#literature insights

[screamingeyepress]

Ever felt the pull of a shadowy city street? Noir fiction wraps readers in mystery and moral complexity. Check out this piece to learn why these tales still captivate:

Unmasking the Secrets of Noir and Hardboiled Fiction

By Lothar Tuppan

It’s Noirvember! Time to enjoy all things Film Noir, Roman Noir, Chocolat Noir, and Pinot Noir. Silly as that last sentence was, it does make plain that the French word “noir” just translates into English as “black.” So what exactly is “noir” in relation to cinematic (“Film Noir”) and literary (“Roman Noir”) fiction? What is its relationship with the, often associated, term “Hardboiled,” and what is its connections and relationship to Existentialism, Nihilism, and Philosophical Pessimism? This short essay is just a very brief introduction to a, surprisingly, complex topic. Whole books have been written on the subject (see bibliography below for some examples) and I encourage those who find the topic as fascinating as I do to pick them up.

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Oh dear, I just made myself a little 😟❤️‍🩹

I've been watchingThe Return of the King, and it finally occurred to me just why Tolkien numbered the Hobbits in the Fellowship at four. He was saving his own friends; the three who went to WW I with him, but never returned home. Oh my heart!

Not only that, but JRR is Frodo. Returning to the Shire, changed to his core. His dangerous service saved the most beautiful place in his world--Home--but Frodo could never feel at peace. But for Tolkien, at least, he found that as a husband & father, and in the work of a brilliant storyteller.

[thepersonalquotes]

Sometimes a step back or away from an idea, task or project brings even more perspective, insight and clarity.

Rasheed Ogunlaru

[llyfrenfys]

See, I personally find this quest to find pagan/pre-Christian elements in Welsh/Irish literature quite unnerving - I don't know about anyone else.

There's something to be said about genuinely discovering pre-Christian elements in a narrative or story and that being where evidence and study has led you. But I see some people on this fruitless quest to find pagan elements in very Christian texts and sometimes it feels like if no pagan elements can be found, people start making stuff up out of whole cloth - and that can be very dangerous for already not-well known texts in minoritised languages!

There's already so much misinformation out there about Irish/Welsh texts and literature in general - so it hurts to see people carelessly adding to the misinformation either out of ignorance or lack of respect for the source material.

I promise you the source material being Christian doesn't ruin it - you can in fact, enjoy these myths without making them into something they're not!

[oscyrich]

“It has been said that silence is strength; in a quite different sense it is a terrible strength in the hands of those who are loved. It increases the anxiety of the one who waits. Nothing so tempts us to approach another person as what is keeping us apart; and what barrier is so insurmountable as silence? It has been said also that silence is torture, capable of goading to madness the man who is condemned to it in a prison cell. But what an even greater torture than that of having to keep silence it is to have to endure the silence of the person one loves!”

— Marcel Proust, The Guermante’s Way

• Welcome to The Oscy Rich Lounge •

[thepersonalwords]

Be determined.You can make it in life.You can make all your dreams come true.

Lailah Gifty Akita

[grassoftunnel]

Extremely topical podcast episode for Umineko fans!

Basically goes into the history and development of mystery and crime fiction in Japan from its beginnings in the 1800s to now, and in particular the revival of logic-based classic detective stories that happened in the 90s and 00s which was probably an enormous influence on Umineko as a work! All without spoilers too! Lots of really interesting works are mentioned that are probably spiritual predecessors on the mystery trick front to Umineko (based on their descriptions I can’t attest to them personally having not read any yet, but many, in particular are really strikingly reminiscent of umineko’s mystery tricks ).

[imagineitdearies]

Deep-Dive into Perfect Slaughter: The Moon

There are a lot of big themes in this trilogy of a fic that are loud and proud, like fate, hope, trust, pixie dust, and love.

But a couple of you requested a while back to know about some of the nods, references, and literary devices from the fic that maybe weren't so plain to the eye. I tried at first making a list--but the very first bullet got so long, I think I have to accept that most of these will need their own post 😂

So, without further ado, here's a little deep dive into one of the big motifs throughout Perfect Slaughter: the moon!

While this story has little to do with the gods--except maybe to show how often they don't show up for people in Faerun unless they need something--the moon throughout Tyrus's story represents many things outside of its connotations to Selûne. In ch1 we learn he comes from Reithwin, a town of people who all worship the moon goddess, so on a basic level the moon acts as a beacon home for him throughout the story, a reminder to the reader of his past even once he's forgotten--and a tiny bit of foreshadowing, that he will return to it one day.

