#societal contrasts

[kesarijournal]

The Great Indian Paradox: When Sixes Outscore Sacrifices

**Introduction:**In the grand Indian theater, where cricket bats swing mightier than the swords of justice, and the glitz of Bollywood overshadows the grit of the border, we find ourselves in a saga of ironic contrasts. Welcome to the land where celluloid heroes are worshipped, and real heroes often forgotten, where a sixer can fetch millions, but a soldier’s sacrifice struggles for a headline.…

[cinnamonsikwate]

"why couldn't shuro have just been honest about what he felt with laios and falin it's not that hard" are you. are you White

[rad-roche]

part of the reason i like noir fiction (specifically literary) is that writing it well is challenging. there's no particular prose style you have to hit, necessarily, the trappings of the genre are more to do with its subject matter and endings (sex, death, greed, and usually unhappy as a result of the sex, death, and greed). but a lot of them gravitate towards a certain style, myself included, because it just works so well, which is paring back everything you can, as much as you can. that's fun to do! it turns into a game. it's easy to overwrite something, but it's a real bitch to pack an entire location into one telegrammatic sentence and then have that be good. i still think i miss more than i hit, but that's the nature of it, because when you do pull it off you feel like you could fight a truck and win. the IT'S SO OVER WE'RE SO BACK highs and lows swing higher and lower because there's nowhere to hide from your reader

[thearunadragon]

Okay, so this may be a controversial opinion on Ellesméra, but Eragon’s treatment there says this so loudly.

I don’t think the problem with elves is that they don’t feel the same emotions as others as Eragon speculated. I think the problem is that they feel emotions TOO strongly, and only accept the emotions they LIKE or APPROVE OF by accordance of the view of others, which is why they are so avoidant, and their social structure is built so heavily around constructs of courteousness and respect and not upsetting anybody to a point where it’s literally catastrophic to so much as look at someone the wrong way without thinking.

This kind of structure is HEAVILY problematic, and all is causes is trouble. It creates hyper-sensitivity and only escalates from there. And, though their whole thing is not being judgmental towards others, they become the most judgmental people of all to anyone who is not exactly like them.

It almost promotes a victim mindset while at the same time building unnecessary pride and self-importance and ignoring basic morals and principles for the sake of appearance and manners instead because, basically, so long as you are outwardly “good” it does not matter how you really are. And they choose to ignore every one of the negative aspects or the truths that do not appeal to them because they “couldn’t possibly be like that” and others are “generalizing” something even if it’s actually TRUE.

That is 100% going to blow up in their face one day.

They’re like modern America with social media, honestly. And don’t misunderstand, I am ENTIRELY supportive of being inclusive and being welcoming to everyone! We shouldn’t be judging people! But there’s a point where it’s carried out in the wrong ways and too drastically where it begins to abuse some people for the sake of other people. Maybe just have basic manners and courtesy and be a decent person towards people in general. That’s ALL we have to do!

I see a lot of the present day in Ellesméra and the elves—Vanir and his friends especially. They have so much potential to be the perfect society, but they’ve over-sensitized themselves so badly that they’ve basically ruined an amazing baseline idea. Eragon expresses a similar view when he talk about how it seems like, with all of their rules and courtesies, they’ve only made it easier to offend people. Thoughts?

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

I always think about how in multiple episodes it's basically canon that Blanche is bi but considers dating women to be more hassle (which is a whole rabbit hole to go down - does she struggle with societal homophobia when she's with women? Has she only been with fellow high maintenance femmes when shes really after a Dorothy type? Has she internalized the idea that her attraction to women isn't 'real'? Her reaction to Clayton adds to these questions). Not to mention how this goes together with her relationships with the girls; making to kiss Rose that one time (and Rose multiple times seeming very aware of Blanche's proclivities), begging Dorothy for 'relief' and being convinced she's attracted to women too.

Yes, anon! It’s really interesting to delve into Blanche’s psyche about all this stuff!

I started writing down my thoughts and ended up with a long ramble -- allow me to place it all under a cut, so I don't clog up anyone's dash, haha.

