#the mystery/detective aspects of the narrative

[dozyteacozy]

I just finished watching Mononoke (2007) for the first time, and it very quickly cemented its place as one of my favourite anime. This show is an experience.

[amberarmedheart]

In Defense of John Watson and the Importance of the Besotted Narrator

Every couple of years, the world as a collective likes to ruminate and come up with a new adaptation of the stories of Sherlock Holmes, every single new one promising to be either "The Ultimate Adaptation" or "Holmes for the New Era", there is no in-between. And it is understandable, this amazement and awe we hold for the beloved mysteries, they are classics for a reason.

And despite that, time and again I see creators of tv shows, pastiches, and movies, neglect the most important aspect in every single Sherlock Holmes' story: the immovable presence of John Watson. Some even going as far as turning Watson into a villain, a caricature of himself, or even erasing him completely from the narrative. "After all, the important one is Holmes, isn't he? He is the genius, and Watson is there just his biographer."

That is the capital omission to me when it comes to any of the adaptations, because it ignores the vital part that Watson plays in Holmes' life. Watson is the companion, he is the bridge between the "normal" world and the genius that is Holmes' deductive brain. He is, for a lack of a better descriptor, the translator between what jumps in judgement and reasoning Holmes' brilliant mind comes up with, and the layman's language.

There is a reason why we as readers come up with the idea that Holmes is smart beyond his quirks and his drug addiction, beyond his ignorance of anything and everything that in his opinion doesn't help him solve the cases that distract him from the boredom of normal life... and that reason is that John Watson is the person narrating the whole thing. We are not introduced to Holmes through an omnipresent, anonymous narrator which is the case with other books. We are thrown in the middle of a mystery from the start the same way that Watson is unexpectedly thrown in 221b.

What we think of Holmes, what we feel for him, it is all because Watson wishes us to experience. The stories themselves carry with them one of the best storytelling devices graciously blended into the narrative, which is the fact that Watson is an incredibly good writer, so much that the public gazes into the spotlight where Holmes is and in most cases ignores that the one shining it down is Watson himself.

Creators who like to ignore Watson and his function in the narrative tend to see Holmes as their own self-insert: a super smart man whose genius cannot compare with the mediocre world population and who can barely tolerate their stupidity, basically a gift to men from god and who has to be worshipped for it... When the reality is that every single thing we perceive from Holmes is because of how Watson sees him.

Watson is our unreliable narrator, his descriptions and impressions of Holmes are the ones that are weaved into the story; even goes as far as giving us a glimpse of Holmes' opinion about it through the way the consultant detective sometimes accuses Watson of adding too many embellishments to his narrations. If we see Holmes as an incredible genius, as someone whose intelligence is above the rest of the world, it is because Watson says so. With every passing story, we come across different characters that every once in a while whose first impression of Holmes has been influenced by what they themselves read in Watson's stories... All in all, the in-universe characters falling under the same influence we, as readers, are.

John Watson's love for Holmes is one of the main plot points in the story, we see its evolution the same way as one normally goes through different stages of falling in love. We see Watson's first infatuation, his interest in what makes Holmes what he is, first in a superficial way and later on with every new story. We see them have misunderstandings, which most of the time end up in a deeper appreciation of Holmes as a person.

All culminating in the incredible rendition of The Final Problem, which could easily be seen, without little effort, as Holmes' planning his own death. By what means we are never completely sure, to be honest, since we can only see it through Watson's deep grief. It is true that Arthur Conan Doyle's plans were to end Holmes' adventures with the short story, but even with the author's motivations being the main recourse behind its inception, there is no doubt when reading the story that the focus of the narrative is Holmes' spending his last moments with Watson.

The subsequent creation of The Empty House and further adventures after that, diluted partially the importance of the whole ordeal, but gave us a different insight of Holmes and Watson's relationship. Through that lens, we as readers witness the evolution of it, the toll that Holmes' fake death had in both his biographer and his own author, adding depth through the strain put by the facade.

E. W. Hornung made one of my favorite homages to Holmes and Watson through his stories of The Gentleman Thief, and put a greater emphasis on the strained relationship between the two characters after the fake death. He gave his besotted narrator another source of turmoil: the fact that while Raffles (our stand-in Holmes) was away living life and even having a romantic interest, Bunny (his Watson) ends up falling in disgrace after being sent to jail.

A.J. Raffles' stories lean on the importance of the unreliable, uselessly enamored narrator, to the point that Hornung didn't shy away from having Bunny refer to Raffles as handsome and attractive in many different instances. He understood how there is no Holmes without a Watson to appreciate him, how their dynamic is the fuel behind the success of the whole series.

And ultimately, that it is impossible to have a good story without a good storyteller.

[weaselandfriends]

Are ARGs the new avant garde?

There's this unfiction ARG on YouTube about a fake video game called Valle Verde. Here's episode 1, there are three episodes:

Watch this and the other two episodes. This is the most technically impressive thing I've seen on YouTube that was made by a single person, and if you watch this video for 54 seconds you'll start to see why.

Once you've watched Valle Verde, you can read this post.

ARGs, or alternate reality games, were a natural outgrowth of creepypasta (as the great Jenny Nicholson once put it, "campfire stories on a global scale"). With creepypasta, people, usually young people, would hop onto the internet and tell a spooky story about a haunted Sonic cartridge with realistic blood or a super evil serial killer who was never caught or Slenderman or something.

Due to the memetic nature of these stories, though, there became an arms race to make them on increasingly elaborate scales. Soon, people were ROMhacking their favorite old games to actually show the spooky haunted realistic blood. A famous example, Ben Drowned, showed modded/corrupted Majora's Mask footage that was generally effective because Majora's Mask is already sort of a creepy game.

Ben Drowned was also notable for being a story that was continually updated. Originally, most creepypasta would be a single story, usually short, posted once. This is an effective medium for horror, which loses effectiveness the more things get explained, but at the same time, when people like something, they want more.

Okay, so how do you make an ongoing horror series that doesn't outright explain everything, and thus retains its horror aspect? The answer, seemingly independently reached by a wide variety of indie horror creators at the same time (Ben Drowned, Marble Hornets, and the godfather Five Nights at Freddy's) was arcane hidden lore.

That's basically what separates an ARG from creepypasta: the "game" in "alternate reality game" is that sprinkled throughout a series of videos are scraps of hints toward a broader narrative, and the viewer is expected to locate those hints, piece them together, and figure out what's actually happening.

The logic is similar to the appeal of a mystery novel, so it's no wonder this took off. Channels like Game Theory posting lore breakdowns of FNAF or other popular series raked in beaucoup views. Indie horror devs would start putting dumbass lore hints in their goofball games to piggyback off FNAF's memetic success. Pathetic things like this happened:

But ARGs are fundamentally different from a mystery novel. In a mystery novel, the terms of the mystery are overtly made known. Someone has been murdered and a world famous detective has arrived to find out who did it/how they did it. By contrast, ARGs are often abstracted to the point that it is difficult to know whether there actually is a mystery. And besides, the mystery in an ARG isn't "who is the killer," it's "what is even the plot?"

Heavily abstracted, often fragmented storylines, with no clear plot, disjointed organization, and only scattered ambiguously meaningful moments that could be arranged in any number of ways to attempt coherence. What does this remind me of?

They reinvented postmodernism!

This realization came home when Skinamarink received a theatrical release in 2022. Skinamarink was an analog horror (another offshoot branch of creepypasta/ARGs) video blown up to cinema length, created by an analog horror YouTuber based on an original 20 minute video they made. Mainstream critics who saw this film, being completely unaware of what analog horror was, extolled the film for its Lynchian, Kubrickian influences. They were unaware its actual greatest influence was Mandela Catalogue. They were unaware that a thrillingly unique, abstract form of storytelling had organically been created by a group of outsider artists on the internet.

Kubrick would be proud.

I find this especially exciting in a mainstream pop cultural milieu that is trending toward, at least in my appraisal, increasing obviousness and simplicity in how it communicates ideas, which is not only boring but also annihilates the capacity for nuance, interpretation, and even meaning itself.

This also comes alongside ARG creators often pushing themselves to new technical extremes, extremes that are absurdly impressive for individuals. Kane Pixels has created amazing found footage videos using Blender-made labyrinths. The Mandela Catalogue guy was doing some crazy shit with puppets(?) last I checked. And, of course, the act of modding old games has evolved into the act of creating whole video games entirely as a vehicle for an ARG. The first example of this I know of is Petscop, and there have been others like Catastrophe Crow (which splices in an extremely accurate pastiche of a retro gaming video essayist, plus period-accurate game magazine articles), but Valle Verde takes it to a new level.

Since you've all seen Valle Verde by now, I won't waste time explaining the seriously impressive stuff it pulls off.

Instead, I'll let the other shoe drop.

I have a fundamental problem with all these ARGs, one that pains me all the more because I am so thrilled by so many aspects of them. The problem is that once you dig into them, once you piece together the underlying narrative from all the tiny clues, interpret the ambiguities, and see the broader picture -

The picture sort of sucks.

Ben Drowned, FNAF, Petscop, Catastrophe Crow boil down to the same residual dew: Children died. (Either murdered or just tragically.) Their spirits haunt the game cartridge/animatronics. All the scant hints point to the cause. (Ben Drowned spoils it in the title.) It's not only sort of banal but also the story that you could probably guess at without reading into the deep lore, just from the story's general vibe.