On a deeper level, I'd say the moon is a representation of Cynda and Tyrus's bond with her, a comfort he turns to subconsciously throughout the story. For instance--in ch15, as I'm sure many of you recall, he prays to Selûne first, because "the moon was a celestial light that hadn’t shunned him since the Turning." While that does him little good, this small line was a subtle promise to Tyrus/the reader that Cynda would not shun him or love him less when she does eventually learn of his vampirism.

Tyrus also makes a promise while looking up at the moon that he would "free Astarion, no matter what" (ch11), a very important oath he holds onto for the rest of the story. And when he's about to face what he thinks is his death, "Tyrus swallowed hard, whispered the moon a short 'Goodbye,' and allowed Astarion to lead him back into the shadows" in ch35. On some subconscious level, saying a permanent goodbye to his sister and the chance of returning home as well.

(In that same scene: "they watched the moon set on the final night before the feast, Selune’s tears glinting off the early traces of dawn with an extra winking glow" -- Tyrus’s subconscious thinking that Cynda will truly have to mourn/cry for him now)

The moon's cycle was also used to indicate how much he remembers Cynda throughout the story. It's full and brilliant when he first crawls out of his grave as a newly born vampire in ch3, when his memories are still accessible. It's a "vivid crescent" after he's finally allowed outside in ch11, when he's mostly forgotten her. And it is a setting moon and has a "faded face" in ch35, when she's lost entirely to his conscious mind and he thinks he's about to die. But, like the celestial body itself, Cynda was never truly gone even when he couldn't see/remember her. In ch40, "a full moon rising from the east" as they enter the druid-harper camp foretells that the two siblings are about to reunite at last 🩵

Add on top of all that the fact she literally becomes a Selûnite cleric during this time apart . . . it's really not so subtle, when you think about it 😂

There is another much subtler moon motif, though! This was far less intentional on my part than everything above, but my mind was blown after I noted the parallels between Tyrus's character arc and this moon rabbit myth halfway through writing, and the amount of rabbits planned in my story multiplied...like rabbits! (More on animal metaphors in a future post maybe 😉)

With this idea of the selfless moon rabbit in mind, one can argue at its deepest level the moon metaphor in Perfect Slaughter isn't just about Tyrus's sister, but a reminder of his own kind, loving soul that is still in him despite all the pain and betrayal that has twisted him.

Getting even further into the weeds--if you subscribe to the "Astarion is a moon elf" headcanon, and remember how Tyrus's love for Astarion is highlighted in both Tystar moon scenes in part 3 (ch26 and 35 specifically), one could argue that Tyrus's heart is the moon, and so comes to represent his love for not only Cynda but Astarion as well, which is what saves all of them--a heart, the true place 'home' resides in 🥰

Alright, that's enough from me! Let me know if you have questions or noted other moon motifs/metaphors! I hope you all enjoyed 🩵

[quotelr]

Ask for the godly way,travel its path.

Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!

[intothestacks]

Hey Jumblr, I require your assistance

In an effort to be more inclusive and to combat the oversaturation of Christmas at the elementary school I work at, I try to include Hannukkah stories during storytime (I'm a school librarian).

However, as we don't have too many Jewish students, I usually have to quickly explain the holiday and its related vocab when I read one of these books.

I was wondering if you could read my explanations for some of the terms and check for accuracy & potentially suggest a better way of explaining these terms to Grade 1s who know nothing about the holiday (it needs to be quick explanations so we don't lose track of the story).

=-=-=

Dreidel - It's a kind of game using a square top with letters written on each side. Each letter means a different thing. The points are usually counted using chocolate coins, so winning is extra sweet because you get the most chocolate!

Latke - It's a kind of potato pancake. Kind of like a hashbrown patty but even tastier, because it has more stuff in it.

Menorah - It's a name for a special kind of candleholder used during Hannukkah. It has a place for nine candles, and every night of Hannukkah you use the candle in the middle to light another candle.

Rabbi - You know how in Christianity the person who talks in front of everyone is called a priest or a pastor and in Islam they're called an imam? A rabbi is like that, but for the religion of Judaism.

Synagogue - It's the building where Jewish people go to worship. The buildings where people go to worship have different names depending on which religion the building belongs to; Christians have churches, Muslims have mosques, and Jewish people have synagogues.

