"My words have an ancestor. My deeds have a lord." - The Tao Te Ching. Alana enjoys imagination, sanity, and tricolon. Writer-Editor-Publisher at Vulgaris Media.
"Psyche's job, everyone's job, was to do the hard things that needed doing, trusting that somehow it would be well. It would not be, the Song reminded her, an easy hope. It was not a lazy summer morning hope. It was the sharp cut of ice, the depths of snow, the frozen night sky. It did not mean - it had never meant - that anyone escaped suffering. It had never meant that Psyche could not lose everything she cherished. But it was hope nonetheless. A hope that promised all evil, no matter how twisted, could and would be straightened back to good."
-Stoneheart (Coming July 1st)
An early reader shared this quote with me and said this: "That was one of my favorite quotes from the book. đ„°"
Favorite Moment from Writing this Morning: I'm so excited to be back in my WIP. I got sucked in so hard I lost track of time. That almost never happens, but I was deep in the world.
Favorite Line Crafted this Morning: She sat at a stark black, white, and gray marble desk in a black, white, and gray room. Every line, chair, table, lamp, and tchotchke was a square, block, or brick. Every stained glass ward had sharp edges. Not a single green or growing thing, not a single curve or comforting touch had a place in the Commissionerâs Office.
@alana-k-asby I do so love creating environmental moods.
One criticism of Jane Austen is that she ignored the lower classes. I find this kind of dumb on multiple levels, primarily because not every work of fiction or social criticism needs to include every single social ill, but also because she does talk about servants/the lower classes quite a bit more than people realize and what she says is important.
The overall theme: kindness to servants/the lower classes/the poor is a very important mark of character.
We all know that Elizabeth Bennet changed her mind about Mr. Darcy after hearing a positive character reference from his housekeeper, but that is just one example of many. The Dashwood girls are better employers than John & Fanny since they easily find servants to move across the country with them: Her wisdom too limited the number of their servants to three; two maids and a man, with whom they were speedily provided from amongst those who had formed their establishment at Norland. Also, servants tended to brag about having wealthy employers, these three servants wanted both a far away and a less prestigious job. John & Fanny were really that bad!
Another mark against General Tilney's character is that he gets irrationally angry at/scares servants:
To such anxious attention was the Generalâs civility carried, that not aware of her extraordinary swiftness in entering the house, he was quite angry with the servant whose neglect had reduced her to open the door of the apartment herself. âWhat did William mean by it? He should make a point of inquiring into the matter.â And if Catherine had not most warmly asserted his innocence, it seemed likely that William would lose the favour of his master forever, if not his place, by her rapidity.
âWhy! How can you ask the question? Because no time is to be lost in frightening my old housekeeper out of her wits, because I must go and prepare a dinner for you, to be sure.â (Henry, on his father coming to his house for a visit. This may be half a joke, but General Tilney is very critical of the meal)
Mrs. Ferrars's character is made quite plain in this complaint about paying annuities (basically a pension here) to some of her husband's old servants:
I have known a great deal of the trouble of annuities; for my mother was clogged with the payment of three to old superannuated servants by my fatherâs will, and it is amazing how disagreeable she found it. Twice every year these annuities were to be paid; and then there was the trouble of getting it to them; and then one of them was said to have died, and afterwards it turned out to be no such thing. My mother was quite sick of it. Her income was not her own, she said, with such perpetual claims on it; and it was the more unkind in my father, because, otherwise, the money would have been entirely at my motherâs disposal, without any restriction whatever.
Mrs. Ferrars is loaded, and she begrudges paying a few pounds to 3 servants. She is greedy and ungrateful.
Mrs. Norris's treatment of the servants is similar to her treatment of Fanny. It shows the depth of her miserliness (how much could one boy really eat?) and also cruelty:
"I had been looking about me in the poultry-yard, and was just coming out, when who should I see but Dick Jackson making up to the servantsâ hall-door with two bits of deal board in his hand, bringing them to father, you may be sure; mother had chanced to send him of a message to father, and then father had bid him bring up them two bits of board, for he could not no how do without them. I knew what all this meant, for the servantsâ dinner-bell was ringing at the very moment over our heads; and as I hate such encroaching people (the Jacksons are very encroaching, I have always said so: just the sort of people to get all they can), I said to the boy directly (a great lubberly fellow of ten years old, you know, who ought to be ashamed of himself), âIâll take the boards to your father, Dick, so get you home again as fast as you can.â The boy looked very silly, and turned away without offering a word, for I believe I might speak pretty sharp; and I dare say it will cure him of coming marauding about the house for one while. I hate such greedinessâso good as your father is to the family, employing the man all the year round!â
It also highlights her hypocrisy, as Mrs. Norris has moved in during the play to help with the preparations, so she is getting free meals all week but she won't let this kid eat when he's helping his father (who is building the stage for the play)
Mr. Knightley considers the common people of Highbury before moving a path, even though he likely owns all of the land and can do whatever he wants:
"But John, as to what I was telling you of my idea of moving the path to Langham, of turning it more to the right that it may not cut through the home meadows, I cannot conceive any difficulty. I should not attempt it, if it were to be the means of inconvenience to the Highbury people, but if you call to mind exactly the present line of the path"
The kind Musgroves, who have given their nursemaid a retirement plan instead of turning her out:
A chaise was sent for from Crewkherne, and Charles conveyed back a far more useful person in the old nursery-maid of the family, one who having brought up all the children, and seen the very last, the lingering and long-petted Master Harry, sent to school after his brothers, was now living in her deserted nursery to mend stockings and dress all the blains and bruises she could get near her, and who, consequently, was only too happy in being allowed to go and help nurse dear Miss Louisa.
