#or narrative / thematic symbols

[goopygeiger]

The flower is gone.

[batsplat]

Brno 2003: Sete Gibernau sprays champagne at race winner Valentino Rossi, who is holding up his ball and chain that symbolises how he is 'condemned to win'.

From Rossi's autobiography:

In the summer of 2003, HRC sent over new exhaust pipes. I chose not to use it, precisely because I was sick and tired of hearing that I had an edge over everybody else. But, partly because of the stress, partly because I was also in negotiations with Yamaha, Honda and Ducati, I was in far from perfect form. Sometimes I would lose concentration and make mistakes. When I famously missed that turn in Barcelona and ended up in the run-off area, it was a result of the fact that I was napping behind Capirossi. This incident, and others, caused people to say that my bike was so much better that I could afford the luxury of sitting back and simply turning on the juice late in the race, beating everyone in the final lap. Obviously this was not the case. If I have the chance to pull away, I pull away. Always. Because if you hold out for the last lap you're taking a huge risk: you might finish second! Whereas if you can pull away at an earlier point in the race, you can avoid trouble later on. I only ever sit and wait when there is no alternative. That's when, for me, lying in wait is a good tactic and the best way to win. In Germany, for example, I made a mistake on the last lap and Gibernau made me pay for it. But it's not as if I was planning to wait for the end, as a way of humiliating my opponents. I simply made the mistake of not passing him earlier, so that I could then build a gap. It was a tactical error. After losing that race in that way, because of a distraction, I got so angry that on my way home I told myself, "Enough! From now on, I'm taking no prisoners!" So from that moment on I raced with the aim of dominating every lap and I won five of the last six races of the season. The only one where I finished second was the Grand Prix of the Pacific, in Motegi. But as you know, that day I raced after getting virtually no sleep the night before, because that was the night I had decided to leave Honda. As you can imagine, I wasn't totally focused, to say the least.

The race at the Sachsenring in 2003 was a particularly painful loss. Rossi had overtaken Gibernau on the penultimate corner, but had made a mistake into the final corner that let Gibernau get a better run to the line and beat him by a mere 0.06 seconds. He was criticised by the Italian press in the aftermath, as had become increasingly common that year. Despite leading the championship by a healthy margin, this was widely perceived to be a weaker season than his overwhelmingly dominant 2002, not least because he had achieved only three race victories to Gibernau's four. He had already felt disillusioned with Honda from the start of the year, sick of a culture of winning he found as oppressive as it was relentless. Sachsenring was the last race before the summer break, and he went off to Ibiza to clear his head and get a new haircut.

^The new haircut in question.

Excerpt from the Brno race commentary:

Rossi hasn’t won for four races*. He is desperate to win here this weekend. He turned up at the circuit this Thursday with a bright red haircut that he got on the beach at Ibiza - he was feeling very jovial, very relaxed, and… Well, it’s been suggested in some quarters that it’s a psychological thing he’s trying to pull on the other riders, because he’s coming under mounting pressure from the press and the fans - and Rossi just wanting to show he’s still the party animal he always was and he’s having fun out there on the bike.

*His results during that time were P2 P3 P3 P2.

Fresh from his time off, Rossi got involved in a tight five-way battle with Bayliss, Gibernau, Biaggi (in the first half of the race), and Capirossi. His victory was far from inevitable, and when Rossi managed to get in front for the first time he was unable to make a break for it. After the group of riders fought it out for most of the race, the contest for the win eventually came down to a direct duel between Rossi and Gibernau. With one and a half laps to go, Rossi ran it wide and let Gibernau get back in front once again - and made another mistake that seemed to give Gibernau the decisive advantage. Rossi made the overtake for the win with only a few corners to go.

^Gibernau congratulating Rossi, at a time when the two were still good friends. According to the commentary, the two of them had partied together over the summer break on Ibiza.

^From Rossi's autobiography: "This gag was supposed to be ironic, underscoring my situation with Honda. Everybody expected victory from me. So I was a condemned man, condemned to win..." (See here for gifs of the celebration.)

Rossi finished 0.042s ahead of Gibernau, with another close run to the line... so the elaborate celebrations could very easily have not come to pass. He ended up breaking the circuit record on the last lap - and went on to win all but one of the remaining races that season.

From Mat Oxley's Valentino Rossi: All His Races:

And then his first post-race theatrics in a while: he wore a prison inmate's hat and ball and chain to poke fun at the Italian media. "They said I was in crisis because I'd been beaten at the last four races. Leading the championship and finishing on the podium obviously isn't enough for them, so now I must work on the chain gang!" And beneath the striped cap was a new red hairdo, which restarted the Ducati rumours. In fact, nothing could have been further from the truth. During a secret midnight meeting in the paddock, Vale told Yamaha that he would ride for them in 2004.