Note: I have a good starter set of Hannukkah stories thanks to some suggestions from a Jewish coworker, but if you have any recs for Hannukkah stories (or stories during other Jewish holidays) for kids in Kindergarten to Grade 5 I'd be more than happy to add them to my "to buy" list. :)

[lemedstudent2021]

Where should Jews live? Where do they belong? Where do you consider their native land to be? Honest question.

an honest question deserves an honest answer so here ya go:

Anywhere and everywhere. Jews- the followers of the Abrahamic religion Judaism- along with Muslims, Christians, Atheists, Sikhs, Vegans, and literally any human being under the sun have the right to live wherever they please (given certain criteria are met like visas and that it isnt a military station/ off limits area etc).

Yes my dear reader(s) you read that right; ones faith or lack thereof shouldnt be an obstacle in any aspect of ones life, be it medical services, education, job opportunities, so on and so forth. How novel.

That answers where they 'should' live (although I dont by any means impose anything on anyone; y'all do whatever as long as its legal and harms no one including yourself. God bless). Could is more accurate.

As for where they 'belong', this in my opinion is one of the beauties of religion: people from all walks of life can belong to a religion. Diversity lies at the heart of our existence as human beings and denying it is like denying the existence of the sun. Tolerance is a must if we are ever going to get along with each other. And this belonging isn't irrevocabley tied to geography. But I digress :)

Quick aside just so we're all on the same page: converting to a religion renders you just as valid and equal as someone born into a religion. Most if not all religions preach equality between their followers regardless of background, so i wont hear anything of 'oh theyre not real xyz' or 'they dont count' or any of that bs.

By this logic (religious demographics are, generally speaking, very diverse), there is no 'this set of people belong here, and those over there' ...and proof of that in a sense would be atheists/ agnostics; where would they 'belong'? Antarctica? Outer space? alright ill stop XD

If that were the case, most of the planet would be crammed in the Middle East lol [Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon alone are home to 34M (as of 2023), and the followers of the 3 main Abrahamic religions are an estimated 3.4B (as of 2020) globally. We wouldnt fit even if we used one of these]. Yeah nationality/ race/ ethnicity/ background influence and maybe even dictate one's religious identity, but it isn't the all or nothing we may think it to be.

Which brings us nicely to the next point, and here if you'll allow me i'd like to correct it to native land of Judaism (where it originated/ flourished/ spread whatever) as opposed to native land of Jews because as i mentioned above, a religion doesnt (or shouldnt) differentiate nor discriminate between its followers. By restricting them to one geographical location (and for some using it as an indicator of their authenticity) we do them great disservice as well as contradict the teachings themselves. A demonstration:

Im Jordanian right, (dad's maternal side are from bilad al sham; Syria) and im a born Muslim alhamdulillah. My dads Malaysian roommates from his uni days are also born Muslims (and have the best food lol, my all time favourite is lemak cili padi) and seperating us on the basis of them not being Arab or Middle Eastern is unislamic, intolerant, xenophobic, and wrong on every level. Alternatively, im just as Muslim as someone from Mecca or Medina. We're all Muslim. we are the world...

Circling back, Judaism the religion is native to the Holy land (I guess you can say it started in Egypt till it moved there but idk. Regardless), and Jews (adherants of the faith) can't in my humble opinion be fairly categorised as one monolithic unit... just like any and every other faith out there.

Another quick aside; this is merely a tumblr post that cant do the history and culture and intricacies and so much more of this matter a portion of the justice it deserves. I am but a tired medical student answering to the best of my abilities a question I was asked with my limited knowledge in theology and perspective in general, so do me a favour and keep that in mind. And to anyone reading this if you have questions or corrections or resources or anything you want to mention be my guest :)

If you're still here, I'm both grateful and amused. Here's what you probably came for, the piece de resistance if you will: 🍉israel🍉

Disclaimer: thanks for reading this far, but if you disagree in any way shape or form with any of the 30 human rights articles, you may as well stop reading and put your device through the shredder. Bigots, racists, fascists, anti vaxxers etc. dni

So far ive seen this idea, call it what you will, two times (which isnt a lot but its weird that it happened to me twice consecutively), that claims the freedom of Palestine equals a genocide of the Jews.

Er, no? No ma'am. One does not solve a genocide by comitting another genocide. What part of 'never again' are we missing here?

Before we get into politcal nominations and factions and other territories i dont plan on invading (pun intended) but might accidentally cross anyway (I forgot where i was going with this) i want to remind everyone that Judaism is not synonymous with Israel nor zionism (if u disagree with this go ahead and shred ur device too).

A refresher: Judaism is a religion, Israel is an illegal-occupying-apartheid-state, and Zionism is a movement/ ideology

So 'genocide of the Jews' is both wrong (diction) and more wrong (factually incorrect) in that the liberation of Palestine means freedom from oppression, discrimination, settler colonialism... the whole nine yards. Enough bloodshed already its been nearly 76 years.

