Dead Until Dark is about a southern girl named Sookie Stackhouse who falls in love with a vampire named Bill Compton. Sookie lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana and is viewed as being crazy by most of the town. In fact she is not crazy at all, but rather has a telepathic ability. Sookie acts crazy because she has to hear all the sadistic, mean, and just plain wrong thoughts that everyone in the town has. It doesn't help that she works in a bar/grill where there drunk men who have immoral thoughts about her.
She first meets Bill when she is working and proceeds to save him from the "Rats" who were siphoning blood from him. Later when the "Rats" try and kill Sookie, Bill comes to the rescue and saves her even though Sookie is gravely wounded. Bill gives Sookie some of his blood to help her wounds heal and in turn eternally bonds himself to her. Since Sookie drank a substantial amount of Bill's blood, Bill can now sense when Sookie is in danger. Sookie later invites Bill to her house to talk with Gran. After some small talk Sookie and Bill go on a walk where Sookie tells Bill that she likes him because she cannot hear his thoughts. The reader also learns that Bill is very old fashioned telling Sookie that he thinks her dress is too short. Eventually they become attached to a point where Bill claims that Sookie is his. He did this to protect her from other vampires who might think of her as a snack or a play thing. Their love for each other evolves through the story and gets to a point where she loses her virginity to Bill and even lets him bit her in the process.
I view Sookie's character as a very strong female character who goes through traumatizing events throughout the book. She shows her strength by fighting off the "Rats" from taking Bills blood, she also shows it when fighting off Rene. She also shows perseverance to continue her life even though people close to her keep dying, especially Gran, who Sookie was very close with and lived with. She fits many of the characteristics of the male gaze. She considers herself as a pretty blond who has a nice body. Even with these characteristics she is not afraid to speak her mind.
I consider Bill as Sookie's "knight in shinning armor" even though he cannot save her in the daytime because his skin burns in the daytime. Bill is very old fashioned and very protective of Sookie, especially around other vampires. Even when he is forced to go away he finds people to watch over her. Since Bill and Sookie are bonded, Bill will come running when anything is wrong.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
One Bad Ass Woman
If I could only use two words to describe Anita they would be "Bad Ass." Constantly around dangerous people such as vampires, undead, ghouls, and rat people, Anita displays traits that normally are not bestowed on women. She is constantly harassed by vampires, many wanting to control her. She is known to the vampire community as the "executioner" because she has killed 14 vampires.
Anita fits the male gaze pretty well. She has huge boobs, a pretty face, and often wears clothing that is sensual(except for the penguin shirts). One thing that contradicts the male gaze is Anita's scars that she has on her body. I also found that the illustrators used the male gaze when they made a scene where Anita was in the shower. Another thing that stuck out to me is how many of the male vampires were portrayed in the comics. Some of the first vampires that were introduced in the first comic (Jean-Claude and Phillip) worked at a strip club. This very much contradicts what we would view as the stereotypical strip club, which would feature women instead of men.
Anita is constantly put through vampire antics. Many times they try and use mind games to control her. But Anita is a resilient woman claiming "I'm not just another pretty face to fall for mind tricks." Even though she admits that she is scared in many of these situations she still puts her tough face on even when they can smell her fear. A perfect example of this would be when she faces the rat man. After he sends his rat minions at her she challenges him saying "Are you afraid to come yourself? Are you afraid of me? Your friends get hurt doing something your afraid to do! Is that it?" Anita also does not take any sexual harassment. When called a fine piece of tail she replies by saying "Lets get something straight I am not a piece of anything, nor am I a bedwarmer." One thing is for certain about Anita, she is one tough bad ass woman.
Anita fits the male gaze pretty well. She has huge boobs, a pretty face, and often wears clothing that is sensual(except for the penguin shirts). One thing that contradicts the male gaze is Anita's scars that she has on her body. I also found that the illustrators used the male gaze when they made a scene where Anita was in the shower. Another thing that stuck out to me is how many of the male vampires were portrayed in the comics. Some of the first vampires that were introduced in the first comic (Jean-Claude and Phillip) worked at a strip club. This very much contradicts what we would view as the stereotypical strip club, which would feature women instead of men.
