[LMB] Elli, sherwooding

[Azalais Aranxta]

On Sun, 9 Dec 2007, Meg Justus wrote:

> Malfoy:
>> I never thought that's what he *did* with Taura, so I'm too
>> confused by this question to answer it easily.
>
> We all get knotted up over different things.

That's not an adequate response to my confusion.  I literally
don't know where you are getting the idea that Miles thought
Taura was good enough to XXXX but not to be seen with in public
from.  Certainly they did have sex.  If I have a problem with
Miles/Taura, it's essentially the power differential between
them.

I don't think he is using her for sex and ashamed to admit
that he knows her, the way married men sometimes do, or the way a
lot of men treat fat girls.

> Which probably means that an entire series-long character
> shouldn't be judged on just one action (yes, I realize you have
> more than one reason),

The shouldiness of this conversation is beginning to get to me.
We are not talking about a live human being who will be hurt by
the fact that I dislike her a great deal.  Why "should" anyone
have to use your standards to judge a fictional character?

This shouldiness needs to find a home elsewhere.  It is not wrong
to dislike a fictional character for any reason up to and
including "just don't like her".  She's not real.

> These are the arguments I'm seeing listed from the I don't like Elli camp:
>
> 1) the feminist argument
>     a) that she didn't give up all to marry Miles
>     b) that her actions in Ethan of Athos were sexual harassment
> 2) the cat blanket argument
> 3) the "I don't like her because I don't like her/personally find her bland"
> argument
>
> Am I missing any?

4) the "she doesn't seem to be overmuch bothered by situations in
which she has to do very unpleasant things" argument, and I'd
separate 1a from 1b, because 1a is arguably a sexist argument
whereas 1b is definitely an anti-sexist argument.

> I personally disagree and/or feel that the Doylist
> interpretation is absolutely essential (for 1b, anyway).
> Surprise, surprise.

Yes, but you are never going to force everyone to accept a
Doylist explanation, Meg.  I don't use them at all.  I'm not
interested in them.  If the story or character or plot can't
stand on its own merits without my having to make excuses for
some aspect of the author's personality/life at the time, I'm not
interested in that argument.

~malfoy :/
****************************************************************
Azalais Aranxta (~malfoy)
ataniell93 on LiveJournal and Vox
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/malfoymadness

"I know the true world, and you know I do. But we needn't let it
think we all bow down." --Christopher Fry