Day 109: Little Women and Werewolves

Little Women and Werewolves by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand.  ISBN: 9780345522603.

I'll be honest and say that I can't remember why Jo didn't marry Laurie in the original, but I rather like her reasoning in this one.  Even though Jo knew Laurie was a werewolf, she refused to agree to marry him because he didn't tell her he was a werewolf.  Well, yeah, if you turn into a blood thirsty monster once a month, I'd like to know about it.

I think there are a lot of things we don't want to tell our potential spouses because we're afraid they won't accept us.  Well, that's kind of their right.  You know how pissed off you get when the used car salesman doesn't tell you the car has a bad alternator?  Well...you don't have to drive the car for your entire life, and support it emotionally, physically, and financially.  There are discussions that should happen between couples before they make a commitment to each other, because otherwise you're not operating on full disclosure.  If there are potentially serious problems that could arise from my mate's health, mental health, financial health, etc.; I want to know about it.

There are different schools of thought about whether partners should disclose the number of previous sexual partners they've had, and whether they've participated in risky behavior.  I think that, yes, this is absolutely necessary.  I don't need to know exact number of times and positions, but I want to know if there's anything I should be concerned about.  Also, if there's some wretched skank-beast in my future husband's past, I'd rather know about it up front than find out about it at his high school reunion.  It is definitely okay to ruin certain surprises.

I also think it's important to disclose mental illness or other issues that might cause social/emotional problems.  As someone who suffers from a fairly mild, but distressing seasonal depression, it is very hard to see my partner have to cope with the knowledge that there is very little he can actually do to improve my condition.  His support is obviously very helpful, but most of the time my depression just has to run it's course before I'm back to my "usual self."

These sound like things that are probably hard to hide, but medication and other treatments are so effective these days that it could very well be years before symptoms actually show.  I've made sure that Danny knows my history and my family's history with mental illness.  I know all about his issues.  We get irritated with each other about them occasionally, but I think we're both more fully prepared to deal with any future problems because we know what can happen.  Every couple deserves to have that kind of a chance, not only to be completely open and honest, but to make the decision to knowingly commit to a person's flaws.  Because it's not their strengths you're going to have problems dealing with, and the sooner you accept that, the easier it will be.

Day 108: Little Women and Werewolves

Little Women and Werewolves by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand.  ISBN: 9780345522603.

"We all know werewolves.  They come from all places and all classes."  Page 127.

What if there really was a group of people who were outcast from society, who were more prone to acts of violence and exclusion from society, but who were also nearly indistinguishable from other people except for in very specific instances?  What if they were your neighbors?

Oh wait, there is a group like that.  They're called homosexuals, bisexuals, transgendered, and other sexual/gendered minorities.  And while I hate to compare homosexuals to werewolves, there are similarities as they are presented in Little Women and Werewolves.  Werewolves have an appetite for human flesh which they must pursue in order to live, and homosexuals, etc. ...have an appetite for human flesh which they must pursue in order to have a normal, healthy sexual adulthood.

Sadly, despite the brutality of the Brigade, the werewolves seems to actually have more rights and privileges than homosexuals.  Granted most of those rights were more easily kept by wealthy werewolves, but at least they have the right to marry freely, pass on property, be attended by their chosen spouse, and a couple of other issues that I'm sure I haven't even thought of because I just happened to be born into an accepted sexual preference.

On the other hand, the Brigade wasn't all that picky about who they hanged.  If they assumed you were a werewolf or even a werewolf sympathizer you were strung up and that was it.  In some ways the fact that homosexuality is perceived by a large enough portion of our society as a "bad" thing has negative effects on those who are even just assumed to be homosexual.  Not to mention heterosexual children of homosexual parents, opposite-gender spouses who married or are married to homosexuals, and I'm sure there are a slew of other groups who could be included in this statement, who also receive short shrift from someone else's issues with what two (or more) people do in a bedroom.

To all the werewolf homosexuals out there, this blog post is for you.

Day 107: Little Women and Werewolves

Little Women and Werewolves by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand.  ISBN: 9780345522603.

The subject matter of the following post was specifically requested by regular guest blogger Dayna Ingram.  If you would like to request a book/topic for me to discuss, hop over to the Contact Me page.  I will prioritize requests from readers (sorry authors/publishers, the little people matter more to me).

I am a big fan and supporter of reimagining the classics.  In some ways I view it as satire, not necessarily of the adapted literature, but of the people who praise the original too highly.  Anyone who believes that certain things are off limits to mockery, satire, or ribbing of any kind is a dangerous person.  Not in the sense that they will commit a violent crime, but in the way that they are promoting censorship.

Yes, censorship.  It should be a dirty word to anyone who loves to read.  To me, censorship is a far dirtier concept than anything any of the Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television represent.

I actually think that Austen might enjoy the new renditions of her work.  It was after all, a commentary on the behavior of high society during her time.  She would probably be tickled with the idea of her works being "modernized" for current times, with new commentary on society (because zombies actually are a representation of our modern societal attitudes).  I'm not sure she would appreciate the fact that men were the ones who had a hand in it.  In fact, I think she'd be downright livid at that point.  Because men already have their greedy paws on everything.

That being said, I am concerned for the well-being of the classics.  My hopes is that people will read the originals along with the reCULTured Classics (see that, I just coined a phrase there).  The classics are beloved or hated across generations of readers.  This is a positive thing regardless of the reaction because it becomes a shared cornerstone.  We can use it to judge our intellectual equals, friends, potential mates and spouses, and conversation sparring partners.  For instance, I love telling people I hate Hemingway.  And Faulkner.  And Salinger.  And F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Then I love seeing their faces when I tell them one of my favorite classics is the love-to-be-hated The Scarlet Letter.  Good conversation usually follows.

I am concerned that the only conversation regarding the classics will be between those who have read the originals (possibly along with the new ones) versus those who have only read the reCULTured versions.  It worries me because, when it comes down to it, the people who have read the originals will be better informed.  It's the same principle as knowing your Bible stories, regardless of your religion.  It's a major foundation of our culture, so the more/better you know the easier it is to put important literature into context.

It's part of the reason I think Literature and History should be taught together.  Why the hell would anyone care about the huge chunks of whaling in Moby Dick until they realize that what Herman Melville is doing is preserving the history and culture of whaling in New England for future generations.  That is why it is the first American novel, because it so well demonstrates a facet of uniquely American life.

Still, I'm wondering when when we'll start seeing The Tell-tale Heart of Kittens.  Poe would be pissed.  What reCULTured classic would you like to see?  Even if it's not in public domain yet.