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Post by shyviolet on Jul 18, 2010 15:44:19 GMT -5
SO!
I've had to re-read this book twice in the last few weeks, because I'm illustrating it for my university course, and I have noticed something that I picked up on before but only just worked out how to articulate:
Alaizabel herself is a bit of a rubbish character, comparatively speaking.
I noticed this; she's a really standard 'feisty upper-class girl' sort of person, not unlike the protagonists of books like The Twins at St Claire's or Mallory Towers. She seems to function as more of a plot device than a person - when there's a need for someone to ask a question, for exposition, she asks it. She's said to have been a trouble maker at school, but she's restrained and proper in all the interactions we see. It's like she's two different people; Quiet Shy Alaizabel when we first meet her, in the Cathedral, and in the Crooked Lanes, and Strong Feisty Alaizabel when she's alone, in the asylum and in certain scenes with Thaniel.
So, my Wooding-loving pals, why do you think this is? Is it poor characterisation? Have I missed some nuances of plot? Is it a deliberate indication that Alaizabel is not adjusting well to the new world she's been shoved into? Has she even gone slightly mad?
Of course, her characterisation is still significantly better than that in a lot of books I read, but compared to other characters within the same book she seems markedly less consistent. Thoughts?
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Post by Maliris on Jul 18, 2010 16:58:47 GMT -5
I must admit that even though Haunting is my favourite book (for various reasons) I found the characters mostly stereotypical. Which was fine. They got the job done and the chemistry between them was good. Not to mention that I think no story gets very far without any stereotypes. It's what you make out of them that counts. Well, topic-related, Alaizabel always struck me as a pretty savvy and strong young lady. Must admit that it has been a while since I read the book and I may have forgotten some bits. But I found it interesting how she would take control. It seemed to fit that after having to share a body with a wych and getting kidnapped several times she would become more defiant. She ones states that she is now in Thaniel's and Cathaline's hands because she has no one else. But she was also good at taking control over her life when on her own in the asylum. I always thought that compared to Thaniel she was a tad stronger in terms of willpower and such. While Thanny sat in that bell tower mourning over her abduction she faced the whole situation head on and got out of it (though that involved getting kidnapped again, this time by Stitchface.)... I won't call Thaniel weak, though. He and Alaizabel just have different ways of showing despair. She seems to get rather angry when feeling powerless. The scene with Chandler's Destillation comes to mind or whenever she silenced Thatch, really. Though yeah, now that you mention that she was something of a wild youth... that didn't really reflect in her action. Unless being "wild" means being defiant and headstrong. XD Though I wouldn't say that she existed for expositions only. She asks a lot of questions but it does fit given that she's suffering from amnesia. Or so I thought at the time. Ah, I need to re-read it again. Though the book is threatening to fall apart. D: Side note: And I am curious about that project! So post them pictures, I wanna see'em.
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Post by Flight on Jul 18, 2010 17:15:23 GMT -5
Can't say I know much since I've more or less forgotten the book, but when I think of inconsistent character, I do think that people actually change dramatically when in different company. I certainly wouldn't be the same with strangers as I would with my family, or equally between a situation where I have to take control and where I don't. It's natural for people to shift character.
The only problem is, is that in real life you get to know a person and their personality is how they are with you. You don't see it with how it is with others, so more or less one person has one personality in real life (unless very well known). In a book where it's following one character though lots of scenarios of course they're going to change. The difficulty then is making it not seem unrealistic.
As for wild childhood: in those sorts of times, maybe even asking too many questions is being wild. I don't know. I'll have to re-read the book.
And yeah! Your project sounds really cool Shy. I really'd like to see what you create.
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Post by Aryeec {E.F. Forester} on Jul 18, 2010 18:27:11 GMT -5
Well, it's been a while since I've read it, but she was never a memorable character like the others in my opinion.
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Post by shyviolet on Jul 19, 2010 1:32:59 GMT -5
@ flight
Yeah, I did think about that, but she seems... inconsistently inconsistent. >_< The way she reacts to the same characters seems to swing back and forth according to whether a shy romantic lead or a fiesty young girl is more expedient to the plot, rather than according to her actual situation.
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Post by Raihor on Jul 21, 2010 18:09:03 GMT -5
I actually think Alaizabel is a pretty complex character. She developes well over her timeline, not just some plot-device static person kind of character... As to her inconsistencies, I reckon that's... well, not sure how to say this, but I guess I could say it's realistic. Do you know anyone who acts consistently in real life? Not really, if you think about it. Sometimes she feels more courageous, sometimes more shy... I acknowledge it's often rather extreme changes, but that's probably because the stuff that's happened has made her a little bit... eccentric. Mad, if you will. And I like that.
Just my 2 cents, I haven't read the book in yonks so I may have a biased memory or something.
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Post by shyviolet on Jul 22, 2010 5:09:08 GMT -5
One of the explanations I was considering was that her experience had made her a little bit mad. It was more that what the narration tells us she's like and what she's actually like seem to contradict each other.
Of course, if she is suffering from trauma that would explain a lot of the differences, since the narration is largely describing how she used to be or how she perceives herself, rather than how others perceive her. Cathaline certainly thinks her behaviour is erratic, at least to start with.
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Post by Chris Wooding on Jul 23, 2010 11:43:02 GMT -5
I'd like to help, but I've forgotten everything that happened in the book, as usual
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Post by shyviolet on Jul 23, 2010 13:20:56 GMT -5
You're never any help. One of the things you did was make up names that turned out to be real names anyway. That was pretty hilarious.
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