could have access to a lot more information, and access to it at different times, than we do (and that’s not an insult, quite the opposite!).

To begin: we’ve established that times such as Wei Wuxian’s time on the streets, his three months in the Burial Mounds and his loss in the Siege aren’t shown because Wei Wuxian has little agency there. But that’s not the only special thing about them. They’re also the three most traumatic times in his life, and so moments Wei Wuxian himself either can’t remember, or doesn’t like to dwell on.

This is why discussing Wei Wuxian’s treatment of tragedy in his life was important. Firstly, it shows he doesn’t focus on the tragedy in his life, so the idea that the narrative not focusing on this tragedy relates to his character has merit; secondly, it affirms that this is not a passive trait, but a choice. Therefore, when the narrative omits events due to this aspect of Wei Wuxian, it’s respecting not only a character detail – which would be cool by itself – but also an active decision. One that shapes the story it’s made in.

In other words, its very structure is respecting Wei Wuxian’s agency!

Now, of course there are flashbacks to other moments of his past he probably wouldn’t like to dwell on, too. But within the structure, they’re only shown when Wei Wuxian is thinking about them (or when he has reason to)!

Wei WuXian hadn’t woken up yet. His eyes were still tightly shut, yet his hand didn’t let go either. He seemed to be dreaming, muttering, “… Don’t… Don’t be angry…” Lan WangJi seemed somewhat surprised. His voice was gentle, “I am not angry.” Wei WuXian, “… Oh.” Hearing this, as though he finally felt assured, his fingers loosened. Lan WangJi sat beside Wei WuXian for a while. Seeing that he was motionless again, he was about to stand up when Wei WuXian grabbed him with his other hand, hugging his arm and refusing to let go. He shouted, “I’ll go with you, quick, take me back to your sect!” Chapter 63, EXR translation

Which, of course, is him dwelling on…

Lan WangJi spoke one word at a time, “Go back to Gusu with me.” Hearing this, both Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng were surprised. Quickly afterward, Wei WuXian laughed, “Go back to Gusu with you? To the Cloud Recesses? Why go there?” He immediately seemed to realize, “Oh. I forgot. Your uncle Lan QiRen hates crooked people like me. You’re his proudest disciple, so of course you’re the same as him, haha. I refuse.” Chapter 62, EXR translation

…the painful flashback immediately preceding this. The third set of flashbacks (which are also painful) are a similar case. Look at the contex:

He lifted the bottom of his robe, revealing a prosthetic leg made of wood, “This leg of mine was destroyed by you, that night in the Nightless City (…)” (…) “Wei WuXian, I won’t ask you if you remember or not. Both of my parents died by your hands. You owe too many people. You definitely won’t remember them either. But, I, Fang MengChen, will never forget! And never forgive you!” (…) “In the fight at Qiongqi Path, my son was strangled to death by your dog Wen Ning!” “My shixiong died by poison, his entire body festering due to your cruel curse!” Chapter 68 (immediately preceding the flashbacks), EXR translation

And Wei Wuxian’s own thoughts and words:

Wei WuXian looked at the cultivators before the Demon-Slaughtering Cave. Their expressions were the absolute same as those of the cultivators from the night of the pledge conference, pouring their wine on the ground as they took the pledge to scatter the ashes of the Wen Sect’s remnants and him.  (…) Wei WuXian, “Now it’s time to ask just whom it is that treasures it so much. It’s like Wen Ning. Back then, some certain sects or so were scared to death of the Ghost General. They said they’d kill him on the surface, but behind their backs they hid him for over ten years. How strange. Who was the one that said his ashes had been scattered back then?” Chapter 79 (immediately succeeding the flashbacks), EXR translation 

Once again, Wei Wuxian’s own thoughts relate to the flashbacks we’ve just been shown. And, as I previously mentioned, though all the events which are shown are tragic, they’re also events which Wei Wuxian’s own choices and actions shaped – which he has this to say about:

“The things I did, not only do you remember them, I remember them too. You won’t forget them, and they’ll stay even longer in my mind!” Chapter 82, EXR

Admittedly, this applies more to the third set of flashbacks than the second (which is still fitting as the third set was the most recent), as in the second, although he still had agency within and influence over his circumstances, the majority of the pain was caused by others’ actions (excluding, of course, the Golden Core transfer… which is something we know stays for a long time in his mind, albeit with a caveat we’ll soon discuss). But it’s still important to note – especially considering that otherwise, focusing on this very painful time in his life wouldn’t seem like something very in-character for Wei Wuxian to do.