Personally, I think she has some strong mental blocks when it comes to her sexuality because of the way she was brought up. I mean, she grew up in Atlanta approx in the 1930s/1940s — I’m sure I don’t have to detail the kind of casual bigotry she must have seen around her during her formative years! Just look at the story she recounts in S1E13 A Little Romance:

“Now, you have to understand that in those days in the South a lot of things were still taboo. Certain people were not to mix. So Benjamin and I had to meet in secret. Oh, we knew if any of the bigots in town found out about us, there’d be a terrible scandal.”

And all of this because Benjamin was a yankee… can you imagine what ‘the bigots in town’ thought about homosexuality? Yeah, I’m pretty sure Blanche learned to suppress that part of herself very early on. We know she turns to denial when she’s faced with uncomfortable truths and emotions she can’t deal with, so I think she likely just refuses to acknowledge that part of herself most of the time, and it only comes out (pun intended!) when she’s not paying much attention to things, or when there’s something more important going on. See the two examples you point out: when she tries to kiss Rose she’s concerned with not being kissed at midnight, and when she propositions Dorothy she’s, well… she’s desperate to get some, if we can be frank.

When she’s in a more rational state, her reactions tend to be more measured… but not by much. She does advise Rose not to date women (S3E10 The Audit):

“Oh, no, honey, don’t do that! No job is worth having to date women!”

But she’s also really flattered at receiving lots and lots of phone calls from women, after her appearance as a ‘lesbian’ on TV (S7E15 Goodbye, Mr Gordon):

“By the way, Dorothy, if I were a lesbian, I sure would be a popular one. Look at this, 20 calls.”

And of course we can’t forget her reaction to finding out that Jean has a crush on Rose in S2E5 Isn’t It Romantic?:

“Jean has the hots for Rose? I don’t believe it, I do not believe it! […] To think Jean would prefer Rose over me? That’s ridiculous! […] Now you tell me the truth: if you had to pick between Rose and me, who would you pick? Who?”

All of these are (likely) intended to be jokes about her vanity and her libertine nature (in the same way as Rose’s observations are), but considering a lot of the writers of this show were queer themselves, it wouldn’t seem strange to me if they were intentionally peppered in to suggest that Blanche might be a bisexual in denial. It certainly fits her character!

I haven’t spoken about her reaction to Clayton’s coming out yet, but that’s immensely interesting too, of course. I think Blanche has the same attitude towards homosexuality that I see in a lot of (mostly older) people in my Country nowadays: it’s fine as a general concept, but when it comes to her family (or, God forbid, herself) then the problems come out. See for example what she says about Jean:

“Well, I’ll never understand what Jean doesn’t see in the opposite sex, but if that makes her happy, that’s fine by me!”

Which isn’t a homophobic attitude at all! If anything, if you take her upbringing into account, it’s pretty accepting. But then, when Clayton comes out to her (S4E9 Scared Straight) and tells her he wants to get married (S6E14 Sister Of The Bride), this is what she says:

“Oh, Clayton, please be serious. You're just saying that so I won't set you up with any more women. […] Well, then you're saying it 'cause you're trying to get back at me for something. Clay, I know you too well for this. After all, I know it can't be true. You're my brother. […] Clayton Hollingsworth. You look me in the face and tell me you really are… what you just said you are.”

“I'm having a little trouble putting this all together. Clayton, I just feel like I don't know you anymore.”

“[…] Dorothy, that's different. We're talking about going out in public. Oh, what are people gonna say?”

“Will you tell me why you want to put yourself and Doug through this? You know how people can be.”

“Oh, look, I can accept the fact that he's gay, but why does he have to slip a ring on this guy's finger so the whole world will know?”

Quite the difference from her attitude towards Jean, wouldn’t you say? I think there’s three elements at play here.

1) When Clayton comes out to Blanche, she feels disoriented because this is life-changing information Clayton has never shared with her before. While her reaction as a whole isn’t ideal, personally I think it’s understandable. Clayton is her baby brother; she’s known him as straight all his life, he’s been married to a woman for years before his divorce, and she recounts an episode from their adolescence when he was on a date with a woman and very clearly implicated having a physical encounter with her. He's done everything in his power to pass as straight until this point in time -- I don't find it strange that Blanche would be shocked at his coming out, especially given her upbringing (and the fact that this is set in the 80s! We can't expect modern sensibilities from the characters!). Once again, her reaction isn't the best (she can't even bring herself to say the word 'gay' at first...), but the shock per se isn't that surprising, imho.

