classicallyunprepared
Classically Unprepared
she/her. Occasional writer fond of books, design, prose, poetry, academia, tea, and random shows
245 posts
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Last Seen Blogs
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fuckyourtriangles
*internally screaming*
angelsberrymilk
erm what the freak?
foodeiz
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immerse your soul in love
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Yes pls
ha?
every single person who reblogs this
every
single
person
will get “doot doot” in their ask box
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"i want more media with zero drama, no tension, and zero problematic characters and i am not joking"
Great! Here are my recommendations:
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careless whisper fucks so insanely hard and i will never forgive the internet for making it a "meme song." tonight the music seems so loud i wish that we could lose this crowd maybe its better this way we'd hurt each other with the things we want to say. if you even care.
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I’m Christian and respect the order of creation as God intended it but I’m not gonna lie if I could take a massive vat of agar and grow an alive shopping mall made out of red blood and meat and feed it living human bodies to make it expand larger with more shops and amenities, Without hesitation, Without question I would do exactly that
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I was reading a book (about interjections, oddly enough) yesterday which included the phrase “In these days of political correctness…” talking about no longer making jokes that denigrated people for their culture or for the colour of their skin. And I thought, “That’s not actually anything to do with ‘political correctness’. That’s just treating other people with respect.”
Which made me oddly happy. I started imagining a world in which we replaced the phrase “politically correct” wherever we could with “treating other people with respect”, and it made me smile.
You should try it. It’s peculiarly enlightening.
I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking “Oh my god, that’s treating other people with respect gone mad!”
Happy Valentine’s Day.
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100 Things To Do Instead Of Doom-Scrolling Through Social Media
Read a book.
Write in a journal.
Learn to cook a new recipe.
Practice a musical instrument.
Start a DIY project.
Draw or paint.
Learn a new language.
Do a puzzle.
Exercise or do yoga.
Listen to a podcast.
Watch a documentary.
Play a board game.
Try a new workout routine.
Meditate.
Start a garden.
Plan a future trip.
Volunteer online.
Write a letter to a friend or family member.
Learn to knit or crochet.
Take online courses.
Practice photography.
Organize your closet.
Play video games.
Learn a magic trick.
Write a short story.
Create a vision board.
Make a playlist of your favorite songs.
Try a new hairstyle.
Experiment with makeup.
Learn to juggle.
Play a card game.
Do a home workout challenge.
Explore virtual museums or art galleries.
Do a digital detox day.
Learn calligraphy.
Rearrange your furniture.
Create a scrapbook.
Learn to play chess.
Write and perform a song.
Practice mindfulness.
Learn origami.
Plan a themed dinner night.
Do a home spa day.
Learn to code.
Play a musical instrument.
Build a blanket fort.
Take online dance lessons.
Research and try a new type of tea.
Learn about astronomy and stargaze.
Try a new board game.
Create a podcast.
Learn to solve a Rubik's Cube.
Start a blog.
Make homemade candles.
Research your family tree.
Practice a new type of art (e.g., watercolor, sculpture).
Learn to speed-read.
Write a poem.
Make a list of personal goals.
Learn to play a new card game.
Create a budget.
Build a puzzle or Lego set.
Learn to identify constellations.
Try a new fitness class online.
Make homemade pizza.
Experiment with DIY face masks.
Learn about a historical event.
Create a bucket list.
Learn to tie different knots.
Try a new type of workout (e.g., Pilates, kickboxing).
Create digital art.
Plan a themed movie marathon.
Learn to juggle.
Explore a new genre of music.
Write a letter to your future self.
Take up a new hobby (e.g., birdwatching, geocaching).
Research and try a new type of cuisine.
Make homemade ice cream.
Practice deep breathing exercises.
Create a photo album.
Try a new type of dance.
Write and perform a short play.
Learn to play a new board game.
Take a virtual tour of a historical site.
Make a time capsule.
Learn about different types of architecture.