It's a fundamentally boring answer to a fascinating puzzle, and worse, it reveals that there was no true value in the puzzle being presented as it was. The abstraction and postmodern technique of the narrative contribute nothing to its overall meaning. They exist with the sole aim to obfuscate, because horror only works when unexplained. Rather than leave the horror unexplained, though, the way Kubrick would in The Shining (which deliberately strips out overt explanations that exist in the book it adapts), or Lynch would in anything, these works are attempting to have their cake and eat it: there's stupid lore that explains everything, but it's just a little hard to find. In that sense, rather than being a rejection of the current cultural milieu toward works that make simple sense, this trend seems more like an attempt to reinject that milieu into one of the few genres of storytelling that had effectively rejected it. (It reads similarly to all the Babadook-inspired indie horror films of the past decade where the monster is some transparent allegory for grief or trauma or something.)

So what's the story of Valle Verde?

I won't go into a Game Theory breakdown of every symbol and detail. As far as I can tell, this is what's going on:

Valle Verde, the fiction within the fiction, is a Japanese video game developed with experimental technology called THBrain that gives it a sophisticated and advanced artificial intelligence capable of making on-the-fly alterations to the game's script. Valle Verde, the series of videos, depicts an investigation into certain malfunctioning elements of the game prior to its release. The player character, self-identified as TEST05, is actually played by two "agents" (of what agency is unclear) named Pablo and Robert testing the game and chronicling anomalous behavior.

The series of glitches and other bizarre things they record seems to depict a theological battle between Valle Verde's freemasonic villagers, led by Foxxo (remember that the next elections), and the Catholic Church, led by Pietro (possibly an avatar for St. Peter, the first pope and guardian of the gates of heaven).

Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of aviation. It's a "time flies" pun.

It's unclear how much autonomy either of these factions have, even knowing that there is apparently a super-sophisticated AI capable of injecting novel information. Pietro at times breaks the fourth wall and addresses Pablo directly by name; the villagers don't break the fourth wall, but do all sorts of stuff that is described by the tapes as anomalous. The AI seems like the obvious culprit, but in Valle Verde 2, Pablo actually meets the AI, who claims to have sequestered themselves from the rest of the game because they didn't want to partake in the villagers' rituals, and who has even disabled all their language libraries except Spanish to avoid comprehending the screams of the children trapped inside the game.

Oh yeah. Children are dying.

The THBrain seems to not only enable incredible AI, but is a way to upload humans into the video game (maybe this is unrelated to THBrain? I'm fuzzy on that point). Several children have already been uploaded and are presumed dead; currently, an Argentinian child named Matias is trapped in the game. Matias is the only other character besides Pietro capable of breaking the fourth wall, due to being a real person; he is aware of Pablo as an "agent" and suggests at some sort of conspiracy outside the game, which has not been explicated in much detail in the available videos.

The reason the children are dying is eventually revealed: the freemasonic villagers are sacrificing them to their false god, Moloch.

I'm not kidding about the freemasonry. Note the Argentinian flag.

There are other plot elements that are a bit murkier; Valle Verde seems to be a nexus of several unrelated video games, which can be accessed through an in-game library, and it is within this nexus that Moloch lives, and perhaps where the underlying purpose behind the villagers' actions lurk. There is also a recurring motif of a coming Christian apocalypse, likened to Noah's flood. After the freemasonic sacrifice, a doomsday clock ticks closer to midnight. Are the masons unwittingly provoking God's wrath? The series is framed as footage from 1997 that was unearthed in the modern day, so was this apocalypse averted, or did the apocalypse simply exist within the game, with no bearing on reality? The series remains ongoing; future installments may clarify.

But the underlying issue remains that, for me at least, the basic conflict in its simplicity and lack of ambiguity seems inadequately matched to the unique, impressive, and open-ended presentation. It retroactively makes me wonder what the point is of telling the story the way Valle Verde is told, if its story is in essence the Church versus Satan-worshippers, with clear moral and ideological lines drawn. Doesn't a more conventional narrative make sense for this sort of story?

There's a scene early on when the player character traverses a series of rooms corresponding to the Seven Deadly Sins. The sin of greed is depicted, not simply with stacks of gold, but with works of modern art:

As the player proceeds through the room, they discover a dumpster where Renaissance artwork by Titian and Michelangelo is trashed:

The message here is almost fatuous. It's also deeply ironic. Valle Verde is a work that has far more in common, in terms of its formalistic technique, with Picasso than Titian. Is it a lack of self-awareness that puts this here? Or perhaps something else?

The novel Infinite Jest ends abruptly, with none of its plot points resolved. In this way it's similar to the titan of American postmodern literature, Gravity's Rainbow, which peters out without explaining the conspiracy that has driven its narrative. Infinite Jest plays a trick, though, as devious as it is facile. The final 200 pages of the book have been cut off and moved to the front. The story's beginning is a flash forward that, in its lack of context and confusing abstractions, is difficult to make sense of on first read. Upon rereading after finishing the book, though, it clearly contains the answers to all the unresolved plot threads.

If postmodernism could be described as an artistic period of uncertainty and obscured truth that was a response to the similarly uncertain Cold War era, where the inner machinations of governments may at any time cause the annihilation of the entire world, then what Infinite Jest did, published just a few years after the Cold War's end, could be seen as a reclamation of truth.

Truth itself is a concept deeply interwoven with Christianity. In Valle Verde, Pietro even calls it out with a green highlight to indicate its importance:

La Verdad sounds suspiciously similar to Valle Verde. Coincidence?

The context of this quote comes after the villagers destroy the church; Pietro reassures the player that La Verdad remains unchanging, and that this tribulation shall pass.

Might Valle Verde itself then be an Infinite Jest style reclamation, using the formalistic techniques of postmodernism that are so useful for obscuring truth to obscure what is, at its core, a simple and morally black-and-white tale of Christianity versus wicked idolatry?

There is a real-world allegorical undercurrent to Valle Verde that makes this reading even more appealing. Valle Verde's creator, Alluvium, is Argentinian, and the game is steeped in references to Argentinian history and politics.

That's a map of the Falkland Islands and a picture of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron.

At one point, when the villagers destroy the church (with the unwitting? help of the player character, who seems to have no moral interest in anything happening, and who only does whatever anyone asks him, whether it's Pietro or Foxxo), a highly overt reference is made to the death of Pope John Paul I, who reigned for only 33 days in the late 1970s before he died, officially, of a heart attack. The abruptness of his death, and the failure of the corrupt, Mafia- and freemason-connected Vatican Bank in the years that followed, have led to conspiracy theories that John Paul was actually murdered by freemasons within the Vatican so that they may continue to corrupt the Catholic Church.

Specifically, the conspiracy posits the assassination was done by the freemasonic branch P2, or Propaganda Due, an illegal fascistic secret society that contained many high-ranking members of Italian politics (including Silvio Berlusconi), whose goal was to act as a shadow government that could prevent the rise of communism within Italy. (P2 definitely existed; how much it actually influenced Italian politics is a matter of debate.)

Though primarily an Italian organization, P2 had several influential members from other countries, notably Argentina, where several politicians and military leaders at the highest levels were involved. As a nation, Argentina is something of a tragedy; at one point considered a rising economic powerhouse, its excellent geographic and demographic advantages were squandered by a long succession of corrupt leaders, including those involved in P2. It makes sense, then, why an Argentinian creator like Alluvium might be so interested in critiquing the evils of freemasonic corruption.

Valle Verde satirizes Argentina's leadership via Foxxo, not only through his freemasonic devil rituals, but also in more down-to-earth ways. In his introduction, Foxxo provides the player character 100 coins, telling him to "remember that the next elections" (Foxxo's catchphrase, despite him clearly stating he has been given absolute authority over the area by The Smiling One); moments later, when the player turns to leave, Foxxo mugs him from behind and puts him 99,999 coins in debt.

Through the use of masonic slogans like liberté, égalité, fraternité (which is written over what appears to be a portal to Hell) and masonic symbols such as the Statue of Liberty and Washington Monument, there's an undercurrent that expands this freemasonic secular/Satanic conspiracy beyond Argentinian politics and into the post-Enlightenment secular governments that have come to rule the so-called free world. "Progress is God," the freemasons state during their child sacrifice ritual. (Foxxo is joined in this scene by the village's museum curator, representing knowledge, and its scientist, representing progress.)

It's this kind of framing that makes me wonder about the previous scene depicting Picasso paintings as emblematic of the sin of Greed, compared to Renaissance paintings in the dumpster; is there a general theme here raging against modernity in all its forms, compared to a fundamentally good and absolute Christian religious truth? If so, it makes sense why Valle Verde is presented as it is, so abstractly; it shows a world rendered incomprehensible by modernity, but one that can be sifted and parsed to find incontrovertible religious salvation still shining underneath.

It is a rejection of "progress," using the formal techniques of "progress." In a milieu where the promises of the Enlightenment seem to have hit a dead end, where the freedom secularism once promised has given rise to corruption and abuses akin to those the Catholic Church of the Renaissance once inflicted, perhaps the sense of going back appeals.