2) Blanche is scared because of societal implications above all. She doesn't necessarily see being queer as something wrong, but she's been taught it's not socially acceptable and acts accordingly. Notice how she's worried about what people are going to say, and she struggles to accept that Clayton wants the whole world to know about his relationship with Doug.

Societal expectations in general are a big theme for Blanche's character, and often drive her development; another big example of this is her attitude towards Rebecca's decision to get artificially inseminated, but it's a bit of a baseline issue for her, I feel. She has this whole thing about her beauty and her (supposed) youth and her attractiveness that has some inherent elements, but it's mostly an issue of how other people perceive her, I think, and her response to her brother's coming out is easy to relate to this theme. I mean, she even says it to Rose in S7E15:

"Well, I don't mind being labeled a lesbian, honey, but since I'm not, you just ruined my social life."

So yeah. I think it's safe to say her main concern is societal disapproval of queerness: she wants to be accepted and celebrated by the people around her, and she thinks that being openly queer will destroy her place in her social circle (and she's worried about the same happening to Clayton too, of course).

3) This is sort of related to point 2, but it felt distinct enough to treat it separately. I think she might have reacted so badly to Clayton's coming out (and especially to his showing up with a partner) because he's open about his sexuality, and she's not ready to face what that means for her. My lovely mutual @\hecatesbroom recently published her latest amazing work the odd one(s) out, on the relationship between Dorothy and her brother Phil and how Phil's open queerness might have impacted Dorothy; I think a similar situation might have occurred between Blanche and Clayton after his coming out.

Blanche has a sort of advantage on Dorothy because of her bisexuality, in the sense that she has 'passing privilege' (I really dislike this concept, but allow me to use it to make a point): it's painfully clear that she loved her late husband with all her heart, and she's obviously attracted to men as well, so she can pretend not to like women without too much of a hassle (whereas, if you believe Dorothy to be a repressed lesbian, her situation is much more complicated).

The issue with this is that this 'advantage' is a double-edged sword: she might have the comfort of being socially acceptable, but she's had to suffocate a big part of herself to obtain that comfort. And so, what happens when Clayton -- her baby brother Clayton, the one who's always been just like her, who's grown up with her same environment and influences -- begins openly living as a gay man? I'm sure the situation must have had a strong impact on her, even if just on a subconscious level; I've always found it curious that she seems to have a harder time accepting Clayton in S6E14 than she does in S4E9 (she even calls his sexuality a phase), and while a part of it may be attributed to the higher social exposure Clayton's commitment to Doug brings, I think this may be a result of her inner conflict, provoked by watching her brother live openly while she's been suppressing a part of herself all her life.

Here I'm assuming she's never acted upon her attraction to women before, but there's some space to believe she has done so and has decided it's too much of a hassle, as you say -- likely because she'd for sure do it in secret, given her fear of societal condemnation. If she has been with women before, and decided to give up on it, I still think she'd be greatly impacted by Clayton's coming out: it means her baby brother is a) braver than she is, and b) going to openly face (and likely suffer because of) the same social issues she's run away from. In this lens, I find it interesting that she cautions him about how people can be, almost as if they've both experienced it.

Whew. Wow, this was a lot more than I'd originally meant to write, haha! Seems you sparked a big train of thought, anon! I think all of the Girls (with the possible exception of Sophia) are really fascinating to analyze with a queer lens, and Blanche is always interesting to me, of course. As a final note, I'd like to point out that she does come around to Clayton's sexuality and his relationship, in the end: as often happens, she just needs the Girls' help to put things back in perspective, understand she's hurting someone she loves, and correct her actions. I'd like to think living with the Girls might lead to her becoming more accepting of herself, too.

[divinekangaroo]

Omegaverse PB:

I *get* making Arthur Shelby Snr into an alpha, and Tommy into an omega, but in my head Arthur Shelby Snr is forever an omega, too.

