ALBATROSS 3b
Monday, February 15, 2010
River Tam's diary at the Academy. Part 3, considering where she's been and where she is now. Ongoing.
I've split Part 3 into two parts because of the length, 3a and 3b.
For those who want to start at the beginning, Part 1: http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=22568
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 3764 RATING: 10.0 (PG13) SERIES: FIREFLY
Once again, thanks to Bytemite and gilovetodance for the beta, among others.
The entries remain cryptic and unordered as usual. Questions, comments, guesses welcome. Have at it.
[Joss is boss, River is not mine, etc. ad nauseum, ad infinitum...]
____________________________________________________
___
ENTRY #????
I will stop curiosity like a clock. No, I am not a bundle of flesh and feathers, wound up tight on brittle bones, waiting to flail into flight. I have no beak, no staring eye, no talons of a thousand points of light and pain. And I will not do everything I can. That was long ago precluded when I first…arrived. Now I think I’ve arrived again, but it’s only an illusion, turning the labyrinth on a sharpened spindle, waiting for my sixteenth birthday. You can’t make time go faster, can’t bend it, shape it, beg or plead it. Only we stop. And then the world spins.
I’m worthless. Don’t you see that?
When something is sold it loses its value. And all I can keep thinking is “how did I get here? How did I really get here?” This is too uncomfortable to think about, and so I won’t. I’ll just let the distractions drop like harp strokes down through my mind: Ding, ding, ding. I can hear them getting ready for dinner, down the hall. Miles and Sperhgy, Jani. Dorsett. Like so much Ionian dust sitting down, all together, graces and heroes. Volger will of course be at the head of the table, as in life, clattering, because he is so important. Somehow, they were important.
And they’ve all beaten me. Beaten me to the wine, because they’re old enough to take their medicine. Like ducks, all in a row. Bang. The falcon drops like a stone into the reflected eye of amber and time splits. Stops.
___
ENTRY #????
Mother, you were so pretty in the mornings before temple, when everything was new and clean like freshly ironed laundry. Peace hung in the air like music. You filled the mirror, all quirks smoothed over in the benevolence and once-a-week calm needed for chanting. I
"I will stop curiosity like a clock" refers to the last section, with authors "getting ready for dinner" "like ducks," lining up to be shot. River always wanted to know more, and now she's regretting this. She's learned too much.
I will say that there are entries here from very early on, and one from much, much later--the one about clocks and ducks.
Hm. Given what you've said already, what do you make of that section about the ducks all in a row? The falcon continues as a theme.
I'm really enjoying following through the 'string' theme: in the list I have so far, I've got - maze, labyrinth, mouse, cheese, lab rat, Sleeping Beauty, string, amygdala, threads (of self), crumbs (Hansel and Gretal), tapestry. Which is those is completely off the track?!
For now you could get most of the references I have made so far(and the meaning they used in the movie)from a quick summary.
1 to 3b? Are you starting to get the thread? ;D Clearly yes. Bravo. I would say that all of what you noticed is important, but that you can split them into two categories to watch: string and paths.
Falcon, hmm? the Falcon gets shot here. In heraldry, the falcon is a symbol of relentlessly pursuing a goal, which might end up killing River. The falcon is also a symbol of hope, freedom from bondage. Shooting the falcon is for hope to die.
These are all her own symbols--she explains them gradually in the entries.
But is it the falcon who is shot at? What does a falcon do?
In the case of your game, who lines up the ducks?
Clock, face, mirror, eyes, self, damage? Clock, time, stop, death, living death? The other references I haven't got so far...
When I watched the RTSessions I somehow thought that the other students had escaped River's fate because they weren't as 'good' as her. But of course they would have suffered something similar or worse - everyone else connected with the project did - the students, River, the aide here, Mattias. Another chain/path/thread - of death.
This is going to sound silly, but it's almost kind of an easy going indulgence towards his children, letting Simon swear and the two of them misbehave, it reminds me kind of like Mr. Bennet, from Pride and Prejudice. And then you write this mother...
Well, obviously it's different in many ways, but there's enough similarity that to me, it fits.
And here's River, thinking she's been sold out, by her mother. Said, and chilling.
In Serenity Dr. Mathias did say that there were other students in the program but that River was "something special"...thus I begin wondering about everyone's fate within the program.
Bytemite: That's an interesting parallel...possibly some Mr. Bennett in there. What kind of indulgence remains to be seen. I would have loved to have seen a Regan-and-Simon scene or flashback with everybody in it because there's only so much to go on with Regan. She's all visual in the scenes we see.
Also, remember that this is from River's perspective. Which, although we've come to think of her as the Cassandra, isn't always as clear when it comes to her own emotions about things.
I think Regan relies on her husband for something.
Post Your Comments
You must log in to post comments.