Of course, this can all just be explained by good writing. It is best to insert flashbacks when they’re relevant to the characters and events in the present day! But it is interesting to compare these to the start of the (not painful) Gusu flashbacks, which open this way:

At a later time, Wei WuXian pondered upon the reason why his relationship with Lan WangJi wasn’t good. Getting to the root of the matter, everything started when he was fifteen, coming to the GusuLan Sect with Jiang Cheng to study for three months. Chapter 13, EXR

Again, considering the circumstances around which these flashbacks take place – returning to the Cloud Recesses for the first time since the lectures, and meeting Lan Wangji once more – it makes complete sense for Wei Wuxian to be thinking about these events*. So it does fit the pattern of Wei Wuxian dwelling on something, thus leading to the narrative dwelling on it, too (and being shaped by his thoughts)… but there’s another layer to this. Importantly, it is the only flashback where Wei Wuxian’s present thoughts don’t lead to this happening, with his thoughts at an unspecified future time leading to it, instead. I like to interpret this as the text saying that, since these events aren’t something Wei Wuxian wouldn’t focus on in normal circumstances, he can dwell on them at any time. Therefore, they’re free to come up in the narrative at any time as well, even if he’s not dwelling on them in the present moment!

So, to summarise: Wei Wuxian’s decision not to focus on the painful times in his life directly influences the narrative to not focus on these times. When painful times are brought up and shown to us, it’s in the context of him thinking about them in the present day, and even then, his most painful moments still aren’t shown to us. His agency in this regard is still respected by the narrative structure.

This is the main way his agency influences the structure of the narrative, but I’d like to talk about the revealing and concealing of information, too. For example, I said I’d talk about the Golden Core transfer – though Wei Wuxian does think about this many times, as evidenced by his internal narration in Chapter 103. But unlike everything we’re shown through the flashbacks, this is something Wei Wuxian is actively trying to hide from others. And the narrative respects this choice (Wei Wuxian’s agency, again), never reveals it even when it would be relevant in the flashbacks, and we find out not through narration, but through a character’s dialogue!

And to clarify – I know these aspects may not be in the book for this exact reason. Showing flashbacks in relevant moments is good writing, concealing an important plot point you want to do a reveal for is necessary writing, and MXTX has said she didn’t want to write about Wei Wuxian’s time in the Burial Mounds, due to not liking to write transformation sequences (and also because it would not be pleasant at all, which likely also applies to Wei Wuxian’s death). That doesn’t prevent it from also being intentional – MXTX’s intelligence is shown in many aspects of this book, and there’s nothing disproving it – but there’s no proof for either option, so I won’t pretend there is. I bring this up because I know this feels like I’m overanalysing, as I feel that way as well.

But, whether it’s intentional or not, it exists in the text, and I adore it – so, regardless, it’s something I’ll explore. Because taking this into account… We aren't just told about Wei Wuxian having agency, we aren’t just shown it in the text, we aren’t even just shown it through which parts of his past are shown and hidden in the structure of the text (as I talked about in Part One). The parts of the past that are shown and hidden also have an in-universe reason for being shown and hidden, this reason being the choices he makes! Agency is the ability of a character to influence the story they’re in, but Wei Wuxian’s agency, as a property of a character who only exists in-universe, shapes the out-of-universe structure as well! That’s how we’re shown its importance! How cool is that?

At The End Of The Road: Summary and Final Thoughts

In this essay, we’ve covered how important Wei Wuxian’s agency is not only to the events of the plot, but to the structure of the narrative as well. The narrative omits periods in which Wei Wuxian has little or no agency, in favour of showing us periods in which he does, even when important events happened in the former. This indicates that who Wei Wuxian is without agency isn’t important enough to be shown to the audience, and therefore that his agency is an integral aspect of his character in MDZS. We’ve discussed how both in-universe and out-of-universe, tragedy does not define him – out-of-universe, the tragic events in Wei Wuxian’s life are used not to build sympathy but rather to show his strength of character and who he still is despite going through them; and in-universe, he chooses not to focus on the negativity and resentment caused by his circumstances or others’ actions, instead staying true to his moral compass and enjoying his life in the present day. Finally, we’ve also explored how this choice is another reason for the omission of certain events from the narrative, resulting in his agency shaping the story in a very literal way – it affects the out-of-universe structure, as well.