[neonhellscape]

Im not kidding, your magos biologis is the (catalyst) reason i am deciding to go on t and get top surgery

god im so with you on this one. good luck on your mission boss

[fullmoonfireball]

god i wish i could put together any sort of coherent analysis instead of my brain just keysmashing at Thoughts

[seabringers]

I love the priory of the orange tree but the queendom of inys being a matriarchy will never make sense to me. Galian Berethnet takes credit for the slaying of the nameless one when it was Princess Cleolind, creates a religion around himself and is worshiped as a saint and it’s definitely a bit repressive, but instead we get a queendom with cool ladies? Sure theres a little bit of talk of them being reduced to their ability of having a daughter, but there’s not much. I feel like it should be the very opposite. Inys and Virtuedom vs the Priory and the more matriarchal society of Lasia. The world is so interesting, and Ms Shannon truly worked so hard on it but it just doesn’t make sense! (To me)

[crossbordercroniclesro]

„Lumea A Luat-o Razna!” - Când Adidașii Sigilați în Cutie Devin Noua Valută!

Într-o lume a extremelor, unii dau 150.000 de euro pe adidași vechi, în timp ce milioane de oameni trăiesc de pe o zi pe alta. Există puține lucruri care simbolizează mai bine haosul lumii moderne decât fenomenul adidașilor „vintage” – da, ați citit bine, pantofi sport care ajung la prețuri de sute de mii de euro! În timp ce o mare parte din omenire se luptă cu sărăcia, unii scot din buzunar…

[artbynestor]

"Divine Contrast" by Nestor

This colored drawing illustrates a fantasy character split into two contrasting aspects, representing the stark realities of social inequality. One half depicts a wealthy man adorned with distinct religious elements, while the other half shows a naked and impoverished man, with his starving family in the background, living in misery. This powerful piece serves as a poignant critique of wealth distribution and the societal structures that perpetuate inequality.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

#DarkArt, #HandDrawn, #ColoredArt, #SocialInequality, #Symbolism, #FantasyArt, #WealthAndPoverty, #PoliticalArt, #SurrealArt, #ContrastingRealities, #ThoughtProvokingArt, #ArtByNestor, #SocialCommentary, #ReligiousSymbolism, #WealthDistribution, #PowerfulMessage

[cloudeling]

dinah "id love to make babies with you but i won't make orphans" lance vs carol "don't you think its time we got married" ferris. both characters who find traditional ideas of womanhood (kids, marriage) uncomfortable and unappealing but the difference is their response to these feelings. dinah refuses to change her stance & while she feels insecure in regards to how this might affect ollie's feelings towards her & her relationship w him she still maintains confidence in her own conviction and refuses to back down. carol pushes back against these feelings and tries to mold herself into her idea of the ideal woman, literally splitting herself in two & excising the traits she sees as masculine/not befitting her role as hal's "perfect girlfriend" + her marriage proposal to hal being less because she wants it and more because its being pushed on her and she sees it as a necessary next stage in their relationship, regardless of whether its actually good for them. am i making sense

[blueheartbooks]

"A Breath of Fresh Air: E. M. Forster's 'A Room with a View'"

E. M. Forster's "A Room with a View" is a delightful exploration of love, freedom, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of Edwardian England and Italy. Published in 1908, the novel follows the journey of Lucy Honeychurch, a young woman torn between societal expectations and her own desires for independence and fulfillment.

At its heart, "A Room with a View" is a coming-of-age story that resonates with timeless themes of identity and personal growth. From the picturesque hills of Florence to the genteel drawing rooms of England, Forster paints a vivid portrait of a young woman's awakening to the possibilities of life and love. Lucy's journey towards self-realization is both poignant and humorous, as she navigates the complexities of societal norms and her own inner turmoil.

Forster's prose is both elegant and accessible, imbuing the narrative with a sense of warmth and intimacy. The novel is filled with memorable characters, from the eccentric Emersons to the prim and proper Charlotte Bartlett. Through their interactions, Forster explores themes of class, gender, and cultural differences, challenging readers to question the arbitrary boundaries that divide society.

Central to the narrative is Lucy's evolving relationship with George Emerson, a free-spirited young man whose unconventional views on love and life challenge Lucy's preconceived notions. Their burgeoning romance unfolds with a delicate blend of humor and tenderness, as Lucy grapples with her feelings of attraction and the expectations placed upon her by society.

The novel's title itself serves as a metaphor for the dichotomy between convention and liberation. A "room with a view" symbolizes the desire for openness and freedom, a longing to break free from the constraints of societal expectations and embrace life's possibilities. For Lucy, it represents not only physical space but also the emotional and spiritual freedom she seeks to attain.