The English literary world post-Infinite Jest itself also seems to have returned to the past; the works published today are realistic in style and scope, eschewing most formal techniques pioneered across the preceding century. Though I doubt that was David Foster Wallace's goal, it's what he created. Valle Verde, which is so explicit in its fundamental belief in Christianity, is probably far more deliberate in its rejection of the world as it currently exists.

Though there have always been voices calling for a return to the past, perhaps this is a mindset particularly enticing in the information age, when meaning seems so fragmented as to be ungraspable. Though Valle Verde is conscious of what it is doing formally in a way that, say, Ben Drowned is not, the inner simplicity of these ARG narratives obfuscated by abstraction strikes me as a collective yearning for clearly explicated, graspable truths in a world where such a thing seems increasingly impossible. Almost a fantasy: If only this incomprehensible eldritch horror could be explained by a 10-minute Game Theory video!

(The eldritch itself is a horror rooted in incomprehensibility. Making it explicable banishes it entirely, the way the protagonist of Valle Verde banishes a demon by holding aloft a crucifix. La Verdad triumphs. Couldn't our lives be so simple?)

Not every ARG is like this. Kane Pixels, another creator I would highlight for their exceptional technical talent and avant garde storytelling, has created far more nuanced and ambiguous narratives with works like The Oldest View, which deals with themes of nostalgia and memory without being resolvable into a simple pat sentence synopsis. Overall, I consider this entire collection of web original horror creators to be blessed with both the talent and mindset to create truly innovative works of fiction, even if many of them are outsider artists fumbling around just trying to scare someone; as outsiders, these confused anti-confusions of theme and meaning might be par for the course.

Valle Verde is an impressive work of art, even if it is an avant garde work that paradoxically rejects itself. Perhaps in that paradox more could be said than had it remained fully self-consistent. Either way, I eagerly await what comes next.

[oaxleaf]

as promised: s4 retrospective now that the finale is out.

season four is easily the most similar to season one. even the finales are similar. that's good, narratively. it's easy to get carried away with a story, especially one with any level of audience control, so it's reassuring to get confirmation that all of this ties back to the beginning. it also opens up a lot of opportunities for seasons five and six. really, season four is just season one, but arthur knows what the fuck is going on and he and john don't have the most scathing arguments you've ever heard every other episode, and although seasons two and three did a lot of visible character development for the two of them, season four shows the actual result and proof of that development. i know that i predicted a major blow-out between them because only a couple of episodes in i felt they were getting along a little too well. but i was proved wrong! it would have been easy to set up an argument between john and arthur after it's revealed he's lied to him, but i'm glad it didn't happen, and i hope it's not going to, because i do think this was the season that properly established that they are beyond that cycle of vicious arguments.

on individual levels they've also developed a lot. john is, for plot reasons of course, kinda vague through-out the season, but i like that with his increasing humanity he's also gained traits of jealousy and petulance. although with the revelation of his being stuck in dark world, there'll be some real interesting character exploration to do next season. john also got to do a bit more interaction towards the end of this season. i think i've always been partial to arthur because he has more relationship anchors in his life (even if most of them are dead) and i like looking at a character through the lense of how they interact with others. and so far, john's mostly only had arthur to play off of. meanwhile, arthur hitting rock bottom, first in part 26 and then in part 31, really did a lot for him too. him making up with daniel and reaching out to help oscar was heartwarming, i guess, but most importantly it showed how he's determined to actually do something to be a better person and not just wallow in guilt and self-blame. still doesn't change that almost everybody he cares about dies or dissapears, but hey. it's good development.

on a personal level? i'm kinda meh on the season. i was on season one too, so that's not a surprise. it's less to do with the actual writing or narrative and more that i dont care much for fetch-quests or detective stories or, to be honest, plot in general. i like malevolent for it's character aspects. it's my personal indulge to be emotionally punched in the gut by this show. and obviously a story needs to have a plot, and i'm not saying i have issues with the show. just that so far nothing has been able to dethrone season two yet, lol.

let's talk about that finale, then. it's really amazing how kayne dominates with his presence whenever he's there, even if this only, what? like the fourth time? that we see him. i always want to get more kayne, but these occasional doses are really perfect for him. he needs to keep that veneer of mystery and insanity, and he needs to mostly be stagnant in his personality, i think, even if his motivations are unravelled. it's what makes him so entrancing whenever he appears on screen (in ear?). so i hope we don't get too much of him next season, even if he's the one setting up whatever happens next. and speaking of what happens next? an advantage to tying up a lot of old threads this season is that i have very little idea of what season five will be about. jesus fuck am i excited though, though!

[pumpkinhimiko]

Helloooo :3 I like your takes. My questions are: In what aspects do you think Kaito and Kokichi are opposites? If Kokichi represents lies, who represents the truth?

Erika Furudo There isn't a character in V3 that has a relationship with truth in the same way Kokichi does lies. Kokichi loves lying and hates when others lie. Lying is a deeply personal and integral part of his identity. There aren't any characters that interact with the truth in this manner; even the game's detective character starts off resistant to uncovering the truth and terrified of facing it. And after his character development, Shuichi still doesn't have personal investment in truth--he doesn't respect or uphold the truth for truth's sake. Solving mysteries is something he's doing for the sake of survival. By the end, he basically says, "Screw the truth, what matters is that our feelings were real."

I find the question of who represents truth to be a pedantic one, because usually what fans are really getting at when they have this discussion is "Here's why X represents truth and why that makes them Kokichi's narrative foil and therefore soulmate" (never mind that it's entirely possible to parallel Kokichi in ways unrelated to truth/lies--I know I just said it's integral to his character, but he does have other traits). The setting is a killing game where lies, truth, doubt, trust, and mystery-solving are the main themes of the story, so obviously "truth" is something the focal characters are all going to have to contend with at some point--it doesn't mean they're the embodiment of the concept. Like all decent character writing, there's nuance to this, so trying to shoehorn characters into the box of "Truth Representative" comes off as reductive. Consider the third trial where Kokichi encourages the group to doubt each other because, no matter how trustworthy they may seem, everyone still tells lies. Kaito responds that the truth isn't that important, and just because everyone lies that isn't a reason not to trust them. It's scenes like this where you could argue that Kaito is more on the side of lies than Kokichi is; much of their conflict doesn't stem from Kokichi being a liar, but rather Kokichi's fear of other people's lies, and Kaito's lack thereof.

As for Kaito and Kokichi being opposites… I mean, how much time do you have? This is a whole essay, probably. Although it would take even longer to list all the ways they're similar; their differences are mostly superficial and aesthetic ones, while their similarities are deep-seated and fundamental. What makes their paths diverge, though, has nothing to do with truth or lies. It's that Kaito tried to beat the game through unification and Kokichi tried it through separation.

[imkaycurious]

a fun story I wrote speculating on the real reason behind football.

"King of My Heart"

In Taylor Swift's realm, her private life wove tales of mystery, crafting an enigmatic puzzle within her ever-evolving reputation. Travis Kelce, unwittingly drawn into her calculated performance, found himself entangled in her scripted narrative—an intentional commentary on her public relationships, nodding toward the upcoming "Reputation" album re-release.

Their convergence became an orchestrated spectacle, where Taylor employed her music both as disguise and revelation—a satire unraveling for astute observers, mirroring the exaggerated relationships depicted in her songs.

Taylor staged public sightings with Travis, scenes hinting at her "Reputation" motifs. She blurred reality and artistry, echoing lyrics through orchestrated events—a deliberate display, a dramatic prelude to her saga.

For instance, Travis's unwitting endorsements became cues in Taylor's choreography—a purposeful commentary, echoing the lines she teased: "But if he drops my name, then I owe him nothin'." His incessant references to Taylor across various platforms, from podcasts to magazines, became pivotal in Taylor's narrative direction. His continual mentions echoed the very lyrics she hinted at, weaving a crafted tapestry blurring reality with her lyrical themes.

Moreover, Taylor's actions mirrored her songwriting. For example, flying Travis to her Argentina show echoed her lyrics: "I fly him all around the world, letting them believe he saved me," turning reality into a nod to her songwriting prowess. Their public embrace further blurred the lines between her constructed narrative and lyrical parallels, intensifying the drama of her commentary on public relationships.

As Taylor's meticulously crafted story unfolded, some fans astutely noted parallels between her public maneuvers and lyrical excerpts from her songs. Inconsistencies, unlike her typical approach, began to surface. Lyrics spanning from her "Reputation" era to her most recent work hinted at a desire for discreet love, in stark contrast to the highly publicized relationship unfolding before their eyes.

While some fans detected these discrepancies, perceiving a deliberate divergence from Taylor's usual authenticity, others staunchly believed every facet of her public portrayal. For a segment of her audience, Taylor's actions remained sacrosanct, defending her relationship's authenticity despite inconsistencies. These fans staunchly supported Taylor's every move as genuine, failing to perceive any dissonance.

Amidst the meticulously crafted facade, Taylor harbored a deeply guarded secret—a truth obscured by the glittering illusion of her highly publicized relationships. Privately entwined in a profound and genuine love affair with a woman, Taylor grappled with the suffocating constraints of her fabricated public persona. Her retreat and subsequent emergence with the "Reputation" album had been a retreat into secrecy, shielding her true self from the scrutinizing gaze of the world.

