#which keeps autocorrecting to men’s rear

[elodieunderglass]

Actually while I’m in an Aubreyad mood I want to point out that @aurpiment ‘s quote up there - “I hate to see a man hanged for it” - is from the Aubreyad aka the Aubrey/Maturin novels, Age of Sail literary adventure novels about the Napoleonic Wars. Published in 1969, the conversation happens in the first novel, “Master and Commander.” It is taking place between the good-natured and honorable Captain Jack Aubrey of the British Royal Navy, in charge of his first command. One of his colleagues is attempting to sound him out re: his position on “buggery” (anal sex, but homosexuality more broadly) stating that he views it as unnatural. In the time, era, setting and the Navy, it was understood that homosexuality could not be prevented, but people were very much hanged for having anal sex. The expected response is for Aubrey to agree with him and condemn practicing homosexuality as a crime punishable by death.

Aubrey diplomatically replies that “there is something in what you say”, but that he “hates to see a man hanged for it.” The other guy can’t do anything but agree.

This sets up right away that Jack is fairly straight himself, but unexpectedly progressive, holds a principle, and hates to see people killed for breaking certain laws even though a naval captain is expected to be the enforcer of the state on this. It’s in character and true to setting, shows off the captain in a favourable light, sets up an interesting tension given that Jack strives to be an otherwise “good” officer, and given that this was both your grandfather’s and your dad’s favorite book, it snuck entirely past the immune systems of the reactionaries and worked its way into their deepest hearts.

See also Captain Kirk, the literary and contemporary brother/cousin of Jack Aubrey: both captains explicitly drew from the same source material, and were used as the same kind of literary mechanism for the same intentions. “Here is a lens through which we expect the (straight male) modern viewer to project themselves as we explore social situations within his crew and outside his crew. You’ll notice that he’s chill about certain stuff, which is normal, because obviously you are too, right? A guy like this would have to be! Anyway…”

This stated principle of discomfort-with-the-act-but-sympathy-for-the-people also sets up the sweetly doomed crush that a gay crew member has on him, which is compassionately handled by the narrative, while Jack is completely oblivious to it. It also sets up an extremely funny scene later with the goats milk, which shows how Jack realistically treats a crime regarded as the same under law (it’s obviously not the same, but it shows how his discipline and honor are tempered by pragmatism; iirc he chooses not to hang the man). Throughout the book the gay crew member does his best with this raging crush on this giant blonde idiot, and while the openness of his infatuation is criticised by MANY crew members, this sets a useful foil to show the genuine innocence and obliviousness of Jack, who presents himself as a seasoned salty sea dog; this makes his eventual struggles and perceptions-in-other-people’s-eyes more compelling because we, the reader, understand that he is fundamentally gentle-natured, struggles with managing all the politics, and is often oblivious to how people perceive him. He’s perceived by some as encouraging the doomed crush to gain the crew member’s loyalty, which makes some of the crew lose respect for him, and others question his leadership. Later in the book, in a conversation about Jack’s honor/obliviousness about the big gay crush, there is a delayed-action hand grenade of a Jane Austen-phrased pun about anal sex which remains one of the funniest of its type BECAUSE it is in such period-relevant language and phrasing. It’s one of the best puns about buttsex that you will find in literature hands-down. (In fact I have just discovered a second, modern pun buried in the Latin one: mens rea or “guilty mind” keeps autocorrecting to “men’s rear,” hilarious.)

The textual handling throughout also highlights the compassion and progressiveness of Stephen (who regards homosexuality with complete neutrality, which we understand through his anarchistic character.) This handling is not modern or inclusive. However, it does a lot of work: revealing character, setting up tensions and conflict, and bearing on one of the subplots.

Anyway, that’s the context and origin of “I hate to see a man hanged for it”. It is in keeping with the period, while the narrative doesn’t shy away from being ugly and showing ugliness. It shows a LOT about the character who says it, and the resulting stress of his management of office politics and the harsh naval charter in the age of sail. It is an interesting way that a (straight?) male writer working in 1969 found to tell his story. And it is also delicious food for the three generations of Aubrey/Maturin shippers. Because the books try to represent Our Guys interacting and conflicting with the social contexts of their times, and mine that conflict for various plot purposes/character studies/puns, they remain interesting no matter how far we get from the Age of Sail (and 1969.)

Genuinely 90% of historical fiction would be so much better if more writers could get more comfortable with the fact that to create a good story set in a different time period you do actually have to give the characters beliefs & values which reflect that time period

[parrishsrubberplant]

#Aubreyad#I TRUST THERE WAS NO MENS REA IN THAT REMARK#and the Aubreyad girlies with our collective mens rea are like#IT IS A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY ACKNOWLEGED THAT JACK IS WANTING OF PENETRATION (gunshot)#hello!#mens rea#which keeps autocorrecting to men’s rear#is adding a new level to this. good day. good day.#if it isn’t obvious to people reading: none of#these are necessarily prescriptive btw. like a lot of the contemporary quotes highlighted upthread as being “good examples aren’t things#we’d write ourselves.#also I love escapism that does away with the social context of the setting to just have fun.#I just saw the Aubreyad quote and wanted#to say all this because it’s one of the really good ways the Aubreyad plays with its setting and characters.

Genuinely 90% of historical fiction would be so much better if more writers could get more comfortable with the fact that to create a good story set in a different time period you do actually have to give the characters beliefs & values which reflect that time period