It’s quite fitting, for a story whose essence is about defying a conventional narrative – that of righteous clans rising up and defeating a great evil – and about a character who defies many conventional narratives on his own – that of status defining how skilled you could be, that for a golden core being necessary for cultivation and other paths being unavailable, that of a tragic but complete story of someone killed for staying true to their moral code (instead, that character returns to life and has a happy ending) – to have its own narrative play a role in such an important and interesting way.

(Or, if an image would be preferable:)

Thank you for reading!

(Part One | Part Two | Full version on AO3)

--

*This strong relation to the present day circumstances is another reason I love the flashback placement so much (and why I think it’s such a loss both screen adaptions altered it so strongly)! 

[charmwitch]

Stefan and Ike training.

(Path of Radiance, A-Rank Soren, B-Rank Stefan for Soren, Near End-Game)

More under cut.

[honorhearted]

@awynter continued from (x)

Perhaps his efforts at gallantry were unwise. Here in M.ayfair, Benjamin mostly kept his head down and didn't bother interjecting himself into any social circles, but upon seeing the young woman unaccompanied...well...he'd foolishly felt the need to intervene. And judging by the borderline scorn on her face, he had chosen unwisely.

"I appreciate your manners, sir, but think you are mistaken." There was a hint of sarcasm to her words, clipped and pointed.

Her sarcasm, unfortunately, caused a need in Benjamin to unearth some of his own.

"I'm sorry, uh...when you say 'I think you are mistaken,' does that mean you genuinely do not know, or are you being assertive with contradictory verbiage?" He arched a brow, the expression a touch challenging.

Well...so much for manners.

Mercifully, the woman didn't appear too indignant by his misstep, and with a shake of her head, she admonished, "I'm quite capable of walking on my own."

Benjamin pretended to appraise her from head-to-foot. "Although I can't tell for certain, I do imagine you have a pair of legs underneath those skirts...so yes. I imagine you are 'capable of walking on your own.' You just seem a little lost, is all. And in my experience, menfolk enjoy preying upon the unattended in this part of town." With a sheepish little smile, he added, "Hopefully you won't consider this a 'case and point' scenario."

[circus-k]

they stopped the mississippi purchase together dan and swampy told me so. besties who hate eachother

[seirindono]

[sound on]

Grillby’s counter, ep4

Grillby, the sole fire Monster living in Snowdin.

How did he end up here? Some say that, unlike his fellow elementals, he prefers the cold. Others claim he inherited a bar and just moved in one day, or that he's always been here.

(Next week's surprise guest will depend on the result of the poll!)

[Update once a week on Monday, polls close on Thursday.].

Prev| Next

[arcsin27]

On my hands and knees please please please have Amy be shadows classic stage counterpart

[slia-h]

Come back guys! The music needs you, the stage needs you, the audience needs you…

I need you.

[mixelation]

I think the book club sub plot should just be Tori attempting a series of increasingly complicated social manipulations on the members and failing. Her biggest obstacles are minakushi are too nice and supportive.

see i like this but ALSO tori has to succeed sometimes. potential rules:

tori can get anyone to show up to book club at least once. this can be pushed to absolutely absurd limits, like bringing the shinigami or orochimaru or edo tensei!characters

tori can pre-empt and prevent fights, and also convince characters to accept whoever happens to be at book club that day

she can't convince anyone to quit. some might quit because book club is insane..... but she can't do it on purpose

she doesn't have control over people's opinions/inter-personal relationships beyond getting them to participate in the book club. i.e., she can moderate an argument but she can't get those people to get along

no one likes tori's writing or story ideas. even the good ones

[megpricephotography]

Stormy summer skies...

Flynn turning back towards home, before we got rained on (again!).