Anita is constantly put through vampire antics. Many times they try and use mind games to control her. But Anita is a resilient woman claiming "I'm not just another pretty face to fall for mind tricks." Even though she admits that she is scared in many of these situations she still puts her tough face on even when they can smell her fear. A perfect example of this would be when she faces the rat man. After he sends his rat minions at her she challenges him saying "Are you afraid to come yourself? Are you afraid of me? Your friends get hurt doing something your afraid to do! Is that it?" Anita also does not take any sexual harassment. When called a fine piece of tail she replies by saying "Lets get something straight I am not a piece of anything, nor am I a bedwarmer." One thing is for certain about Anita, she is one tough bad ass woman.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Lusting for Freedom
Quotes: "It is more than the act of intercourse, much more than penis and vagina"
I could not agree more with this quote. To me it is more about the moment that you are in rather than just sex.
"Sex can look like love if you don't know what love looks like."
Again completely agree, this is often the case in younger couples that are not sure what love is.
"Instinctively I knew I wanted more pleasure and more freedom, and I intuitively knew I deserved and knew I could get more."
As with any other human, the need for pleasure and power is endless, but humans will always try and get more.
In this essay the author claimed that she was eleven when she first had sex. In Fledgling Shori looked like she was eleven so there were some similarities there. The author claimed that she eventually had a "power" to make men need her. Shori's venom that she injected with people also made people need her. The Author also claims that she gave into her wants and craves for sex and has no problem with it. In Fledgling Shori gave into her want and crave for her symbionts occasionally but had to resist other times.
I could not agree more with this quote. To me it is more about the moment that you are in rather than just sex.
"Sex can look like love if you don't know what love looks like."
Again completely agree, this is often the case in younger couples that are not sure what love is.
"Instinctively I knew I wanted more pleasure and more freedom, and I intuitively knew I deserved and knew I could get more."
As with any other human, the need for pleasure and power is endless, but humans will always try and get more.
In this essay the author claimed that she was eleven when she first had sex. In Fledgling Shori looked like she was eleven so there were some similarities there. The author claimed that she eventually had a "power" to make men need her. Shori's venom that she injected with people also made people need her. The Author also claims that she gave into her wants and craves for sex and has no problem with it. In Fledgling Shori gave into her want and crave for her symbionts occasionally but had to resist other times.
Shori the Little
In the book Fledgling the author, Octavia Butler, portrays Shori as a small African American girl that is extremely vulnerable. Octavia Butler makes Shori appear to be weak and strong throughout the book. In the beginning of the book Shori starts out not even knowing what she is, who she is, or how she got there. The reader learns that even though she starts off in a very weak state that she is no normal human. She eventually completely recovers by eating raw meat.
Shori eventually decides to leave the the area where she woke up. She travels along different roads until a man pulls over to offer her a ride. In this point in the book you realize that Shori is not only a small female but what appears to be an eleven year old girl. She rides in a man named Wright's car. Wright initially wants to take Shori to the hospital or police station, but when Shori bit him those thoughts went away fast as he was hooked to her.
Wright eventually takes Shori home with him not knowing what to expect, only knowing that what he felt when she bit him was nothing like anything that he had been experienced before. Wright helps Shori undress, which was a little weird to me knowing that Wright believed that she was eleven years old, and then proceeds to have sex with her. What Shori did not know at the time was that she was injecting Wright with a toxin that made him addicted to her.
Shori eventually learns about from her father Iosif. He tells her that she was an experiment and that is why she had dark skin and could stand to be in the sun. He explains to her the need to have symbionts and their dependence on her once they are bonded. Wright proclaimed that "It's not like I can leave. Hell, I can feel the hold she's got on me. I can't even think of leaving her without getting scared." Iosif explains how they go about mating and other things that could prove helpful in bringing back Shori's memory, he also tells her that she is fifty three years old. The only problem that what little information that she does receive doesn't help her with with all the situations that she will face. This is where she can be viewed as week. Shori has to depend on her symbionts for help in many different areas.
