Hello!
Would you mind if I asked you to confirm some things, since you've read the Mirror Visitor Quartet in its original French? I've been thinking about the 'maternal/paternal God' themes and was wondering if in the original French, The Other is gendered as male, as he is in the English translation? And also, whether on that scene on the wall where Ophelia is talking to Agatha, whether they refer to their mother in the equivalent French term of 'mommy', or is it something else?
Thank you in advance!
The Other IS referred to as male -- I think it's pretty!! Significant! That both the Other and God, as personas/facets of Eulalie, are referred to in the male... There's something fascinating to me about the way this book is discussing (the failure and absence of) motherhood, though I never quite manage to articulate it... It's very compelling! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic if you have any! But there is something about the repetition of this theme in: Berenilde's motherhood issues, Roseline who's infertile, Ophelie who's also infertile, Eulalie who's... infertile... The whole state of Anima which is run by the driest mother figures you can imagine, Artemis included...
Paralleled with the characters who seem to be dealing with their own mother issues, from the perspective of children: Thorn, Octavio, Elizabeth, Farouk --- and ofc Ophelie herself...
Back to the Other, isn't it kind of interesting that the one child who manages to escape him is gender-fluid Janus? I wonder if that's gonna jump out to me in some way when I reread book 4, I can't wait!