Throughout the novel, Forster skillfully juxtaposes the idyllic landscapes of Italy with the stifling propriety of Edwardian England, highlighting the contrast between spontaneity and restraint, passion and repression. Italy, with its vibrant culture and sense of vitality, serves as a catalyst for Lucy's transformation, while England represents the suffocating conformity of bourgeois society.

At its core, "A Room with a View" is a celebration of the human spirit and the power of love to transcend social barriers. Forster's timeless tale reminds us of the importance of staying true to ourselves and following our hearts, even in the face of societal pressure and expectations. With its charming characters, evocative settings, and poignant themes, "A Room with a View" remains a captivating and resonant work that continues to enchant readers more than a century after its publication.

E. M. Forster's "A Room with a View" is available in Amazon in paperback 18.99$ and hardcover 25.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 494

Language: English

Rating: 9/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[blueheartbookclub]

"A Breath of Fresh Air: E. M. Forster's 'A Room with a View'"

E. M. Forster's "A Room with a View" is a delightful exploration of love, freedom, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of Edwardian England and Italy. Published in 1908, the novel follows the journey of Lucy Honeychurch, a young woman torn between societal expectations and her own desires for independence and fulfillment.

At its heart, "A Room with a View" is a coming-of-age story that resonates with timeless themes of identity and personal growth. From the picturesque hills of Florence to the genteel drawing rooms of England, Forster paints a vivid portrait of a young woman's awakening to the possibilities of life and love. Lucy's journey towards self-realization is both poignant and humorous, as she navigates the complexities of societal norms and her own inner turmoil.

Forster's prose is both elegant and accessible, imbuing the narrative with a sense of warmth and intimacy. The novel is filled with memorable characters, from the eccentric Emersons to the prim and proper Charlotte Bartlett. Through their interactions, Forster explores themes of class, gender, and cultural differences, challenging readers to question the arbitrary boundaries that divide society.

Central to the narrative is Lucy's evolving relationship with George Emerson, a free-spirited young man whose unconventional views on love and life challenge Lucy's preconceived notions. Their burgeoning romance unfolds with a delicate blend of humor and tenderness, as Lucy grapples with her feelings of attraction and the expectations placed upon her by society.

The novel's title itself serves as a metaphor for the dichotomy between convention and liberation. A "room with a view" symbolizes the desire for openness and freedom, a longing to break free from the constraints of societal expectations and embrace life's possibilities. For Lucy, it represents not only physical space but also the emotional and spiritual freedom she seeks to attain.

Throughout the novel, Forster skillfully juxtaposes the idyllic landscapes of Italy with the stifling propriety of Edwardian England, highlighting the contrast between spontaneity and restraint, passion and repression. Italy, with its vibrant culture and sense of vitality, serves as a catalyst for Lucy's transformation, while England represents the suffocating conformity of bourgeois society.

At its core, "A Room with a View" is a celebration of the human spirit and the power of love to transcend social barriers. Forster's timeless tale reminds us of the importance of staying true to ourselves and following our hearts, even in the face of societal pressure and expectations. With its charming characters, evocative settings, and poignant themes, "A Room with a View" remains a captivating and resonant work that continues to enchant readers more than a century after its publication.

E. M. Forster's "A Room with a View" is available in Amazon in paperback 18.99$ and hardcover 25.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 494

Language: English

Rating: 9/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[kikizoshi]

In the spirit on NieR-related stories never to be written, here's a what was once meant to be an opening line: two paragraphs I wrote with the concept of Nikolai hailing from Facade, in which he'd been sentenced to that thing where you have to stare at sand for a long time:

In the ever-flowing sludge of quicksand, Nikolai Gogol felt two long years of his life drift away. Should someone have went up to him at that moment, to ask him for a favour or to otherwise simply ask how he was doing, he wasn’t sure that he’d be able to resist hurling them in with the skiffs floating endlessly along the canals. ‘Though, I can’t, of course,’ he thought. ‘Such a thing would break Rule 89: "Intentional murder of another citizen for no discernible reason is hereby strictly prohibited…" Then again, who may blame me, were it naught but an accident? I could hurl myself into the river, along with him…’ Nikolai’s face fell into a grimacing smile. ‘Ah, but then that breaks Rule 338: "Throwing oneself into the sand is forbidden." They truly do think of everything…’