A question of fic
Jan. 11th, 2007 03:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerA short while ago, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
danachan and I were talking over the phone, and she was mentioning the occasional "dark" bunnies she gets, and its relationship to h/c or not...
We talked a little bit about what she wanted to see in such fic, instead of comfort, and what she mentioned was seeing "hobbit fortitude" in action. Not so much to see the hurt one *comforted* as to see him (or her) *overcome*. "H/O" I said jokingly, but yes, there should be a place for fic in which the character is tested by being hurt, perhaps physically or perhaps not, and has to overcome that by him or her self.
We see that in the books, how each one of the four faces a moment in which he is in despair, and has no one else to rely on for hope, and yet must act anyway.
When Frodo makes his decision to go on alone, he has no way of knowing Sam will follow--he makes that choice by himself, certain that he's going alone into his doom--and if Sam had only been a few minutes longer, it is most certainly what he would have done.
And after the encounter with Shelob, Sam, too is convinced he must go on alone, and makes his peace with that choice. Only the discovery that his master is alive after all changes his choice.
When Merry is on the Pelennor, he is certain he's about to die, yet he strikes anyway, a blow for his fallen king and for the brave Lady who brought him to the battle. He has no other hobbits at his side to offer comfort, but he strikes anyway.
At the Black Gate, Pippin also overcomes his fears, and makes his peace, and finds his hope in going into battle.
So, sometimes in fic, it's not about the character being comforted but about the character finding comfort of a sort inside, in spite of despair, in going on when life seems impossible.
Perhaps some fics that seem dark are not so dark as they first appear.
Food for thought.
danachan and I were talking over the phone, and she was mentioning the occasional "dark" bunnies she gets, and its relationship to h/c or not...We talked a little bit about what she wanted to see in such fic, instead of comfort, and what she mentioned was seeing "hobbit fortitude" in action. Not so much to see the hurt one *comforted* as to see him (or her) *overcome*. "H/O" I said jokingly, but yes, there should be a place for fic in which the character is tested by being hurt, perhaps physically or perhaps not, and has to overcome that by him or her self.
We see that in the books, how each one of the four faces a moment in which he is in despair, and has no one else to rely on for hope, and yet must act anyway.
When Frodo makes his decision to go on alone, he has no way of knowing Sam will follow--he makes that choice by himself, certain that he's going alone into his doom--and if Sam had only been a few minutes longer, it is most certainly what he would have done.
And after the encounter with Shelob, Sam, too is convinced he must go on alone, and makes his peace with that choice. Only the discovery that his master is alive after all changes his choice.
When Merry is on the Pelennor, he is certain he's about to die, yet he strikes anyway, a blow for his fallen king and for the brave Lady who brought him to the battle. He has no other hobbits at his side to offer comfort, but he strikes anyway.
At the Black Gate, Pippin also overcomes his fears, and makes his peace, and finds his hope in going into battle.
So, sometimes in fic, it's not about the character being comforted but about the character finding comfort of a sort inside, in spite of despair, in going on when life seems impossible.
Perhaps some fics that seem dark are not so dark as they first appear.
Food for thought.