An excerpt from the commentary at the next race in Estoril:

Well Valentino Rossi arrived in Brno three weeks ago with a bright red hairstyle and a lot of criticism from the Italian press saying he wasn't as focused as he had been last year; he'd just lost that race at the Sachsenring in Germany. He's fought back in the best possible way.

^Rossi's fans at Sepang 2003.

When he sealed the title in Sepang that year, he brought back the convict celebrations, this time equipped with a big novelty lock and key - so that he could free himself of his shackles at last. He left Honda at the end of the year to embark on a new adventure with Yamaha.

[mizushidokoro]

can we as a society stop pretending that jjk does not have a misogyny problem? there are many shitty and unfair criticisms of gege's writing and I understand the instinct to push back against that, but let's not pretend gege has invested the same effort into, and/or has the same aptitude for, writing women as for writing men

[angelsdean]

there are a few side characters i just find so boring, uncompelling, or only relevant in the era they exist / only enjoy from my personal interpretive lens but if you express any of that some people will act like you've committed a murder. but sometimes a side character is just a side character there to fulfill a specific narrative purpose! and that's fine. like i don't hate any of them, but i also don't particularly care abt them beyond their narrative purpose ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[exilley]

Dante was nothing but his anger... he died a death no one could mourn. Wiped from the memories of everyone he ever knew and loved. Everything he ever valued-- every ambition, every dream, razed to the ground in an instant. His swords were the only things left that wouldn't forget, so he had to cling to them. He had to cut through his grief and sheathe the blades tainted with his own sorrow back into their scabbards and carry them around with him forever. And each time he trained, he was training his anger, refining it, curing it, polishing it. He was no one if not a corpse animated by the specters of the past, and there's nothing for the dead to protect but their own grave. He was a guard who didn't need a shield. His swords were his own guard. And out of that he meets someone who would show him so much grace and benevolence as to offer him a bastion of retreat from his own anger, his own blades. He'd finally found a place for that anger to rest. Pheonix Drop became the scabbard he returned his hurt to. It would accept him easily and perfectly and totally. So a blade without its sheathe is incomplete, and dangerous, and vulnerable. In this way, Dante had no choice but to stay at Pheonix Drop all those years-- a sword without its scabbard is love that has nowhere to go

[radiantsummer]

Sits around and thinks about classpects and sonas before i fall asleep yet again

[scorndotexe]

I hate fake freaks, why the hell are people freaking out about the grave scene in Saltburn? I haven’t even seen the fucking movie and even I know it’s supposed to be symbolic/thematic/representative WHATEVER

nah anon you've got it wrong i need it to be about 30-75% more intense. there should have been actual necrophilia. cannibalism too actually. also no shitty twist at the end so the symbolism of the acts remains relevant. i know you havent seen it but jesus christ it was such a bad film

anyway people are freaking out because they don't actually care about the themes or symbolism of saltburn they just want to be like "ooooh this film is sooo fucked up oh my god emerald fennell is a sick sick woman."

[girl4music]

WILLOW and MAGIC and TARA'S DEATH

WILLOW and MAGIC

"Willow's arc also looks promising in the early episodes. 'Same Time, Same Place' got me really excited. Maybe I forgot, I thought. Maybe they handle Willow's issues from Season 6 in a thoughtful drawn out way. 'Same Time, Same Place' does a number of insightful and successful things. It addresses Willow's avoidance of difficult situations and the way she uses magic, even subconsciously, to make that easier. Here magic is as it is at its most consistent. An extension of Willow's emotions. The scene with Willow and Buffy at the end is one of the few acknowledgments of their paralleled stories last season. But after that, Willow's struggle with controlling those around her and quick fixes is replaced with this generic "I lost control and killed someone". And her final scene in 'Chosen' is emblematic of these greater issues. Overcome by grief and on the heels of identity-based behaviour addiction, Willow's hair turns black when she absorbs magic in an attempt to stop feeling. Not only does she absorb magic but she makes a clear distinction between the self she is now and the self she's become and she starts talking in third-person to remove herself from the pain of what's happened. And then in 'Chosen' Willow's hair is white... because white is the opposite of black. She was bad when her hair was black and she's better now... so it's white. Get it? Even though we get no serious explanation as to how or why. And without dealing with the grief or the issue with control and quick fixes. The imagery alone isn't the problem. It's the fact that the imagery is a placeholder for what should have been a proper narrative undertaking. HOW did Willow's perception of magic and how it relates to her anxieties of usefulness change? How did she recontextualize her own helpfulness and even where that desire to be needed even comes from? Did she find other ways to prove her worth? Especially in relation to being Buffy's lieutenant. None of this heavy lifting is done. Imagery is great but it's not a substitute for actual themes it's meant to represent. Willow's main problem isn't that she was a murderer. It was her pathological insecurity, need for control and need to be needed."

