Sorry guys, I know I've been kind of lame about posting lately. Honestly, I wasn't going to post anything this week because I've been having a bit of a hard time and I just didn't know what to say or if I had the energy to say anything. But then I stumbled upon something on tumblr that I want to share.
I struggle a lot with the bleakness in current modernist literature [and other media]. The negativity and hopelessness of this rather cynical view is something that I've never agreed with and it breaks my heart sometimes to think that people are being told that this is reality. I'm having a hard time with words this week, and I can never quite say what I mean about this topic in general so I'm just going to let Cat express what I can't.
From her tumblr:
"like tbh i feel like my problem with the "dark and gritty!!" trend in modern stories is this
there's this idea in our culture that cynicism is realistic? that only children believe in happy endings, that people are ultimately selfish and greedy and seeing with clear eyes means seeing the world as an awful place
that idealism is- easy, i guess, butterflies and sunshine and love are easy things to have in your head.
but i've known since i was fifteen that idealism- faith in humanity- optimism- is the most difficult thing in the entire world.
i constantly struggle to have faith in humanity, because it's really, really easy to lose it. it's easy to look at the news and go "what were you expecting? of course humans behave this way." it's easy to see the world and go "ugh, there's no hope there." and the years when i believed that were easy. miserable- but easy.
it is hard work to see the good in people. it is hard work to hope. it is hard work to keep faith and love and joy and appreciation for beauty in my daily life.
and when moviemakers and tv producers and writers go "omg!!! all characters are selfish and act poorly and don't love each other, nothing ever happens that is happy or good, that's so much more realistic, that's so much more adult"
no, it's not
it's childish.
it's the most childish thing I can imagine."
I've been watching some adaptations of classic novels on youtube and this weekend I discovered The Autobiography of Jane Eyre which is really well done [push through the first couple of videos - the acting gets better and you'll be glad you did]. I'm not a huge fan of the story overall, I'm more of a P&P kind of girl [also, my mother was semi-convinced that watching the movie would make me more susceptible to getting sucked into an abusive relationship when I grew up :/ ] but the one thing I will always love about JE is Jane herself. My mother would probably say that Jane was taken advantage of, that she did not have much of a backbone or will of her own and while those she trusted did choose to take advantage of her naivete in certain areas [and lie to her], that's not a fault in her. In fact, Jane is one of the most optimistic, kindhearted, forgiving, and simply happy characters I've ever read. She strives to empathize with people, even those who have caused her distress or harm. I think a lot of people see her as weak or a push-over, but seeing the story played out again the last few days as I binged, I've been reminded what an incredible strength she has in those attributes. She's not wearing rose-colored glasses and denying the hard things that happen in life, but she chooses to cling to the good things and strives to understand people, and always forgive them.
We need better stories, ones that aren't drowning in darkness and nihilism. We need more Janes. We need more Annas and Rapunzels. If Disney movies aren't your thing, fine, but don't dismiss these characters [and others] because the qualities that make them so endearing to children and adults are shared by "adult" characters like Jane. We need more of all of them.
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