Plan a virtual game night with friends.
Write and illustrate a children's book.
Try a new form of exercise (e.g., HIIT, Zumba).
Learn about different types of plants.
Create a DIY home decor project.
Plan a themed picnic at home.
Research and try a new type of dessert.
Practice positive affirmations.
Try a new type of puzzle (e.g., crosswords, Sudoku).
Learn about different types of birds.
Experiment with DIY skincare products.
Take up a new form of art (e.g., pottery, glassblowing).
Create a list of things you're grateful for.
Learn about a new culture.
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Randomly thinking about a time way back when I worked in retail where, after a stressful rush, my boss took me to his office to yell at me for being slow ringing people up and threatened to fire me and then just sent me back to work for the last 30 minutes of my shift. And I have always been someone who is sensitive and cries easy so I'm behind the counter sorting hangers just fighting for my life trying to Not Cry until I was no longer at work
And this old man walks up to me and goes "What sits at the bottom of the ocean and shivers?"
And I'm like "What?"
And he repeats "What sits at the bottom of the ocean and shivers?"
So I go "I don't know, what?"
He says "A nervous wreck!" And I laugh a little and he immediately leaves the store
And I don't know if he was just an old guy who wanted to tell jokes (because that's always a common occurrence for me in customer service) or if he could see I was upset and was trying to cheer me up in some way. But in any event it did work because I was so bewildered I wasn't dwelling on being yelled at by my boss anymore so I didn't cry, I was just wondering what that old man's story was
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If you are hesitant to comment on AO3 because it's just fanfic and it probably doesn't matter to the writers, know that I got a one word comment ("Beautiful") on a fic nobody ever has bothered reading before and it made my night. Merry Christmas to me! Seriously, though, comments feel so good to writers! Please feed us! We're hungry!
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In the real world, there are no open endings. I recently finished the book, Normal People by Sally Rooney, and due to my serious curiosity, I couldn’t help but read reviews before reading. Thoughts on the book were mixed between glowing praise and those who left the book feeling disappointed.
Like any book with some degree of renown and an associated TV series, there are a fair share of critics. One criticism in particular stuck out to me. I grew up reading books and dreaming of happy endings. A happy ending typically included protagonists who developed closer relationships to those around them due to a greater understanding of one another. Often, but not always this would result in a happy romantic ending between the protagonist and the love interest.
I went into Normal People knowing that it would not be a love story with a happy ending nor would it reach any sort of peaceful conclusion. Many reviewers went into this novel disappointed that the story not only has an open ending, but also because of what they saw as a lack of character growth on both sides.
But sometimes in life, people do not grow. And even if said growth is not shown on the page, that does not mean the character do not experience it as such. Marianne and Connell both admit that they grew together and made each other better people, yet this is not considered growth because it does not cause them to end up together. Connell does not decide to stay behind for Marianne and Marianne does not agree to go to New York with him. In fact, she argues that he should go and enter a masters program.
The reason that the ending is so memorable, and feels disappointing, heartbreaking, and bittersweet is that it turns the typical romantic ending on its head.
In the culture of romance novels, there is an idea that the characters have everything they need at the start of a story, except a romantic partner. The characters may struggle with certain character flaws (see Pride and Prejudice for example), but they overcome those flaws upon meeting the love interest. The love interest is the one to help them overcome these flaws, and thus, they become a better person and romantic partner.
In Normal People, this happens too. Marianne leaves with a greater sense of self worth and leaves masochistic relationships behind, and Connell seeks therapy to manage his anxiety and depression. Connell’s relationship with his mother also improves and they both understand each other more by the end of the novel. The couple too, has grown, as Connell proclaims his love for Marianne publicly in front of all of his friends.
Yet with all this growth, they do not clearly end up together. This is disappointing obviously, because they feel like they are meant to be together.
