SPACEANJL'S BLOG

SpaceAnJL

AnJLverse Study notes 2: Imagery
Tuesday, March 20, 2007

This is just me knocking a few ideas about. A couple of folk wanted to know about my thought processes (at least, I assume that's what 'where the hell do you GET these ideas?' was about ) so...

2. Imagery.

Links to the names thing. Because of Ilargia's name origins, a lot of ideas relating to her, particularly in River's speech, are moon related.

Other imagery, especially in 'Zen' - I did a lot of doll and bird imagery. The bird thing was partly River as 'little Albatross', but also a good link to the Ibsen play, 'Wild Ducks'. So the 'Doll's House' wasn't a mad stretch, either. And the whole birds/cages thing tied in with the soiled doves/sitting ducks line, too. Incidentally, it wasn't until after I wrote the idea of hawks (military) and doves (Companions) conflict that I discovered that 'Little Wing' (about the most perfect River song) was from the Neil Young album of the same name.

And the doves flying up before Mal was basically John Woo. I had a wu xiu vibe about the Training House. Plus it gave me that little scene with Jayne - how there isn't much space for being pretty and useless in the 'Verse. Just to make you think about what the Companions or whoever really had in mind for River.

The painted doll thing - River being painted up and kept safe until it was time to use her in someone's scheme. Tied in with the idea of a rather dull and pampered existence back in the Core, and a link to Ibsen's 'Doll's House', too.

Her speech is so very good for playing with ideas. You can use metaphors or allegory, and unless someone is aware of the context, it does look like babbling. Unauthorised use of poetry and song-lyric creep in here, too.

There's more animal imagery in 'Viva New Vegas'. Wannabe might be nuts, but most of his speech is Hunter S inspired, with a nod to Jubal Early (am I a lion?)



COMMENTS

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 3:56 PM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER


Ah SpaceAnJL...our own River Tam, always making with the brilliant but eseoteric reference that just leave us in awe;D

Can't wait for part 3 of this exploration of your thought process...if you still got stuff to discuss;D

BEB

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 10:10 AM

MSG


Sounds great!


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