The ostentatious relationships with men, seemingly exaggerated and fantastical, were elaborate veils woven to conceal her private reality. It was a paradoxical dance she performed—adorning herself with the allure of high-profile romances while safeguarding the most authentic aspect of her life in profound secrecy. Her heart yearned for liberation, a fervent longing to shed the pretense and embrace her genuine identity.

The "Reputation" album's reissue held the promise of emancipation, a glimpse of light at the end of the meticulously constructed tunnel. Taylor's hope rested on finally embracing her truth, relinquishing the suffocating weight of the charade, and stepping into the liberating embrace of authenticity.

Within the orchestrated theatrics of her public narrative, Taylor maneuvered a grand chessboard, each move calculated and strategic. Travis, unwittingly thrust into the spotlight, played the role of a pawn—a mere piece in her elaborate game of perception. He moved according to her plan, a maneuver in her intricate strategy, while Taylor meticulously positioned herself for the ultimate conquest.

The parallels to chess intricately woven within Taylor's music, performances, and subtle references paid silent homage to the covert game she orchestrated. The song "King of My Heart" whispered of a concealed love, shrouded behind lyrical intricacies—a love not for the pawn but for the ultimate prize, the king of her heart.

Travis, portrayed as the unwitting pawn in her scripted drama, unknowingly played his part in Taylor's masterful game. While the world fixated on his movements, he was a mere piece in Taylor's grand strategy—a strategy ultimately seeking the capture of her most guarded secret, her true love.

[soupthatistohot]

BSD: An Absurdist Analysis - Chapters 7 & 8 (Part 1)

Yosano and Kyouka: The Agency’s Women

[Masterpost]

I will be covering chapter 7 and 8 different from how I usually do these analyses, focusing on certain characters rather than the linear narrative. These two chapters revolve around the introduction of Yosano and Kyouka into the story, so I will focus on them for this post and make another ch. 7 & 8 post regarding other aspects of the chapters. 

So, let’s talk about Yosano!

This is her introductory chapter, spotlighting her personality and eventually her ability. One of my favorite moments by far is when she’s apologizing on Atsushi’s behalf for bumping into a rude, wealthy and entitled man who then kicks her in the face and she replies by threatening to stomp on his dick.

Later in the chapter, after Motojiro Kajii begins the bomb threat on the train, the same man begs for Yosano to save him after realizing she’s with the agency, perhaps hinting to the reader that he’s now had a change of heart… but then asks her to step on his dick. Appropriately, she drop-kicks the pervert. 

This highlights the absurdity of sexism and classism in modern society, the man flaunting his wealth earlier and insulting Yosano for being a woman, and is still unable to get over his bigoted ideology when his literal life is in danger. One would like to think that a woman being part of a powerful detective agency would earn the man’s respect, but in reality, this is not quite so true. He just wants to reap the advantages of having Yosano on his side by offering to pay her, but still objectifies her in the end. It’s a nuanced criticism that doesn’t magically solve sexism/classism by Yosano simply existing as a badass woman. 

This continues with Kajii’s interaction with Yosano, where he remarks that “women are so tough nowadays,” implying that it’s not in women’s nature to be strong. His sexist assumptions already put him at a disadvantage, because although he acknowledges Yosano’s strength, he still thinks himself more powerful and her stupid for trying to defy him.

In chapter 8, he calls her a “girl” and questions her intelligence, to which Yosano retaliates, calling Kajii "an idiot."

She’s goading him into injuring her here, knowing that her own ability will only work if she is on the brink of death, and it works. He drops a load of bombs on her, ignorantly assuming that there’s no chance of her survival. When he checks on her again, she uses this to her advantage, attacking him and effectively putting him in his place. 

Earlier, he had basically tried to mansplain death to her, not knowing who she was or what her background is, so she reveals her status as a doctor and explains her ability and understanding of death, threatening him.

After this, she half-kills Kajji and uses her ability on him enough times that she gets the information she needs and is able to speak to Atsushi over the intercom, allowing him to take charge of the situation. 

In summary, this chapter introduces Yosano as someone consistently overlooked because she is a woman, but she proves that she is capable and intelligent, which is not negated by the fact that she is also revealed to be borderline sadistic. It paints a nuanced portrait of a female character that will be further explored with her backstory much later in the manga. 

Now, let’s shift focus to Kyouka. 

Kyouka is silently present throughout chapter 7: capturing Dazai at the beginning and bumping into Atsushi at the train station. We know she is a threat, likely affiliated with the Port Mafia, but she is kept mysterious until the conclusion of chapter 7, using her appearance as a young, quiet girl as a cover until then. Atsushi tries to warn her against going toward the bomb before she reveals Demon Snow, who is being controlled by Akutagawa at this point. 

Continuing into Chapter 8, Atushi is shown to have been pretty injured by Demon Snow, and when he asks why a young girl like her is there, she reveals her very innocent interests and fears… and the fact that she’s killed thirty-five people in the last six months. 

Pairing the seemingly normal and even sweet personality traits consistent with a young girl with the fact that she’s an assassin is jarring, those two things do not belong together, and yet, in this absurd reality, there exists and girl who likes rabbits and has caused death. It’s absurd. 

After battling with Atsushi some more, she reveals that the bomb is strapped to her chest, reiterating her body count. Atsushi implores her to “express herself,” telling her that there’s more to life, imploring that they stop. Yosano then interrupts and Kyouka hands over the switch, only for Akutagawa to reveal through the phone that there is no way to defuse the bomb and it will go off regardless. 

She then pushes Atsushi away, attempting to jump off the train, and he then realizes that the phone controls her ability, that she has no autonomy and did not want to commit the murders she did. She has no autonomy. 

But rather than be resigned to her fate and allow herself and everyone on the train to die, Atsushi’s words seem to have affected her, and she decides to sacrifice only herself, jumping off the moving train.

While I cannot label this action as explicitly absurd (she believed she was dying either way and had completely lost hope), the fact that she’s rebelling against what Akutagawa wanted her to do, something she was unable to do thus far, is significant. I also think it is noteworthy that her ability is being controlled by a man, rendering her mostly unable to control her own actions, her hopelessness allowing for this. This appears to be in theme with the feminist lens these chapters seem to be taking. 

But as we already know with BSD, there is no situation that is completely hopeless, and Kyouka’s intended act of sacrifice allows Atsushi to jump out after her and save her, the bomb detaching from her chest far enough from the train that nobody gets injured. 

Kyouka will be further developed in future chapters, so I’ll wrap this up here at the end of chapter 8. What I will bring up is Kyouka’s similarities to Dazai, especially in his younger years. This is by no means an original idea, as many others have brought up this point on social media, but I do think it’s worth noting considering that the two share a certain amount of nihilism, which is only perpetuated by the toxic environment of the Port Mafia. Here, we see 

Kyouka taking her first steps toward breaking from this mindset, taking direct action so that nobody else got killed, seemingly the first decision she’s made for herself since her parents’ death. In this moment, she's reclaimed her autonomy.

This post is long enough as it is, so I’ll end it here. I will be making another post soon about chapters 7 and 8, focusing on Dazai’s capture, Kajji’s ideology, and Atsushi’s actions.

[Previous] [Next]

[honoringthehorrific]

✝️I watched Maxxxine! Does this series close out on a high note?…✝️

As always friends, spoilers are under the cut!…

Let me just say this movie was a banger of an ending!!

The movie has so many little references to its predecessors specifically the movie pearl. Seeing Theda Bara’s star, soldiers marching on set, pearl’s dance being recreated by a young Maxine, and even some parallels between Pearl’s audition and Maxine’s the difference being Maxine walks out confident and telling the other girls they might as well just go home instead of in tears.

In this movie we see the trauma Maxine has from her time in Texas. She has somewhat frequent flashbacks to the events. Seeing Pearl in that window, feeling Pearl assault her, even seeing her friends pass on. All of this Maxine has to compartmentalize she has no time to ruminate or work through it she has to keep moving forward.

I will say while I loved this movie the twist at the end isn’t hard to spot. Atleast it wasn’t to me. Her father makes a return and tries exorcising Maxine for his own film about the corruption of Hollywood on their children. We see sprinkles of it through the movie the biggest hint to me was hearing his voice in the introduction recording of a young Max, and seeing signs about Hollywood stealing their children. Plus he was a loose end that needed wrapped up.

The aesthetics of the movie were phenomenal. I really felt wrapped up in all this warm hazy Hollywood 80s glamour and glow. The shininess and dinginess of it all makes it really captivating. It was almost shocking when the haze and glamour got ripped from us when violence started. Seeing this sort of underbelly to it all. That like the director Maxine works for says that things were just as shitty and awful back then as they are now. A man follows Maxine into an alleyway and pulls a knife on her only to immediately cower when she pulls a gun on him. She flips the tables and makes him strip, suck her gun, and lay on the ground only for her to turn his balls into hamburger meat under her heel.

Throughout the movie there’s this self preservation aspect that I noticed. Not only is Maxine defending herself repeatedly from these men who want to take advantage of her and harm her (the guy in the alley and this skeezy detective that works for her dad) but also her desperately needing this real acting role. The director tells her she needs to act as if her life depends on this role and Maxine tells her bluntly that it actually does. Maxine never has time to sit down and process what happened in Texas or work through it…but then again do we always get the time to perfectly work through our traumas? Maxine takes things into her own hands, pushes herself, and outwardly tells the cops when her coworkers start turning up dead that they need to save themselves.

