no subject

[lotesse]

I'm back on campus and away from my One True Love, so maybe I'll be able to net again here.

An interesting examination of feminism in Ootp here: http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2003/08/harry_potter_and_the_order_of_the_phoenix

Oedipus is a truly disturbing story. Classics may push me into fate-vs-free-will territory, but only ever unwillingly. Like, how is the debate relevant to anything? We don't have oracles of the Greek sort any more, and I don't think that too many people have ever had a psychic tell them anything as specific or nasty as the whole kill-your-father-marry-your-mother business. It's not that clear! And the issue is muddy and unimportant and impossible to resolve. Frankly, I half suspect that Sophocles and his ilk are the only reason why anyone talks about it anymore.

Aaaand...I have no more content. My brain is still working on waking up.

Comments

[fictualities.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the interesting link! As for free will -- are you sure the debate is dead? What about: "you carry a gene that predisposes you to depression" or "you carry a gene that predisposes you to violence." Those seem to me to be the oracles of our day. Not as specific as "you will kill your father and marry your mother," but the burden on the individual may very well be just as crushing (and may have pragmatic consequences as well, such as making it difficult to get insurance). Just an evil thought. :)

[lotesse]

That's very interesting, although I do feel that the examples are somehow different. Perhaps because of the lack of choice involved with the one. That's the Oedipus thing, you know? You can't escape it, no matter what you do. Predisposition, while similar, does involve some amount of choice. If you know that you are genetically predisposed in a certain way you can attempt to use medications to regulate your chemistry or see a therapist or just generally be self-aware. But in the classical fate-trap, you know it but can't do a damn thing about it, and your attempts to save the situation become your doom. It's like the ultra-depressing version of genetics.

[egyptgirl42.livejournal.com]

heya it's Annie. Oedipus is disturbing. I don't think any playwrite I know of except Ibsen rivals the Greeks for messed up family relationships. Ahhh.

[lotesse]

Icon love!

You know, though, I can never quite see what's so damn evil about unknown incest. Or really about incest at all, providing that it doesn't occur in some way that violates trust or has a bad power dynamic. Like, okay, so maybe you would rather that it hadn't happened, but they seemed to have a pretty darn good marriage. And afaik, the gods were only punishing him via plague for Laius.

[egyptgirl42.livejournal.com]

yeah, I always felt bad for him since he didn't really do anything wrong, the gods just decided to punish him. But still, I don't know how he remained sane.

[lotesse]

I don't know that he did!