Marianne’s decision to urge Connell to go to New York feels almost counter-intutive. If he goes alone and she stays behind, it feels like she is missing out. And perhaps she is. She values Connell’s personal growth over their romantic happiness.
Romantic media often tells us that that is a bad idea to give up on love. Because writing, career growth, and new experiences are generally valued less than romantic happiness.
Some common examples are Rachel giving up a fashion job in Paris to get off the plane for Ross in Friends, or Melanie in Sweet Home Alabama moving back to be with her childhood sweetheart.
Romance is often seen as the ultimate expression of love and growth, yet Marianne rejects it for herself and Connell.
But perhaps if he were to stay or if she were to go with him, she would sacrifice an opportunity to learn and experience a life for herself.
The characters also end the story young. Marianne and Connell are 22/23 when the story ends, as they graduated from college. They have plenty of time for new opportunities and experiences that could change their lives completely.
The ending fascinates me because it raises the question, is what brings us immediate happiness always the best for us? Is romantic love a thing to be cherished and protected and held with an iron grip, never to be surrendered?
I don’t know that I agree.
I have heard that telling Connell to go to New York was Marianne’s most selfless choice. He is the one who has to choose her, to go back.
“I’ll always be here.”
Or she could visit him. Who knows what will happen.
As much as I like them together, I admire their choice. Of course, I still wish they’d made it work because I want characters I’ve grown to love to have it all.
But in life, you often cannot have it all. The MFA program is a wonderful opportunity. Perhaps making such a choice would establish him as the writer he wants to be.
Although we don’t know what Marianne does after, we can presume she is learning to live and connect with others outside of Connell. She can establish an identity outside of the damanging voices in her head that tell her she is not enough. And maybe she would do better independently than relying on Connell to feel better of herself.
She is obviously talented and has plenty of career opportunities.
I do wish her character were developed more, but that’s for another review.
Whatever decision they end up making, I’m not sure that one sacrifice would be better than another. Life is full of choices. Those little decisions make a big difference, but thus far, it seems these characters are making ones that work for them. Would romance have been the right choice? Could they have been as happy as they were in the past few months? We like to think so, but maybe not. Connell, after all, does not tell Marianne about the opportunity until he gets it, so perhaps the would have struggled with communication like they had previously. Who am I to say?
#sally rooney#amatonormativity#connell x marianne#marianne sheridan#connell waldron#normal people#normal people ending
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So how come 1890s Victorians were SHOCKED by the gay subtext in Dorian Gray but were oblivious to the gay subtext in Sherlock Holmes and Dracula?
Well, Dorian Gray was barely subtext. The editor censored the first edition without Wilde’s permission and even then there was such an uproar that the second edition (released the next year) was much more heavily edited–that’s the version most of us are familiar with. The original version contained such lines as, “It is quite true I have worshipped you with far more romance of feeling than a man should ever give to a friend. Somehow I have never loved a woman.” And everyone knew Wilde was queer.
Meanwhile, Dracula frames gayness in monstrous terms. This is a literary device that’s been used in many queer stories in homophobic times: make it tragic, horrifying, monstrous, and the cishet audience will feel comfortable in their removal from it, while the queer audience recognizes their otherness.
And unlike Wilde, Doyle was staid, and respectable, and not especially radical; and his characters’ queerness was framed in purely emotional terms. They are devoted, tender, adoring, intensely intimate, but never sexual. Doyle repeatedly makes Holmes seem to be removed from lust by nature; frames his queerness as an absence of feeling toward women, rather than a physical desire for men. And Victorians loved intimate friendships. They considered them to be quite separate from sexual passion. A man could promise his friend to love him forever, offer all his loyalty, share his rooms, and take his arm in the street. As long as there wasn’t a hint of carnality, no one minded. (Honestly, quite a number of Victorians didn’t mind if there was; but publishing a book about the subject brought out the cultural gatekeepers.)
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I am almost to a hundred followers!!!
When I get there, I plan to do something really special to celebrate. So please help me be able to do that!!
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