When all is said and done I loved the movie and loved the end however I couldn’t help but feel…not fully satisfied. I wanted max to get a happy ending and she does for sure but there’s this whole narrative about the past coming back to bite you and we see her dad again but once he’s taken care of there’s no aknowledgement of what happened in Texas. There’s note that people know about it and police have been investigating it…but there’s no tie off to whether they drop it or what happens to Maxine because of the investigation…it’s just brought up by her father over and over and then kind of dropped.

All in all a killer watch. I didn’t really feel it had a whodunnit feel like some people had said but it definitely had a mystery going for it.

10/10 pentagram brands ⭐️

[yico0]

Signal

"Signal" is a South Korean television series that blends crime thriller, mystery, and science fiction elements. The central characters, a profiler from the present day and a detective from the past, use this unconventional means of communication to collaborate on solving cold cases and preventing crimes.

What is the koinos kosmos (common world) and mutually assumed knowledge the series shares with viewers? 

The common world in "Signal" involves a walkie-talkie connecting individuals in different time periods. This device enables characters to communicate across timelines, influencing investigations and crime-solving. The common world would include the shared understanding of this supernatural element and its impact on the characters and their investigations.

2. How does the series depict cultural hybridity through the alerted history’s role in reflecting and reshaping cultural assumptions? 

It depicts cultural hybridity by utilizing its time-travel narrative to reflect and reshape cultural assumptions. The series navigates different time periods, seamlessly blending the past and present to showcase the evolution of societal norms, values, and cultural references. Through the characters' interactions across eras, the show explores the dynamic nature of culture, illustrating how the past and present coalesce to form a hybrid narrative. Cultural references specific to each time period, from technology to fashion, contribute to this amalgamation, engaging viewers in a rich tapestry of historical and contemporary contexts. The altered history aspect introduces ethical dilemmas that transcend temporal boundaries, challenging characters to grapple with evolving ethical standards. Additionally, the collaboration of characters from diverse backgrounds fosters a cultural exchange, highlighting the series' nuanced portrayal of how cultural assumptions influence both investigations and interpersonal dynamics across time.

3. How does the series depict the power of understanding world-creation? 

"Signal" depicts the power of understanding world-creation through its exploration of the consequences of altering historical events and timelines.

Temporal Influence: The walkie-talkie serves as a tool for characters to communicate with people in the past, allowing them to intervene in historical events. By doing so, they alter the timeline and influence the course of history, showcasing the significant power and responsibility associated with understanding how events shape the world.

Butterfly Effect: The series delves into the butterfly effect, demonstrating how small changes in the past can lead to substantial and unforeseen consequences in the present and future. This concept underscores the fragility and interconnectedness of events, emphasizing the characters' ability to create a ripple effect through their actions in the past.

Moral and Ethical Dilemmas: As characters grapple with the consequences of altering history, "Signal" explores the moral and ethical dilemmas associated with manipulating the natural order of events. The power of understanding world-creation is not just a narrative device but a thematic exploration of the complexities and responsibilities tied to temporal intervention.

4. In what ways do formulations of the past, present, and future engage with prospective realities of what might have been and what might be in the series’ alerted history? 

The series intertwines these temporal elements through the use of a walkie-talkie that enables communication across different time periods. The alerted history in "Signal" prompts characters to reconsider and reassess what might have been had certain actions or events unfolded differently. Furthermore, the exploration of the alerted history raises questions about the characters' agency in shaping their own destinies. 

5. How do multiple realities or contemplations of multiple realities merge with questions of authenticity? 

"Signal" seamlessly weaves historical reality into its narrative tapestry by incorporating authentic elements of the past to construct compelling crime stories. The series delves into meticulously researched historical contexts, immersing viewers in a captivating portrayal of crimes, investigations, and mysteries rooted in the annals of real history. These narratives, while invented for the purpose of the show, are intricately presented within the authentic frameworks of socio-political climates and cultural landscapes of specific time periods. The distinctive charm of "Signal" lies in its profound exploration of altered history facilitated by a walkie-talkie. Within this historical backdrop, the series introduces a speculative twist where characters, grounded in their meticulously portrayed eras, embark on a journey to reshape the course of events. Although the crimes and investigations themselves are fictional, the show introduces a thought-provoking element as characters endeavor to alter the course of history by communicating with figures from the past. This alteration of historical events serves as a central and enthralling plot device, allowing characters to wield influence over the outcomes of cases and delve into the intricate consequences of their interventions, thus blurring the lines between fiction and the rich tapestry of real historical landscapes.

@theuncannyprofessoro

[kingdomoftyto]

Ah, POE has entered its Murderstuck phase. (Seriously though I'd be interested in seeing your classpects for the detectives after you finish the game)

AT LAST I have beaten the game and can answer this ask!!

Short answer:

Long answer:

[Reminder that in addition to the canon info on aspects from the Extended Zodiac, I also like to take into consideration the excellent old theories {aspects} from bladekindeyewear, a lot of which seem to have made their way onto the MSPA wiki {classes}!]

I'm going to try desperately not to overthink this too badly by psychoanalyzing the characters and their growth over the course of the narrative, because for past attempts at this sort of thing I've had people tell me my choices are way off base lol. As a result some of these will be a little more straightforward than my usual fare.

And, it JUST SO HAPPENS that when I go with my gut instincts like this, the full cast (minus Senior) lines up pretty perfectly with the full set of 12 aspects! That's too beautiful to ignore, so I'm sticking with it. >:)

Anyway, let's get into it:

Incompetent/Ideal Detectives: Heir of Mind

This one's kind of a no-brainer. The Denouement is without question a Mind power, anticipating possible outcomes before they happen. Not to mention Mind's general association with rationality and logic--necessary traits for any detective worth their salt. Mind is also all about your choices and how they change you, echoing the themes of growth and optimism for things to get better, even in the face of despair. It feels right to me if Wato and Saika to share a classpect, particularly the Heir class considering each of them literally inherited the Ideal title from the other. Heir is also thought to be a passive class, which suits their shared tendency to guide the other detectives to finding the solutions rather than solving every little mystery by themselves.

Doleful Detective: Rogue of Doom

Oh boy. In a brighter world, Doleful could have EASILY been the Light-bound of the group. His entire shtick is being supernaturally lucky--even to the point of tragedy. He would have been the group's Vriska, except with troubles that were no fault of his own. HOWEVER, clearly, the reality of who Doleful actually is paints us a very different picture. What we get instead is someone whose entire existence circles around the ideas of sacrifice and suffering. It becomes an obsession for him, both as a detective (as seen in his primary contribution to the group being putting himself in harm's way) and as the Duke (as seen in... his entire outlook on society). As a Rogue, his purpose is to "steal" the suffering of the masses, in his own twisted, pessimistic way, and because this is a passive class, he does it in the most indirect way possible.

Renegade Detective: Bard of Rage

This fucker is Gamzee Makara. I mean just look at him. He has the hair and everything.

...No but seriously, I'm not even joking with this. Go read the Extended Zodiac's description for Rage and tell me that's not Renegade in a nutshell. "Contempt for falsehoods, including the stability those false ideas can impart." "Would rather tear down a system and live in anarchy if they think the system is built on faulty premises." "Difficult to convince otherwise once attached to an idea." He's SO single-minded in his beliefs that he dies with a grin on his face just because his death follows his twisted worldview (which, wouldn't you know it, is another thing he shares with a certain purpleblooded troll). He also incites literal chaos and anger among the other detectives, particularly Workaholic, pulling them into similar delusions of there only being a single, violent way forward.

Armor Detective: Knight of Space

This man is pure physicality. He's simple, in every sense of the word. Just a huge, solid wall, an impenetrable barrier to all threats. He has a single solution to every problem, and that's to position himself in between danger and the people he wants to protect. And of course he's a Knight: his greatest asset--nay, his very essence--is the material suit of armor he's equipped with at all times.

Rowdy Detective: Maid of Breath

What is Breath but the embodiment of movement? As the athlete of the group, Rowdy definitely does plenty of that. But Breath also implies direction, bringing to mind her hanafuda cards, which she consults not to seek external guidance but to reinforce her own decision. Once she's pointed herself at a target, there's no stopping her. (Plus also, y'know. There's literal breath, and she has a pretty good sense of smell lmaO.) Maids, at least in the theories I follow, are an active class, and Rowdy is a prime example, manifesting her own forward momentum and allowing no room for doubt.

Downtown Detective: Thief of Heart

Heart is the aspect of identity and, relatedly, of facades--something Downtown knows all about. Outwardly, she presents a cheery, playfully snarky personality, but this is only one of many layers of masks. Her mastery of these countless faces are what makes her so skilled at manipulating other people. She sees effortlessly into what makes people tick, steers the conversation to revealing the info she wants, and then, like any good Thief, snatches up the resulting spoils. Heart also, however, refers to the unchanging core of what makes a person who they are, and to me this is highlighted by the way Downtown holds so tightly to the memory of her friend Miyuki, no matter how far she sinks into the Duke's web of lies and death.