TARA'S DEATH

"Tara's death is a big part of last season's debris that is brushed aside. Not only was it the catalyst for Willow's most extreme turn, but she was a big sister to Dawn and a support system for a depressed Buffy. Yes, there are bigger fish to fry. But the fall out from this doesn't feel like a Scooby was lost. The way that Tara's death is dealt (or not dealt) with feels disrespectful to what she would've meant to the team. Grief about her is scrapped and accelerated through. And what should be a significant character opportunity with the traumatic event of the loss of a Scooby becomes a footnote. 'The Killer In Me' is an excellent example of this half-baked execution and I might talk about it on its own at some point. Even though I really don't want to talk negatively just for the sake of it. It appears to be a character study but brings up questions without ever answering them. Think about it - what was the resolution? What was the problem solved by the end? In this episode Willow's grief is finally spoken of directly and how it relates to her hesitancy to use magic. Then in the last minutes of the episode Willow finally addresses her guilt, feeling like she's somehow responsible for what happened to Tara and that by even considering the possibility of moving on, feels like she's betrayed her. And she completely breaks down. And then as a solution, Kennedy kisses her. And it's over. And this is never spoken of again. The episode is so confused. It digs at an emotional truth, uncovers it and then rather than tackle it narratively cuts to credits. It feels like a slow chug-chug-chug to the top of a rollercoaster that has no descent. Why did you build this?"

This is an instant like because you said the way I feel about Season 7 precisely. Every issue I have with it you explained coherently and concisely. It could have been so good. And it just isn’t.

[ancientroyalblood]

Weaving Themes into Your Writing: Crafting Meaningful Narratives

Stories are more than a sequence of events; they are a reflection of the human experience. Themes form the backbone of storytelling, providing depth and significance to the narrative. In this exploration of weaving themes into your writing, we will delve into the art of incorporating themes into your stories and why they matter. Themes are the heart and soul of your narrative, and understanding…

[reikunrei]

okay so like.  i keep seeing people saying that “they’ve already filmed parts for s5” and also seen a ton of people believing that Will truly did drop the ball on contacting Mike, and thus there’s a lot of off-screen stuff of Mike trying to talk to Will and not making the connection and being SO torn up about it

so like. what if some of that is in the beginning of s5. or as like flashbacks or something. how sick (cool) and sick (heart-wrenching) would that be

i think i would throw up

[joncronshawauthor]

Navigating the Depths: Fantasy Writing Lessons from 'Moby-Dick'

In the vast ocean of fantasy literature, where authors chart courses through realms of the extraordinary, classic literature can offer a guiding star. Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” a seminal work renowned for its thematic complexity, rich symbolism, and profound character study, provides a treasure trove of insights for fantasy authors. Let’s embark on a voyage with Captain Ahab and the crew…

[hybbart]

There they are!!! The winning team!!!

"Average team is themed" factoid actually just a statistical error. The average team can barely pick a name. Thematic Georgs, whose team have approximately 5 names, 9 associated symbols, and the weight of The Narrative on their shoulders, are an outlier and should not have been counted.

[allnovellas]

The Role of Symbolism in Your Story

Symbols have been an integral part of human communication since prehistoric times. We see them in ancient cave paintings, hieroglyphs, and now, they continue to play a vital role in modern storytelling. In literature, symbolism is a technique that can enrich your story, adding layers of meaning and emotional depth. In this article, we will explore the power of symbolism and how it can enhance…

[lullabyes22-blog]

"I think the cycle only ends when you find the will to walk away."

Got a lot of Q's for this in my inbox. Figured I'd just address them here.

tw: mentions of suicide, suicidal ideation

Re: the ending of S2:

Jinx did not die.

She symbolically killed her old self, and with it, her last ties to the past that imprisoned her. She understood that for her sister to move on and live her life - be happy without guilt - she'd have to renounce the bonds that held them together.

Her talk with ghostly Silco was the 'sign-off' she'd been waiting for, ever his dutiful daughter. Throughout S2, she kept hoping he'd haunt her, and in doing so, offer some impetus given her aimlessness. Maybe just straight up boss her around, and tell her how she's supposed to exist now that he's no longer there to be a (subversive if loving) guiding hand.