When Netenyahu is eventually drop kicked out of office (and hopefully hung, drawn, and quartered for his plentiful warcrimes) what happens to the (illegal) citizens of Israel? Well first off, return the stolen homes and land to their rightful owners who have the keys (and documents if they werent tampered with or erased) to prove it.

As for the illegal-under-international-law settlements and new also illegal establishments; I have no idea what international laws will decree (not that I have that much faith in the judiciary system), but I assume they will be seized and evicted of the illegal tenants (how you like me now?) and given to those who have been displaced or homes ruined etc. because its theirs and theirs alone and it was unlawfully and cruelly taken away from them and not because the (remaining lol) former Israeli citizens can't or shouldn't live in palestine. they can go live somewhere where its legal. the priority is Palestinians tho.

What about the indigenous everyone else? As long as their houses aren't stolen or illegal they can should stay because its legal and its theirs and thats that. you cannot kick someone out of their home to give it to another (which was the basis of the creation of Israel.) because its ✨i l l e g a l✨

And the people who dont belong so to speak? I think this one's case by case; like I said at the very, very beginning; people have the right to live wherever as long as its legal and ok to do so regardless of faith or background, and no one should be denied their right to live in Palestine as a country like any other, but they certainly must be denied living in homes stolen and given to them because thats, say it with me now, illegal <3

[howifeltabouthim]

But eventually I realized that when I was with him, I was always trying to present the most cheerful, entertaining, attractive version of myself, instead of just being myself.

Curtis Sittenfeld, from Eligible

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Real art, like the wife of an affectionate husband, needs no ornaments. But counterfeit art, like a prostitute, must always be decked out.

The cause of production of real art is the artist's inner need to express a feeling that has accumulated, just as for a mother the cause of sexual conception is love. The cause of counterfeit art, as of prostitution, is gain.

The consequence of true art is the introduction of a new feeling into the intercourse of life, as the consequence of a wife's love is the birth of a new man into life.

The consequences of counterfeit art are the perversion of man, pleasure which never satisfies, and the weakening of man's spiritual strength.

Leo Tolstoy

[bisexualamy]

I really try not to prejudge books if I like the concept I try to keep an open mind but I have to start taking it as a red flag when books are morning talk show book clubs picks. They have such interesting concepts and vapid executions. Sorry for being an elitist but how do you take such incredible book ideas and bore me to tears 😔

[gateofparadise]

I think I finally figured out the topic for my undergraduate thesis… gonna write about marginalization & monstrosity in gothic literature 🫣🤭 specifically in Dracula, Wuthering Heights & Carmilla. I’m so excited woooooo🥳

[earthto-clary]

There is a reason why I admire Immanuel Kant, and that is because he believes morality requires no God and scientific facts. Some of my friends know how I love talking about religions without being subjected to any particular one. But of course, I learned to choose whom should I converse with because not everyone has the same interest as mine. Now, Kant believes that a man does not need any religion or over average intellectual capacity to be righteous and morally justified. Thus, what is right and wrong, according to him, is totally knowable just by using your average intellect.

A person does not need religion and overly active mental faculty to determine his action—whether he is acting according to the moral law or not. It is just a matter of thinking and analyzing. Doing things you wanted to be done to you, and avoiding things you do not want to be done to you. Just like Confucianism, to be exact. Morality is alone. It does associates with any religion, politics, science, and the likes.

The moral rule applies to everyone equally whether you are an atheist, agnostic, and etc, or your God is Allah, Jesus Christ, Moises or the other Gods. We are ought to do good despite differences in beliefs, which means none of us is privileged to question and disrespect the variation of another person to us. Or I must say, theist or atheist (that's the reason why I hate some atheist who are very entitled to themselves and often mocked the believers and their doctrine as if their thinking is not kind of limiting ideas), believer or not, you should know how to respect ones’ dissimilarity.

It is simple and it does not matter whether you wanted to be moral or not, because morality is part of our well-being. We just need to turn on the humanity button, and voilà! We are man morals again. Opposite ideas should not be the gap of one person to another. Morality should be exempted from everyone's differences because just like the mathematical equation, (6×7), the answer will always be 42 whether you are a Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or atheist.

We do not need to treat people according to the exact rule made by any religion, and neither of us can ridicule that as well, we just need to be logically healthy and ask ourselves, what if someone has done this to me? What if I am the one who has been mocked? We are gifted in terms of knowing the things that might harm others or not, that is why we should not let the contemporaneous gags blind our morality to not see what is right and wrong. Do good.