Once her fathers village was destroyed, Shori takes on two symbionts that were bound to her fathers family. In order to save their lives Shori takes them as her smybionts. Shori is reliant on these two symbionts for information and as well as for direction. They lead her another Ina village where her strength is shown more than any other part in the book. The village gets attacked during the day and Shori not only alerts everyone that there is an attack but takes out a couple shooters during the attack. The Gordon family calls for a council with other vampires soon after they figure out that the Silk family may be responsible for the attack.
During this council Shori is asked to take the stand and tell her case. The Silk family thought that Shori would be distraught from losing all her family members and her symbionts. They were wrong as for the most part Shori played it cool and collected during the proceedings. Even when Theodora (Shori's symbiont) was murdered and Shori wanted just to go and kill those who were responsible she played it cool. Eventually the mostly calm attitude during the council paid off as the Silk family and the person who killed Theodora were punished. It is my belief that the Octavia Butler purposely intended to portray Shori as a weak young girl in the beginning and have her progress into being a strong woman at the end.
Shori eventually decides to leave the the area where she woke up. She travels along different roads until a man pulls over to offer her a ride. In this point in the book you realize that Shori is not only a small female but what appears to be an eleven year old girl. She rides in a man named Wright's car. Wright initially wants to take Shori to the hospital or police station, but when Shori bit him those thoughts went away fast as he was hooked to her.
Wright eventually takes Shori home with him not knowing what to expect, only knowing that what he felt when she bit him was nothing like anything that he had been experienced before. Wright helps Shori undress, which was a little weird to me knowing that Wright believed that she was eleven years old, and then proceeds to have sex with her. What Shori did not know at the time was that she was injecting Wright with a toxin that made him addicted to her.
Shori eventually learns about from her father Iosif. He tells her that she was an experiment and that is why she had dark skin and could stand to be in the sun. He explains to her the need to have symbionts and their dependence on her once they are bonded. Wright proclaimed that "It's not like I can leave. Hell, I can feel the hold she's got on me. I can't even think of leaving her without getting scared." Iosif explains how they go about mating and other things that could prove helpful in bringing back Shori's memory, he also tells her that she is fifty three years old. The only problem that what little information that she does receive doesn't help her with with all the situations that she will face. This is where she can be viewed as week. Shori has to depend on her symbionts for help in many different areas.
Once her fathers village was destroyed, Shori takes on two symbionts that were bound to her fathers family. In order to save their lives Shori takes them as her smybionts. Shori is reliant on these two symbionts for information and as well as for direction. They lead her another Ina village where her strength is shown more than any other part in the book. The village gets attacked during the day and Shori not only alerts everyone that there is an attack but takes out a couple shooters during the attack. The Gordon family calls for a council with other vampires soon after they figure out that the Silk family may be responsible for the attack.
During this council Shori is asked to take the stand and tell her case. The Silk family thought that Shori would be distraught from losing all her family members and her symbionts. They were wrong as for the most part Shori played it cool and collected during the proceedings. Even when Theodora (Shori's symbiont) was murdered and Shori wanted just to go and kill those who were responsible she played it cool. Eventually the mostly calm attitude during the council paid off as the Silk family and the person who killed Theodora were punished. It is my belief that the Octavia Butler purposely intended to portray Shori as a weak young girl in the beginning and have her progress into being a strong woman at the end.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Dual Seduction
After reading Twilight it was obvious that the main theme of the book had to do with a young girl who falls desperately in love with a vampire. Normally the vampire is classified as having a seductive lure about them. The thing that might is different about this situation is not only the lure Edward has over Bella but the lure she has over him.