Bookworm Detective: Mage of Light

I said I wasn't going to get too into character growth in these analyses but HEAR ME OUT. The obvious aspect for Bookworm would be Void, right? Her manner of speech literally obfuscates her emotions behind the detached wording of a third-person narration. Plus she's goth as hell. But much like with Rose Lalonde before her, I argue that this is because she starts out with her aspect "inverted", and that her self-actualization comes in the form of her embracing her true nature: Light. Light can mean fortune, as I mentioned in Doleful's entry, but it is also knowledge and clarity. Bookworm's greatest weapon is her encyclopedic recall, and this is put to best use only when she begins to open up to and cooperate with the other detectives. The sense of triumph Wato (and I) experienced every time she felt confident enough to speak in first person should be more than enough to prove that the Void clinging to her psyche is only holding her back from her full potential.

Posh Detective: Seer of Hope

The aspect of Hope can best be summed up as "fake it 'til you make it", and if that doesn't encapsulate Posh as a person, then I don't know what does. Even with her family fallen on hard times, she relies on a carefully constructed facade of wealth and influence to convince others of her abilities. Though this performance isn't always the most convincing to the other detectives, her stubborn refusal to abandon it is no accident on her part. She has convinced herself that her aspirations of rank and prestige (both within the Detective Alliance and in society at large) will manifest if only she can inextricably associate herself with the role. As a Seer, her job is to passively guide others with insight related to her aspect--which brings to mind her naively confident guesses that fail to be correct on their own but can and do divert the discussion indirectly toward the solution.

Mystic Detective: Sylph of Blood

With a name like Van Helsing, he had to be Blood, right? It just feels right with his occult proclivities. But even on a metaphorical level, Blood first and foremost represents the bonds between people, an appropriate theme for the group's resident father figure. Mystic is known for solving his cases with exceptional compassion and patience, emphasizing how the primary source of his success is his ability to connect with those who had otherwise been abandoned. These helpless clients, along with his more direct ties like his adoption of Bookworm and his gentle mentorship of Wato, bring to mind how Sylphs are specifically known to be a "healing" class.

Workaholic Detective: Prince of Time

Time can be a difficult aspect to explain. Like Space, it tends toward the literal, though even in that sense I feel Workaholic is the best fit for it, what with his fixation on past wrongs and his relentless, sleepless march toward his target like a clockwork automaton. In a more figurative sense, Time can be associated with inevitability or even entropy, which evoke Workaholic's single-minded pursuit of justice despite knowing his own destruction was likely to occur alongside Renegade's. Princes are famously referred to as the "destroyer" class, and he certainly fits the bill, both erasing time with the sense of urgency created by his betrayal and also directly cutting short the "time" of those he killed.

Gourmet Detective: Witch of Void

The Void aspect represents both literal nothingness (like the hunger that plagues Gourmet even years after the tragedy that nearly starved her) and also secrets (like the undercover role she played for the FBI). Even Gourmet's facial expressions tend to be vacuous, revealing nothing of her true thoughts or motivations unless she reaches a breaking point. Witches are a vaguely defined class but are thought to be an active one, perhaps breaking the rules of their aspect to their advantage. If so, this could be connected to Gourmet's superhuman gastonomy and sense of smell--imagine an all-consuming black hole, where our very understanding of physics starts to break down--but either way she definitely wields both her hunger and her secrets with deliberate precision.

Techie Detective: Page of Life

Techie's is the classpect I am least certain/happy about, but to be perfectly honest I don't think ANY of the aspects are a clean fit for him. That said, of the ones that do feel related, Life seems like a decent choice for a few reasons--not the least of which is his well-established habit of anthropomorphizing inanimate gadgets and robots. One could say he "imbues them with life". I would argue that, like Bookworm, Techie is still early in his growth, and this is reflected in my assigning him as a Page. Pages are known for being the slowest to bloom but with some of the greatest potential of all the classes, which rings familiar when one considers the sections of his profile that describe him "stagnating" in the rankings and apprenticing under a capricious dandy. With proper support and guidance, Techie would certainly be on track to do great things with his future. While Renegade accuses him of relying on others too much, Techie's willingness to sacrifice his chair to save the others--even when that would mean giving up his own independence--serves as proof to me that he's well on his way to embodying the quintessential Life-bound trait of putting others' needs before his own.

...And, uh, that's everybody! Unfortunately these assignments mean the party's session was doomed the moment Workaholic fried himself. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ No frogs for you, detectives!

[plotapplication]

Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four is one of the most influential and haunting works of 20th-century literature. Published in 1949, the novel presents a grim vision of a future society ruled by totalitarianism, where government control permeates every aspect of life, from language to thought. Orwell’s exploration of power, oppression, surveillance, and truth resonates deeply today, making the novel timeless in its relevance.

The Setting: A World Under Totalitarian Rule

*1984* is set in Airstrip One (formerly Britain), a province of the Party-controlled superstate of Oceania. The society is dominated by the ruling figure known as Big Brother, a symbol of omnipresent surveillance and control. Though Big Brother’s actual existence is ambiguous, his image—on posters, coins, and telescreens—remains ever-present, reminding the populace that they are always being watched. The Party, led by the mysterious and feared figure of Big Brother, maintains an iron grip on the people, using fear, manipulation, and violence to keep them in line.

The novel's protagonist, Winston Smith, lives in a world where privacy is nonexistent, independent thought is forbidden, and truth is constantly rewritten to suit the Party’s needs. The Party's control over the citizens is not just physical but psychological, shaping how they think, what they believe, and even what they perceive as reality.

Themes of Totalitarianism and Power

One of the most striking aspects of *Nineteen Eighty-Four* is its exploration of totalitarianism. Orwell’s dystopia is a vision of a society where all aspects of life are tightly controlled, not merely by force but by manipulation of truth and language. The Party enforces its ideology through a variety of mechanisms, including the Thought Police, who punish any form of dissent, and Newspeak, a language designed to eliminate the possibility of subversive thoughts. The famous slogan of the Party, “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength,” encapsulates the paradoxical nature of totalitarian ideology: the more oppressive the regime, the more it insists that its actions are justified and beneficial.

Orwell was deeply concerned with the way in which power can warp truth. Under the Party’s rule, history is continuously rewritten to fit the present political narrative. What Winston experiences as the past is constantly altered in the Ministry of Truth, where he works as a records clerk. This distortion of reality is perhaps the novel's most chilling aspect, as it illustrates the terrifying power of the state to shape not just the present, but the very memories and understandings of the past.

Surveillance and the Loss of Privacy

A key feature of Orwell's dystopia is the ubiquitous surveillance system. In the world of *1984*, citizens are under constant watch by the Party. Telescreens—devices that broadcast propaganda while simultaneously monitoring the inhabitants—ensure that no one can escape scrutiny. The phrase "Big Brother is watching you" is not just a warning but a fundamental aspect of daily life. Even private thoughts are not safe, as the Thought Police can detect and punish “thoughtcrimes.”

The novel’s emphasis on surveillance as a means of control feels eerily prescient in our own era, where technology has advanced to a point where surveillance is increasingly pervasive. Orwell's depiction of a society where privacy is nonexistent and even the inner workings of the mind are subject to regulation is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked state power in the digital age.

Language and Thought Control: Newspeak

In *Nineteen Eighty-Four*, Orwell introduces the concept of Newspeak, a language constructed to eliminate the possibility of rebellious or subversive thoughts. The Party understands that if people can think freely, they might resist its control. So, Newspeak is engineered to reduce the range of thought. Words that could express dissent are eliminated, and the vocabulary itself becomes smaller and simpler, making it impossible for people to articulate ideas that could challenge the Party’s rule.

Newspeak is a particularly insidious form of control because it changes how people perceive the world. Language is tied to thought, and by limiting the language available, the Party reduces the scope of what individuals can think, making it harder to even conceive of rebellion or resistance. In Orwell’s dystopia, controlling language is the most effective way to control minds.

Winston Smith: The Rebel and the Tragic Hero

Winston Smith, the novel's protagonist, is a low-ranking member of the Party who secretly harbors thoughts of rebellion against the oppressive regime. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia, a co-worker, and the two engage in acts of defiance, including reading forbidden books and discussing the idea of revolution. For Winston, this rebellion is a desperate attempt to reclaim his humanity and to experience the freedom of independent thought.

However, Winston’s journey ultimately reveals the profound strength of the Party’s control. He is captured by the Thought Police, tortured, and brainwashed until he is reduced to a shell of his former self. The psychological and physical torture Winston endures in the Ministry of Love, particularly his experiences with O'Brien, a high-ranking Party member who pretends to be an ally, underscores the extent to which the Party seeks to break not just the body, but the mind. By the end of the novel, Winston is forced to betray Julia, and he accepts the Party’s version of reality, demonstrating the total victory of totalitarianism over the human spirit.

The Relevance of *1984* Today

Though Orwell wrote *Nineteen Eighty-Four* in response to the rise of totalitarian regimes in the mid-20th century—specifically Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany—the novel’s themes are strikingly relevant today. Issues of surveillance, censorship, the manipulation of truth, and the concentration of power in the hands of a few elites are still critical concerns in the modern world. Orwell's vision of a society where truth is malleable and the state controls every aspect of life speaks to the dangers of unchecked political power and the erosion of individual freedoms.

In recent years, discussions around the erosion of privacy, government surveillance programs, and the manipulation of information through social media have led many to draw comparisons between Orwell’s dystopia and contemporary society. Concepts such as “fake news,” the rise of populist authoritarianism, and the spread of misinformation are troubling echoes of the kind of totalitarian control Orwell warned about.