But it was the promise of time (as represented by Ekko) healing old wounds, and the courage to feel, as she once had - a hopeful child with a hopeful future - that allowed Jinx to commit impetus to action.

Her blimp-ship in the climactic battle is a tribute to Isha - but also to the child in Jinx's own fractured psyche: Powder. She's letting both little girls have one last hurrah before she takes care of business - and cuts off the last oaths, duties and commitments that bind her to a past whose parameters she's outgrown.

Better still, she knows she's got the capacity to outgrow them.

That was the point of Jinx's arc with Isha, and why, no matter my misgivings on Isha's character herself, I found Jinx's trajectory towards a more nurturing and fun-loving figure more life-affirming and positive than the straightforward 'Daddy's Villain Goes Postal' shtick.

It's even why there's a minigame titled Jinx Fixes Everything. It's Jinx, struggling and stumbling, as she tries to rewrite her narrative, and finds in herself the capacity to do good.

To fix things that seem irreparably broken.

And to understand why she's reached this stage, we've got to let go of our tendency to project our own stuff onto Jinx (precious meow meow, unrepentant terrorist, manic pixie crazypants, edgy hot psycho) and acknowledge the purpose she plays in Arcane's thematic structure.

Jinx's character comes off as a death-seeker, and that's no shocker. She is hounded by terrible guilt and loss. She's got blood on her hands, and ghosts on her heels, and no matter what she does, she can't seem to be rid of them. Her inner mind's fractured, her mannerisms ooze pure chaos, and she seems a creature of pure feral impulse and no mercy.

That's the Jinx we're accustomed to seeing in S1 - except that's also both the front she's most likely to put on during that timeline, and the persona that is necessary for her to inhabit to survive, as Silco's daughter and his top enforcer.

Then Silco kicks the bucket, she symbolically fulfills his dream by shooting at the Council HQ, she accepts that she must inhabit this path of shadows and loneliness (as symbolized by her starkly decorated chair in the tea party scene), she accepts the fragmented push-and-pull between past and present, and...

And now what?

Silco's given her a semblance of direction for six years, and he's gone. Vi, the sister she'd hoped would return, and whom she'd hinged so many childishly idealized hopes on, is herself traumatized, and afraid of what her sister's become.

Jinx has her shadows and her loneliness. Jinx is traumatized. Jinx is suicidal.

But Jinx is still, whatever else, alive.

And all living things need connections.

That's why we as the audience enjoy her little found family dynamic with Isha and Sevika. It's Jinx, taking the first tentative steps to reach out to people beyond Silco and Vi, and realizing, wow, she enjoys the pay-off.

And all throughout S2, we see Jinx growing more and more comfortable in this newfound space - even jealously guarding it at the expense of Zaun's liberty, and Silco's wishes, because she can't bear to lose what she's found.

And what she finds empowers her enough that, when Warwick shows up, she's actually willing to reach out to Vi, and call upon their family connection, because Jinx is learning the value of bonds, not as baling hooks of guilt, but as buoys to carry her forward.

That's the story Jinx's relationships serve to tell in S2. Each one shapes the choice she makes in the finale. Until she learns to accept the past (Vi), to lay the monsters to rest (Silco and Vander/Warwick), forgive herself (Caitlyn) trust that time heals all wounds (Ekko), and hope for happier new beginning (Isha), she'll never trust herself enough to just seize the chance.

Jinx's culminating arc is not about death, much less self-erasure. It's about resurrection, and embracing the sublime chaos of a freed mind, and a lightened spirit. That's what she craves beyond simple death, and what her baptism by fire, blood and riverwater, has been about.

Each trial grinds her down into someone else. Someone new.

Someone closer to who she is meant to be, rather than who she's expected to be.

That's why she's so glad to make the sacrifice for Vi. She's not dying as an act of self-immolation. She's giving her sister - the one who's proven she'll never give up on her - the ultimate gift, and showing Vi that she deserves to live.

She needs Vi to live, so Jinx, the persona, can finally die.

"He (Silco) didn't make Jinx. You did."

She's basically saying, "I love you, I will always be with you, but you are no longer responsible for my actions. Please move forward with your life, and grant me the choice to do the same."

It's two sisters embracing everything they've meant to each other, acknowledging the pain weighing them down on both sides, and welcoming the new so they can each slough off old paradigms and live life as a whole person - or at least take steps to remembering what wholeness feels like.

That's the reason the show's final shots linger on the Hexgate tunnels, Jinx's monkey bomb, and the aircraft.