[tortillas]

congratulations on canute and thorfinn who somehow managed to be foils, two sides of the same coin, men with the same dream yet diametrically opposed paths to reach it, whose sense of self was fundamentally shaped by the horrors of war and came out the other side changed and somehow they still managed to have absolutely ZERO romantic chemistry. don't think they're even like. actual friends. love does NOT win ♥️

[wwerasliin-sideblog]

Are they really changing though, and is it enough? —

["I'm not an older brother...""I'm not a Wiseman...""....I'm the 'Tribal Chief'. And that means I take what's mine." —for 4 years taking what's *ours*— "We had it all. [...] everybody feared us....""...I don't like being out of control."]

—This right here pretty much sums it up. Roman doesn't understand, what it is to be anything or anyone other than who he's been, the last 4 years.

We get to see a little more into the inner workings of what drives Roman. What he's not, what he is, what he used to be and what he still wants to be. - He doesn't like that things have changed, that things are different now. He's not in control.

It's going to be hard to break from who he's molded himself into, who he's been for the past 4 years. The success he's had, being the way he is, running things the way he has.. Why would he want to change that? When like he said, it's brought him all the money, power, and respect.

The only question now is, if he doesn't understand what it's like to be different, or why he needs to be different... How's he going to choose better or different, and what's he going to choose? Is he going to change, and does he want to change, how's he going to change? How is he going to become who he wants to be? WHO does he want to be, and what kind of person is that going to be?

It's very simple, Roman might (seems to) be a moving away from his heelish persona now, but he's still got a long way to go. He's still very conflicted, and frankly I don't think he's ever going to fully let go of the core essence; of what built him, shaped him, and made him into being the transcendent and unassailable 'Tribal Chief' that he was is.

He's going to have to start somewhere though—Acknowledging his past, what he's done, done to the people around him, especially the ones closest to him, the ones he's meant to "love". A show of some kind of remorse, a genuine apology. The fact that it's Jimmy that seems to be nudging him down this path...

As I mentioned in my previous post, Jimmy - [compassionate to a point, rightness and integrity, even a bit of kindness, sneaking out; the voice of reason - acting as Roman's conscience. Making Roman a little less evil (at least for now) in this instance.]

I like how Jimmy ends up telling Roman the hard truths - about them NOT being the Ones anymore, that they need HELP (help we surmised was Jey, even before Jimmy showed up at RAW this week - which honestly deserves a whole post on its own), YET, he's in the same breath, explicitly stating that he came back for Roman, that Roman is and always will be his '*Tribal chief*', the only one who's still on his side, the only one in the family that still acknowledges him.

You can see Roman really thinking about the words Jimmy has just thrown at him, clearly contemplating them as he watches Jimmy walk away. The look he's giving Jimmy, it's hard to tell if it's because of the blatantly truthful and factual words of reality he was forced to hear or if it's the fact that Jimmy has just called him out in front of everyone, or, if it's Jimmy walking away from him. More likely, a combination.

We can still see and feel Roman's struggle, to be himself, the *tribal chief* who only takes and takes, the one in power, the one in control, the one who's only ever cares about himself, being on top. Or, to stop Jimmy from walking away, to go after him. — in the end his pride chooses for him - to let Jimmy go.

But, there's a slight ray of sunshine, when Roman eventually comes to backup Jimmy, it's a little late but I guess that's the struggle he has to deal with, the choice he had to make... And, in a way he's answering Jimmy, he's responding to him, reaching out; this time he's come for Jimmy, this time he's acknowledging Jimmy as part of his "tribe".

— On the other hand, I still see glimpses of them seeming to be the very same underneath it all.

Roman acknowledges Jimmy only to a point and Jimmy just takes what he gets. A couple of examples:

- inturrupting Jimmy (his first time back, addressing the crowd) just when he's about to focus the spotlight on himself and Solo, "Solo I plan on kicking your as—", — Roman makes his grand entrance right then, and now all eyes are focused on him. But, he masks it, he masks the inturruption by "sharing" some of the spotlight with Jimmy (acknowledging 'Big Jim') but then immediately turns it back all on himself again. And Jimmy just let's him, because he got some, little bit of acknowledgement from Roman. Forgetting why he was there in the first place - to talk about himself and his brother Solo.

- Roman is still unable to hand over the mic, he gives Jimmy just enough though, to keep him satisfied and by his side - a low-five instead. It's a gesture significant big enough for Jimmy to feel validated and small for Roman to still feel in control, keeping them both satisfied for now. Jimmy's content with the little he gets from Roman, this is enough for him, it's enough for now, just like it always has been. And Roman knows that..