Conclusion: The Power of *1984* as a Warning

*1984* is more than just a bleak vision of the future; it is a warning. Orwell’s novel cautions against the dangers of unchecked government power, the manipulation of truth, and the loss of individual freedoms. Through its exploration of language, surveillance, and the destruction of personal autonomy, *Nineteen Eighty-Four* forces readers to confront the fragility of truth and the potential consequences of political systems that prioritize control over freedom.

In the end, Winston Smith’s tragic fate serves as a sobering reminder of what can happen when a society loses its ability to think critically and independently. Orwell’s novel continues to challenge us to defend truth, protect our freedoms, and remain vigilant against the dangers of tyranny, whether overt or subtle, that may arise in any form or era.

*1984* is not just a story of a dystopian future; it is a mirror that reflects our own time, urging us to never forget the value of liberty, the importance of truth, and the necessity of questioning power.

Note: This post only shares information about the book.

Download Plot for free to explore hundreds of stories written by members and access them offline.

https://plot.gumroad.com/l/plot

[jesperweidemann]

Game Writing Sample 1#: Her Story

When it comes to games that push the boundaries of storytelling, few titles have had as much impact as Her Story. Released in 2015 by indie developer Sam Barlow, this interactive video game combines investigative puzzle-solving with a deeply compelling narrative format, all while exploring new ways of telling a story through gameplay. By using a simple interface to piece together fragmented information, Her Story presents a nonlinear experience that challenges traditional storytelling methods and redefines how players interact with the narrative.

Here’s a look at the key features that made Her Story a standout and a revolutionary game in the narrative-driven genre.

The Power of Nonlinear Storytelling

One of the most compelling aspects of Her Story is its nonlinear narrative structure. Rather than following a traditional, linear progression, the game allows players to experience the story in whatever order they uncover it. Players are tasked with sifting through a database of police interview videos featuring a woman named Hannah Smith, who is being questioned in connection to her missing husband.

What makes the story fascinating is how fragmented it is. Players search for keywords to access clips, but they are often presented out of order, leading to a puzzle-like experience where you must piece together the overarching narrative by paying attention to small details, key phrases, and visual clues. This format engages the player’s detective instincts, making every discovery feel earned rather than spoon-fed through cutscenes or scripted events.

The nonlinear approach also allows players to craft their own understanding of the story. Depending on which clips they uncover first, their interpretation of events can change as more information is revealed. This creates an intensely personal narrative experience, where the sequence of revelations is unique to each player.

Interactive Video as Gameplay

Her Story doesn't feature traditional gameplay mechanics like combat or exploration. Instead, the player interacts with a simulated police database where they must search for and watch real-life video clips. This may sound simplistic, but it’s where the game’s brilliance shines.

The simplicity of the interface belies the complexity of the narrative. Players can type in search terms to find specific clips, but only five videos are displayed at a time. This restriction forces players to think carefully about which words to search for, and to consider the implications of the limited information they have at any given moment.

This approach transforms what might have been passive video-watching into an active investigation, where your own curiosity drives you forward. There's no hand-holding or clear objectives—the game places the responsibility on you to figure out the mystery, much like a detective analyzing real case files.

Subtlety and Performance in Acting

At the heart of Her Story is an outstanding performance by actress Viva Seifert, who portrays Hannah Smith. Her portrayal is subtle, layered, and ambiguous, giving players much to dissect in her body language, vocal tones, and facial expressions. Each video clip reveals small, crucial details about her character, and players are left to interpret her statements: Is she telling the truth? Is she hiding something? Or does she genuinely not remember key events?

Because so much of the game relies on Seifert’s performance, Her Story feels intimate and personal in a way that few other games achieve. It’s as if the player is sitting across from Hannah during each interview, trying to unravel her secrets by reading between the lines.

Exploration of Memory and Subjectivity

Another aspect that makes Her Story so unique is how it explores themes of memory, truth, and subjectivity. As players watch the clips, they quickly realize that memory is a key component of the narrative. What is fact? What is fiction? What does Hannah truly remember versus what she says she remembers?

The game constantly plays with the idea that truth can be subjective. Depending on which clips players find, their perception of the story might change drastically. The lack of a definitive timeline or a singular truth forces players to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, which adds a psychological depth rarely seen in other games.

This exploration of unreliable narration makes Her Story not just a detective story, but also a deep dive into human nature—how we perceive our actions, how we remember things, and how those memories shape our identities.

Redefining Immersion and Player Engagement

In an industry often dominated by action-packed, adrenaline-pumping gameplay, Her Story stands out for how it redefines what player engagement can look like. There are no explosions, no enemies, and no levels to complete. Instead, the tension comes from the player’s own desire to uncover the truth. The act of searching, watching, and thinking becomes the gameplay loop itself.

The game’s minimalist design only heightens its sense of immersion. With nothing to distract you from the videos and your search, you find yourself hyper-focused on every clue, every word, and every nuance in Hannah’s testimony. It’s a masterclass in how less can be more, drawing players into the story without overwhelming them with distractions.

Lasting Legacy and Influence

Since its release, Her Story has left a lasting impact on both indie and mainstream game developers, inspiring a wave of narrative-driven titles that play with structure, format, and player agency. Games like Telling Lies (also by Sam Barlow) and Immortality follow in its footsteps, but Her Story remains a touchstone for how innovative narrative design can elevate a simple premise into something profound.

Its success also signaled a shift in the gaming industry, showing that players were eager for more experimental, story-focused games. The game’s critical and commercial success proved that strong writing, clever design, and a unique concept could resonate deeply with players, even in a market saturated with high-budget, action-heavy titles.

Conclusion

Her Story isn’t just a game—it’s a narrative experiment that redefined how stories can be told through interactive media. By inviting players to piece together fragmented information at their own pace, it created a truly immersive experience that relies on player agency and curiosity. With its nonlinear storytelling, minimalist interface, and outstanding central performance, Her Story remains a shining example of how video games can push the boundaries of storytelling in new and exciting ways.

If you haven’t yet experienced the mystery of Her Story, now is the perfect time to dive into one of gaming’s most innovative and thought-provoking titles.

[readnburied]

Book Review: Rouge by Mona Awad

Date of Publishing: September 12th, 2023

Author: Mona Awad

Publisher: S&S/Marysue Rucci Books

Genre: Horror Literary Fiction, Gothic

This is a standalone novel and follows the story of Mirabelle (Belle) who sees beauty in every person except herself. Growing up as the daughter of a beautiful woman, Belle does whatever she can to make herself look beautiful, even sign up for a salon named Rouge which her Mother kept mentioning before she died. However, Rouge is not what it appears to be and Belle soon realizes that the price of beauty is sometimes to steep to pay. 

I’m obsessed with Mona Awad’s books and her writing style. I don’t know how she comes up with such unique concepts and able to weave such an intriguing narrative but this is one seriously talented author and I strive to be as good as her. I. AM. NOT. JOKING. 

The plot line that mixes the beauty standards of today’s day and age with fairytales was quick to suck me in and I really enjoyed reading about the vast number of beauty products that Belle uses in an attempt to appear beautiful to the world. 

Moreover, the mystery surrounding her Mother’s death was an entire roller-coaster and I have to say the lady in red who appears at her Mother’s funeral was one of my favorite characters in the book; the male counter part being the other, but this author really told the world that the beauty standards now are fairly dangerous and crippling. I could sense some kind of sub text in the form of criticism about how expensive beauty treatments are these days and not everyone can afford them despite having the right to be beautiful. I’m not sure if the author intended it but that’s what I got from reading the book. 

The characters were strange and mysterious as the rest of the story. Like they had a back story but as a reader I was left wondering exactly what the back story was. Belle’s mother clearly had a lot of relationships which were explored in the novel, but there were some characters I’m still wondering about; especially a dark and brooding detective who had a penchant for disguise. Though his story was explored as well, I would’ve liked to have gotten to know him a little deeper. 

Mona Awad has done a fantastic job by adding a touch of creepiness in the form of the mannequins. I never imagined mannequins to be as interesting as she portrayed them. But now every time I’d look at a mannequin I wouldn’t just think of it as a figure of plaster but something more. Something that could be more. 

The psychological aspect woven through the entire story was downright genius and that’s what gave the story the depth it possessed. From the obsession with mirrors and beauty to the mannequins that talked and breathed as if they were real, it was intense and it was thrilling. 

And the best part was the jellyfish. I am obsessed with jellyfish and the author putting the spotlight on such beautiful, mysterious creatures stole my heart. The jellyfish taking center stage really made me fall in love with the story and I really wish I could keep a jellyfish as a pet. Furthermore, the jellyfish being a symbol for one’s memories and soul just shows how malleable and fluid a person’s thoughts can be. I also think the author kind of hinted at a future where it’d be easy for people to get rid of unhappy or traumatic memories as that kind of technology is being invented as I write this. But then the question arises, what are we without our memories? Just a bunch of mannequins—wearing identical expressions and having no opinion of our own. So this story really does leave the reader with plenty of food for thought because one really ask themselves whether they really want to get rid of the painful memories. 