It's the show's way of reminding us that Jinx has ascended to a different version of her identity - one removed from the past that haunted her. It's Jinx, finally striking out alone, away from the sister whose memory she clung so desperately to, and who was, in turn, horrified by her hand in making Powder a monster (perceived guilt or real, fandom may debate ad nauseum) due to past mistakes and abandonment.

The ending of Arcane isn't tragic. It's deeply hopeful, and serves as a reminder that no matter how damaged you think you are, and no matter how monstrous the world finds you, there are still ways to come back to yourself - or to walk the path toward a new you.

Jinx is symbolized by crows. Jinx is shown with firelights emerging from her mouth. Jinx is depicted holding a torch like Janna ushering in the winds of change.

Thematically, Jinx is change.

And the best way she can embody that change is to write her story, and make it her own.

[deception-united]

Let's talk about foreshadowing.

Foreshadowing can add a lot of depth to your writing and make it more exciting for the readers. They create a sense of coherence and satisfaction when future events unfold as hinted—or shock if they don't.

Here are some tips for effectively using foreshadowing in your novels and books:

Plan Ahead: Foreshadowing works best when it's woven into the fabric of your story from the beginning. As you outline your plot, think about key events and revelations you want to foreshadow, and strategically place hints and clues accordingly.

Use Subtlety: Foreshadowing doesn't have to be obvious or heavy-handed. The best foreshadowing is often subtle and understated, leaving readers with a sense of intrigue and curiosity rather than outright prediction.

Establish Patterns and Motifs: Look for opportunities to establish recurring patterns, motifs, or symbols that can subtly hint at future events. These can be visual, thematic, or even linguistic cues that tie into the larger narrative arc of your story.

Create Tension: Foreshadowing is most effective when it creates tension and anticipation for the reader. Use foreshadowing to hint at potential conflicts, obstacles, or twists.

Reveal Gradually: Foreshadowing doesn't have to be limited to one-off hints or clues. Instead, consider how you can layer foreshadowing throughout your story, gradually revealing more information as the plot unfolds.

Pay Attention to Timing: The timing of your foreshadowing is crucial. Introduce hints and clues at strategic points in your story, building anticipation and suspense without giving too much away too soon.

Revisit Foreshadowing: Ensure that foreshadowed events are eventually fulfilled or addressed in the story. Revisiting earlier hints or clues can provide a satisfying payoff for readers and reinforce the narrative coherence.

Balance Subtlety and Clarity: Foreshadowing should be subtle enough to intrigue readers without giving away major plot twists too early. Aim for a balance where foreshadowing is noticeable upon reflection but doesn't detract from the immediacy of the story.

Let's look at some ways to incorporate foreshadowing:

Symbolism: Symbolic imagery or motifs can serve as subtle foreshadowing devices. Think about objects, settings, or descriptive details that can serve as symbolic foreshadowing. A recurring image or object, for example, might subtly hint at future events or themes in the story.

Dialogue Clues: Characters can drop hints or make cryptic remarks that foreshadow upcoming events. Dialogue is a natural way to introduce foreshadowing without being too obvious.

Character Reactions: Pay attention to how characters react to certain situations or events. Their emotions or responses can foreshadow future conflicts or revelations.

Subtle Descriptions: Incorporate subtle descriptions or details that hint at future events. These can be easily overlooked on a first read but become significant upon reflection or when the foreshadowed event occurs.

Dreams and Visions: Dreams, visions, and other forms of altered consciousness can be effective vehicles for foreshadowing—they can hint at an upcoming event, or explore characters' subconscious desires and fears. This method can sometimes be either blatant or subtle depending on how it is incorporated.

Foreshadowing Through Setting: Use the setting to foreshadow events or developments in the story. For example, a stormy night might foreshadow conflict or turmoil ahead, while a serene setting might signal upcoming peace or resolution. (On the flip side, this can be used to catch readers off guard, like a "calm before the storm" type of situation.)

Parallel Storylines: Foreshadowing can occur through parallel storylines or subplots. Events in one storyline can subtly hint at future developments in another, creating anticipation and intrigue.

Recurring Themes: Identify recurring themes or motifs in your story and use them to foreshadow future events. These thematic elements can serve as subtle hints or clues for attentive readers.

Misdirection: Foreshadowing can be used to misdirect readers and create suspense by hinting at one outcome while actually leading to another. (See my post on misdirection for more!)

Happy writing! ❤

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[42chordsong]

taking turns giving head w your partner as you go back and forth sharing analysis of the movie you just watched