Winter Rose

I just finished reading the book Winter Rose. I've read Winter Rose three times. I think I finally understand the ending.

And I don't mean that as in it being a strange concept, too complicated to understand; what I mean is, I finally get what the book is all about. Well, one of the things I suppose. I guess that's what's so lovely about rereading, you get something new out of it every time.

Anyway, the new concept I finally realized in the end: freedom. Whatever the reviews say about desire and longing and need, the end is about freedom. Of course, all the desire and longing and need is in there, too, but that's there as somewhat of a contrast for the ending. It's...difficult to explain without going through the entire plot of the book, but it was so very new and lightbulbish to me that I have to write about it. So, the breakdown:

Corbet needs Rois to pull him out of the fey world so he can be human.
Rois needs Corbet, because he makes her human. Her needing subsequently gets confused with desire and longing and love.

But all of this needing and longing can't be love, because they aren't free to love. And that's what's so wonderful about it! I was going to write a contrast with this and Pride and Prejudice and whether love is better worked for--out of need--or given freely. But now I realize I don't need to, because they're both the same.

When they needed each other, it was lovely and some of the most awesome examples of self sacrifice ever, but it made their feelings for each other more...gratitude and...well, need. But Corbet even says himself, "You have tried to help me, and I am grateful. But love is not gratitude. I can't be content with you because of that." This is when he's...not actually exactly Corbet, but it stands true to how it really was. But after she saves him, and he, in a way, saves her, it's so much better. They don't need each other, but they now have the ability to want each other.

They have a really awkward conversation in the end, but it's wonderful because you can tell that they can really see each other now, and pick out things they like, and in time they can give their love freely.

The first time I read the ending, I was highly depressed by the lack of closure.
The second time, I was rather more hopeful but somewhat confused.
The third time...I have no doubts they will get together in time, adore it all, and can't see it turning out any other way.

A few quotes, just to point out how much I love this book:

'They said later that he rode into the village on a horse the color of buttermilk, but I saw him walk out of the wood.' (1)

'"You come to me," he whispered. "Into every dark place. Into every memory. Into the empty eyes of winter. I go alone and find you with me. Why do you care for me?"

I did not know until I spoke. "Because you are making me human."' (212)

'I met his eyes filled my eyes with him, looking for all the small things I had loved. I found them still there. I could reach out to them or not; he could say yes, or he could say no. He smiled at me suddenly, not understanding what he saw, but drawn to it. Freedom, I could have told him: a new word for both of us.' (262) (The part which apparently never hit me until now)

Anthem

In my English class, we're reading the book Anthem by Ayn Rand. We're supposed to be done with chapter two by tomorrow. I'm finished with it.

Anyhow, the book is supposed to be an advocate for Ayn Rand's philosophy Objectivism. I disagree with some rather large parts of the philosophy, but I highly enjoyed the book. I've decided that the reason for this is that whenever books are used to illustrate a certain, it's usually exaggerated. A lot.

The book, Anthem, takes place in this super socialist era, where no one has names or is allowed to stand out, and they've outlawed the word "I." It was so strange when the main character referred to himself as "we." The book basically was all about him discovering the powers of himself and his own individuality, which, you know, is a good thing. The philosophy, however, states that man "is an end to himself" and "must live for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself; he must work to his rational self-interest, with the achievement of his own happiness as the highest moral purpose of his life." Agreement ends here. This seems rather selfish to me. "I have found my purpose...being selfish! *exaltation ensues*" Yeah...

But that's not what I want to address. Basically, what I am trying to say is that you can make people agree with any point you have to make if you just make some society that is far out in the opposite direction. I worded that better in my head, but hopefully you get my point. If you have a crazy socialist society you make us read about, we'll all turn capitalist. If you have a crazy capitalist society you make us read about, we'll all turn socialist. Does that mean we actually agree? No. It just means we're not totalitarians, for either forms of government.

In order to really get your point across and see if people will actually agree with you, you'd have to find some way to put it in a normal society, one that we're all used to. We need to see how your point applies to us--the injustices of real life, not the injustices of a totalitarian socialist society. Of course we'll sympathize with brutalities that are totally unnatural to us.

That said, I did like the book. I agree with some of the philosophy--the capitalism and individuality and whatnot, and it really was just interesting. But it does seem a sketchy way to make us buy into Objectivism.

An Introduction

It has come to my attention that I said very little about myself in my last (and consequently first) post. I wish to remain somewhat ambiguous, so I shan't go into much detail, but there are a few things you should perhaps know.

I am, more or less, an average teenage girl. I go to school. I come home. I do my homework. I'm in band and choir and drama. I like sleeping. I like boys. I have a deep love of literature. Yeah, literature = love. My favorite book of all time is Gone With the Wind. *sighs happily* The complex themes, the sweeping drama, the Real characters, the perfect tragedy. Love love love it. I'm also fond of Wuthering Heights, most Jane Austen, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and...others. But then, in addition to classics and such, I'm a big fantasy/scifi fan. Fairies, unicorns, mages, elves, wizards, the all. Love that too.

I love Final Fantasy VII. I've never played it, but I'd like to think I have some credibility there, because I watched the whole thing on youtube in a walkthrough. And of course I own Advent Children and have written some fanfiction. I also love The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. And I have played it. And I would marry the Prince.

So, yes, I might be somewhat of a crazy fangirl. But I'm also more than that, because people are more than a category. I'm...me. I write stories, I...think. (Therefore I am. Obviously.) Anyway. I have meant these entries to be rather more deep than they are, but...these were introductions. I will get to the real thing soon. In which I will describe life...the universe...everything. (Sorry. It's just such a great line.) Signing off now.

~the Weird Girl

The Beginning

Once Upon a Time there was a Weird Girl who had many strange thoughts she wanted to share with the world. However, the Weird Girl felt a bit awkward sharing her thoughts with most of the world, so to make things less awkward, she decided to post them on a blog, where she could speak more freely and ramble incessantly, because rambling was something she did well. And so it started...

I have a blog now. Weird. I'm not sure if I'll ever actually write more than this one post, because I don't have a lot patience, and it seems like it could be a somewhat pointless endeavor. But anyway...

I am the previously mentioned Weird Girl, and my reasoning for having a blog is to share my thoughts on life...the universe...everything! (So need to read the rest of those books. Read the first two. Need the third.) But because of my supreme laziness, this may or may not happen. Signing off now. More later. Maybe.