The entire tone of the story is dark and mysterious. Since the start of the story I was filled with questions and read the entire book just to seek the answers. The focus on mirrors was an intriguing aspect to the story just like the jellyfish. And the man in the mirror does seem like the negative voice inside everyone’s head which tells them they’re not good enough and need to work harder to look beautiful. 

Beauty, though makes the world more appealing can be incredibly lethal if it’s forced.

All in all, this book is a must read for everyone and I’m looking forward to Mona Awad’s upcoming books—whenever that maybe. I’m only left with one book by this author which I have yet to read and rest assured I’ll be doing that as soon as I get the chance. But I highly recommend this book to everyone and I urge you all to give this book a chance as soon as possible.  

[harmonyhealinghub]

Edgar Allan Poe: Unraveling the Mastermind who Revolutionized Horror Shaina Tranquilino October 28, 2023

When it comes to horror literature, there is one name that stands out above all others – Edgar Allan Poe. Born in 1809, this enigmatic American author left an indelible mark on the world of literature with his dark and mysterious tales. With his unparalleled ability to delve into the depths of human psyche, Poe's work has forever transformed the genre of horror, inspiring countless authors and filmmakers over the years.

Poe's Unique Style:

Edgar Allan Poe was a master of creating an eerie atmosphere through vivid descriptions and chilling narratives. His stories were often characterized by themes of death, madness, and the macabre, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Unlike other writers of his time, Poe refused to shy away from exploring the darker aspects of human nature.

The Birth of Detective Fiction:

Apart from his contributions to horror fiction, Poe is also hailed as the pioneer of detective fiction. In fact, his character C. Auguste Dupin was a precursor to famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. Stories such as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter" showcased Poe's keen analytical mind and introduced readers to deductive reasoning long before it became popular.

Psychological Depth:

One aspect that sets Poe apart from other authors is his exploration of psychological depth. He delves into the darkest corners of human consciousness and exposes our deepest fears and desires. This penetrating analysis resonates with readers even today, making his works timeless classics.

"The Tell-Tale Heart," for example, showcases how guilt can drive a person insane. The narrator's obsession with a single eye reveals not only their own deteriorating mental state but also serves as a metaphor for humanity's hidden sins lurking beneath the surface.

Legacy in Poetry:

While primarily known for his short stories, Poe's impact on poetry is equally significant. His haunting and melancholic verses have become celebrated works in their own right. Poems such as "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," and "The Bells" continue to captivate readers with their lyrical beauty, evocative imagery, and exploration of themes like love, loss, and the inevitability of death.

Influence on Contemporary Horror:

Edgar Allan Poe's influence on contemporary horror cannot be overstated. Countless authors, filmmakers, and artists draw inspiration from his unique style and themes even today. The dark atmospheres, psychological depth, and twists that have since become synonymous with the genre owe a great debt to this literary pioneer.

Poe's Legacy Continues:

Despite facing personal tragedies throughout his life and enduring financial struggles, Edgar Allan Poe left an indelible mark on literature. His work continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, captivating us with its eerie charm and immersive storytelling.

Edgar Allan Poe forever changed the world of horror through his masterful writings. His ability to explore the depths of human fear and obsession has influenced countless authors who followed in his footsteps. From his chilling tales of suspense to his introspective poetry, Poe remains an icon whose legacy will continue to haunt our collective imagination for generations to come.

[codeblogs]

Reflections on Detective Conan, 2023

As a forward to this, I started watching Detective Conan with some friends midway through this year, and we are now nearly 100 episodes and 1 movie deep. Its been a long journey, and I see it continuing for a while, so I figured I may as well write up some thoughts on it.

Detective Conan itself is a mystery.

On the face of it, it shouldn't be too great. It's one of those standard Sunday morning kids TV anime, something that you'd probably imagine sitting alongside Anpanman, and its tight cultural grip on Japan would lead one to think that it might have some impenetrable barrier for western audiences. Mix in that Gosho Aoyama's prior works, at least in my experience, aren't that popular divorced from Detective Conan's explosive success (that last part was specifically to single out Kaito Kid), and generally aren't regarded as too great, and yet, Conan persists.

Too smug

Honestly, as someone who had already been a Detective Conan fan, reading all the way to the end of the Vermouth arc nearly a decade ago now, I really didn't expect to fall in love with the anime, especially considering how reliant it would be on anime original content as it went on. Yet, something about it manages to shine even when a mystery story isn't that great or is even outright bad.

There's something in these characters that makes it easy to latch on even when nothing is happening, even when the Black Organization has vanished from the narrative for too many episodes to even count after a point. The soft jazz and rocking climactic tracks keep everything feeling ethereal, like you've been dropped into another plane of existence solely to watch this show.

The childish antics of the Detective Boys, Kogoro's Mr. Satan like appeal with moments of genuine charisma and skill, Ran's often overprotective and harsh love, it's all fun. It's like this gooey inside you're rewarded with for overcoming the various barriers to this, whether it be the already mentioned aspects regarding Aoyama's prior works or the cultural barriers, or even just the sheer length or the odd concept.

But, what really makes this series is the titular character, Conan Edogawa, or rather, Kudo Shinichi.

After every session where we watch the anime, I tend to look through Conan related media. Whether it be old boorus to search for obscure fanart, the recent uploads for the tag here, or, my personal favourite, old independent blogs that happened to talk about it. In one of these ventures, I found someone describing their own experience with the anime, watching them fall in love with it almost in real time, and they offered this interesting insight, one that particularly resonated with me during Episode 78 of the TV anime.

The blogger had said something along the lines of "Kudo Shinichi isn't cool because he's an adult. He is cool because he is Kudo Shinichi." Even as Conan, even through all these childish antics, Conan still puts on a serious face and challenges every criminal with his idea of justice- and no matter the crimes committed he wants to ensure that nobody else will die or be harmed. The one time he was forced to watch someone die resonated with him, and seeing a follow up to that 67 episodes later, and seeing Conan make declarations about what it means to be a detective, that is cool. That is the heart of the show for me, and it just never gets old. Kogoro could get knocked out in every episode from where I am, Conan and the crew could be walking right into piles of suspicious dead bodies every session, and I would still love every single moment where Conan drops the act and becomes Kudo Shinichi.

I guess I really do love anime.

[sednonamoris]

fran's 2023 read it and weep 🫵

a comprehensive list of everything i read this year and why you should (or shouldn't) read it as well...

how to read literature like a professor by thomas c. foster

i picked this back up again when i took on a teaching job as a refresh - it was my fourth or fifth reread and as always my main man thomas c. did not disappoint!! not joking when i say i quote this thing on the reg: it's a symbol if you think it is became a permanent fixture in my vernacular ages ago. this book aligns perfectly with my yes the curtains are blue on purpose agenda and serves as an excellent foray into deep/active reading, which i am constantly preaching about to my kids. fun and fresh literary analysis, just the way it should be!

tiny beautiful things by cheryl strayed

gritty, witty, and full of heart. this advice column-turned-book is shocking but so very human, and it got me out of a months-long reading slump.

bridge of clay by markus zusak

yes, a boy named clay builds a bridge, but it’s sooooo much more than that. this book weaves the past and present together in a beautiful way and really brings meaning to the concept of haunting the narrative. the descriptions are vivid and lived-in which makes the setting - 1980’s australia - entirely accessible, even to a foreign homebody like me. the family dynamics at play are outrageous and charming and the whole thing is gorgeously written and it made me cry. read it right now.

the hunchback of notre dame by victor hugo

i LOVED this book but unless you are just as obsessed with the story as me, this is not a rec. victor hugo anything is more of a warning or an i-read-it-so-you-didn't-have-to. did i learn more than i ever wanted to about french gothic architecture and the paris catacombs? yes. was i still utterly enthralled by the layers upon layers of tragedy woven together? also yes. it was so neat to see the (obviously many and major) differences from the children's movie and musical that i grew up loving. so many good quotes for my commonplace book in this one.

song of solomon by toni morrison

i had read just about every toni morrison book except this one, and since this is like theee book i figured it was high time i rectified that. to no one's surprise, i loved it. a brilliantly written coming of age novel with family history and family mythology in dialogue with cultural history and cultural mythology. who are we but the stories we tell ourselves? is common history alone enough to have in common? morrison is an author who poses difficult questions and lets her readers grapple with difficult answers and i always come away from her work feeling exhilarated. if you let me influence you in anything let it be this - whatever book of hers you choose, Everyone should read toni morrison and experience her brilliance firsthand.

the first law trilogy by joe abercrombie (the blade itself, before they are hanged, and last argument of kings, respectively)

gritty political fantasy with the most lovable evil bastards of characters you ever met - it's safe to say i'm obsessed. each and every character has themes and lines of repetition that carry through the series, but they're Anything but one-note. this trilogy is all about cycles, and what i love is that everything - literally everything - comes full circle while still feeling fresh and true to both the story and its characters. also logen ninefingers is my wife now.

the pale blue eye by louis bayard

i watched this movie first on netflix and had a great time, but to no one's surprise i'm going to tell you that the book is better. the character voices are strong and enjoyable - the kinds of personalities that keep you turning pages - and the mystery itself is full of wonderful twists and turns. it's in dialogue with sir arthur conan doyle, as all post-holmes detective fiction is, but does not feel shadowed by or beholden to it. the historical fiction aspect is fun as well!