Bella who just moved from Phoenix to Forks was never a "normal" girl. She even admits it throughout the book. From the first time that she sees Edward she is stricken by his jaw dropping looks. She says he is near perfect, if not the embodiment of perfection. I view this as a "first love" ordeal, but in fact it turns into something more. The thing that confuses Bella is how at the beginning of the book he chooses to ignore her, he even gives her some nasty looks in their chemistry class. Eventually Edward comes around and gives into his desires to see Bella.
After Edward saves Bella from a car, which would have crushed her, Bella begins to question how he saved her and what he is. Eventually she finds out what Edward is. The strange thing is how she only is not afraid but rather intrigued. Edward, confused by the fact that he cannot read Bella's mind, often follows her without her noticing. Edward saves Bella from a group of drunk men who had awful intentions according to Edward, afterward he drove her home and the persistent questioning of almost the entire book began. Edward reveals to her that he can read minds but he cannot read her, which constantly irritates him, many times to the point where he asks her what she is thinking. This is part of the lure that she has over him because she is THE ONLY person's mind Edward cannot read.
Edward also reveals that every person has a smell and Bella's smell is his own "brand of heroin," he refers to her smell as "mouthwatering." Throughout the book Edward constantly tells Bella that he is dangerous and that she should stay away. He also reveals how hard it is to be around her because at any moment he could snap and he couldn't live with himself if Bella got hurt because of him. The lure that he has over her prevents her from leaving, she claims that she does not care what he is, the only thing that mattered to her was that she was in love with him. Even when Edward shows himself to her in the sunlight she is struck with utter fascination referring to him "a perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal." Edward also tells her that he watches her sleep and that she says his name a lot when she is sleeping. Edward tells her that he cannot sleep but if he could dream at all it would be about Bella.
Edward never wants to leave Bella's side telling her to "bring on the shackles - I'm your prisoner." They seem to be literally obsessed with each other in a good way. The initial seduction that each possessed for each other eventually turned into love. That love which might have started out as a young girls "first love" situation turned out to be true love, which is very hard to find.
Bella who just moved from Phoenix to Forks was never a "normal" girl. She even admits it throughout the book. From the first time that she sees Edward she is stricken by his jaw dropping looks. She says he is near perfect, if not the embodiment of perfection. I view this as a "first love" ordeal, but in fact it turns into something more. The thing that confuses Bella is how at the beginning of the book he chooses to ignore her, he even gives her some nasty looks in their chemistry class. Eventually Edward comes around and gives into his desires to see Bella.
After Edward saves Bella from a car, which would have crushed her, Bella begins to question how he saved her and what he is. Eventually she finds out what Edward is. The strange thing is how she only is not afraid but rather intrigued. Edward, confused by the fact that he cannot read Bella's mind, often follows her without her noticing. Edward saves Bella from a group of drunk men who had awful intentions according to Edward, afterward he drove her home and the persistent questioning of almost the entire book began. Edward reveals to her that he can read minds but he cannot read her, which constantly irritates him, many times to the point where he asks her what she is thinking. This is part of the lure that she has over him because she is THE ONLY person's mind Edward cannot read.
Edward also reveals that every person has a smell and Bella's smell is his own "brand of heroin," he refers to her smell as "mouthwatering." Throughout the book Edward constantly tells Bella that he is dangerous and that she should stay away. He also reveals how hard it is to be around her because at any moment he could snap and he couldn't live with himself if Bella got hurt because of him. The lure that he has over her prevents her from leaving, she claims that she does not care what he is, the only thing that mattered to her was that she was in love with him. Even when Edward shows himself to her in the sunlight she is struck with utter fascination referring to him "a perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal." Edward also tells her that he watches her sleep and that she says his name a lot when she is sleeping. Edward tells her that he cannot sleep but if he could dream at all it would be about Bella.
Edward never wants to leave Bella's side telling her to "bring on the shackles - I'm your prisoner." They seem to be literally obsessed with each other in a good way. The initial seduction that each possessed for each other eventually turned into love. That love which might have started out as a young girls "first love" situation turned out to be true love, which is very hard to find.
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