And who clearly are rewarded for this kindness.
Anne Elliot showing kindness to Mrs. Smith, who has nearly fallen right out of the gentry, vs. her fathers disdain for charity:
âWestgate Buildings!â said he, âand who is Miss Anne Elliot to be visiting in Westgate Buildings? A Mrs Smith. A widow Mrs Smith; and who was her husband? One of five thousand Mr Smiths whose names are to be met with everywhere. And what is her attraction? That she is old and sickly. Upon my word, Miss Anne Elliot, you have the most extraordinary taste! Everything that revolts other people, low company, paltry rooms, foul air, disgusting associations are inviting to you. But surely you may put off this old lady till to-morrow: she is not so near her end, I presume, but that she may hope to see another day. What is her age? Forty?â
Added to Sir Walter and Elizabeth's idea to cut expenses:
âCan we retrench? Does it occur to you that there is any one article in which we can retrench?â and Elizabeth, to do her justice, had, in the first ardour of female alarm, set seriously to think what could be done, and had finally proposed these two branches of economy, to cut off some unnecessary charities, and to refrain from new furnishing the drawing-room; to which expedients she afterwards added the happy thought of their taking no present down to Anne, as had been the usual yearly custom."
Vs. how the Crofts treat the poor:
She could have said more on the subject; for she had in fact so high an opinion of the Crofts, and considered her father so very fortunate in his tenants, felt the parish to be so sure of a good example, and the poor of the best attention and relief, that however sorry and ashamed for the necessity of the removal, she could not but in conscience feel that they were gone who deserved not to stay, and that Kellynch Hall had passed into better hands than its ownersâ.
Henry Crawford's moral fall begins with ignoring the needs of his tenants:
"I have half an idea of going into Norfolk again soon. I am not satisfied about Maddison. I am sure he still means to impose on me if possible, and get a cousin of his own into a certain mill, which I design for somebody else. I must come to an understanding with him. I must make him know that I will not be tricked on the south side of Everingham, any more than on the north: that I will be master of my own property... I have a great mind to go back into Norfolk directly, and put everything at once on such a footing as cannot be afterwards swerved from. Maddison is a clever fellow; I do not wish to displace him, provided he does not try to displace me; but it would be simple to be duped by a man who has no right of creditor to dupe me, and worse than simple to let him give me a hard-hearted, griping fellow for a tenant, instead of an honest man, to whom I have given half a promise already. Would it not be worse than simple? Shall I go? Do you advise it?â
Of course, Henry does not go to Everginham, as he knows is right, but instead goes to the party in London, where he again runs into Maria...
Yes, Austen didn't write servants/the lower classes as full characters in general, they are in the background and around the edges of the scenes, but over and over, we can sort characters into moral and immoral by their treatment of those less fortunate around them.
Thorondor took his way far above the earth, seeking the high roads of heaven, where the sun daylong shines unveiled and the moon walks amid the cloudless stars.
Favorite Moment from Writing this Morning: Oddly, I've had a good time designing some annoying bureaucracy for our world. It's been cathartic in a way and a bit funny.
Favorite Line Crafted: The bureaucratic woman dumped the sealed box with his blood and the paperwork into a large plastic bag, which was also labeled and sealed with the microphone. She stuffed Parthâs copy into his hand with the other papers and fiddled with the stained glass date-stamp. Once again, she took Parthâs hand and tattooed it. Beneath the first set of numbers, 42 inked in. Parth coughed out a laugh that fell flat around him.
Who can pass up a 42 joke? I didn't even plan it. But as soon as I saw the opportunity, I had to keep it.
@alana-k-asby I added in even more bureaucratic red tape for Parth this morning, poor boy. The good thing? I don't think he's actually going to do any of the things he's been told to do.
Have you heard about these helicopter warriors rescuing people in Western North Carolina? Government helicopters are grounded because of budgeting concerns, while people are starving and perishing. These guys are heroes.
We are Hope Mill Inc and we are helping rescue, donate, and make supply drops ⊠Kevin Garrison needs your support for Support Hope Mill Inc'
FEMA claims authority over all operations after a disaster. In theory theyâre supposed to coordinate all the organizations trying to help. In practice they confiscate donations and ban everyone who isnât part of an approved NGO. They did this during Katrina too.
I live just a few miles from Newport, Tennessee, and I was within a half mile of the Nolichucky River evacuation zone. I know people affected by this. FEMA stealing supplies is happening, and TEMA told us locals to not help our neighbors the other day. We didnât listen, obviously.
In addition, I can confirm about Katrina and FEMA stealing donations. I was a rescue worker for that event, and they absolutely kicked out everyone who was helping, and confiscated donated supplies. Arrested people for helping, took boats away from the locals who were rescuing people, forced ambulance units from all over the country to leave. But people tell me Iâm lying, despite seeing it with my own eyes.
Give your donations to the local churches in the disaster areas. FEMA canât take donations from them, and the churches actually help people. They feed and shelter victims, help people clean up and rebuild. Iâm not even a religious person, but ever since Katrina, my money and donations go the local Baptist churches, because I know they will actually help.
