CONSIDER: Shadows And Light

CONSIDER: Shadows and Light

The Symbolism Surrounding Rhian, Rafal, and the Pan

Fun fact: Under certain conditions, a flame will not cast a shadow.

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As we saw in Rise, Rhian could turn into a golden glow, turn into light, his non-human form, just as Rafal could turn into a shadow.

And those facts bring me to how the Pan subplot and the brothers' main plot might parallel each other more than we may think.

That Hook had to kill the Pan’s shadow was probably no accident. It likely couldn't have been a coincidence—it has to be a casual quality of the magic system in SGE and Peter Pan lore in general, no doubt.

So, we have: killing the shadow (the Pan's or symbolically, Rafal himself).

Rhian killed the shadow to his light.

And besides, an excess of light eradicates all shadows, and fire, specifically, can cast very distorted shadows because it's always in motion, and therefore, it's restless. This could mean fire as a light source could affect the shadow's "power," its appearance, just as Rhian, like a fairy-tale Nemesis (perhaps?), might have weakened Rafal as Rhian became stronger, and that Rhian had been a force that changed or warped Rafal as a person, while also becoming colder himself. Meanwhile, Rafal's hair curled slightly and he gained more color and warmth to his complexion towards the climax of their tale.

I wonder if, in getting his magic back from Hook when it was released, Rhian had been further corrupted or overpowered enough, to overpower Rafal (while, all the while, the Storian had been stripping Rafal of the magic he held) because it didn’t dissipate by itself, with the loss of his immortality(?). Hook could have been acting like a temporary storage unit for that magic, until it returned, meaning the Storian may not have been able to rescind it from Rhian directly.

(And did Kyma release Rhian's magic when it was transferred to her? Or did it just disappear/dissolve without returning to its owner?)

Then, we can ask ourselves: what was the only move that could kill Pan? Somehow, magically killing his shadow. His life source. The apparent source of his immortality.

And, Rhian killing the source of his former immortality (his brother, and as a result, their bond along with Rafal's death)? Well, that’s killing a shadow, too.

Thus, the two plots line up exactly.

Rafal was once Rhian's shadow, in a sense, the person who stayed by him, who saved him again and again. Thus, Rhian destroyed himself, to an extent, by killing that shadow. He not only killed his life source, the love that kept him alive, by severing the twins' bond, but lost a part of his identity when he killed Rafal. Thus, he ages. Like the Pan as he died, Rhian was no longer a perpetual youth, no longer a young "lost boy."

And sometimes, Rhian's shadow strayed too far and left him (Rafal deserting the School at the start), just as Pan’s shadow isn’t always right by the Pan himself. The Pan's shadow had a life and will of its own, seemingly, like Rafal did.

Rafal getting his own life, by venturing out, beyond the School, was one step away from having his identity always tied to Rhian. Maybe, just maybe, Rafal wasn't inseparable, inconceivable without Rhian (the light source), his other half. But, Rafal always did revolve around Rhian (when Rafal had his few, less selfish moments). Because, he simply can’t be brought up or thought of alone, at least not in the tales, in their world. One brother's presence always summons the other's to mind, when you talk about them. That’s how locked together, how insoluble their combined identity was, or plural roles were. The shadow was tethered to his object. They can’t be torn apart, not even in memory, which makes the nature of the tales themselves all the more reductive, dehumanizing, even.

@wisteriaum If you'd like, you can accept this as tribute for your magnificent art! (This was sort of a scene from a WIP, but it doesn't require any context to be understood since it probably won't fit into the plot.)

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In a Modern AU:

Rafal: Why are we friends?

Sophie: I answered the Scheherazade question on trivia night that you couldn’t.

Rafal: Mm. Shouldn’t call you or Rhian a friend or a loved one. Most people get to choose them. You two are more like shots in the heart I can’t remove. Not even surgically. Which senior superlative did you get voted for?

Sophie: “Most Dramatic.” Though, I suppose that’s a given, considering I’m in theater.

Rafal: Huh. That’s surprisingly unproblematic.

Sophie: What do you mean? What did you win, then? [she posed the question, tilting her head.]

Rafal: “Most Likely to Say the Ends Justify the Means,” [he groused.]

Sophie: [drily] Fitting. Verily. How astute of them to notice. [she laughs.] You should be thankful that there isn’t one for “Most Likely to Commit Genocide.”

Rafal: Do I really come across to others that terribly?

Sophie: Not to me. But to everyone else? Yes. Let’s just say you make a certain impression on most. But, you hate almost everyone anyway. And, I know you find me amusing.

Rafal: I don’t hate everyone. I just… find them unstimulating. That’s all.

Sophie: [sighs]

Rafal: What’s that supposed to mean?

Sophie: Nothing, darling, except that, well—no one is likely to act any more interesting than they usually are around you, especially if they fear you. They’re inhibited when in your presence. And, they’re not dull. Granted, some of them are. But most of them are… tolerable. Maybe, more than that: adequate or competent, if we’re speaking in your terms.

Rafal: What do you mean, my terms?

Sophie: You evaluate most people based on what they can offer you and how you can best use them to your own ends, like an old fogey calling the police about oafish children on his lawn, unless they do your yard work.

Rafal: I—

Sophie: Don’t think I haven’t noticed. At the start, you only spared me a glance when I answered the questions you couldn't. Though, I suppose your brother and I are the exceptions, hmm?

Rafal: [stares speechless for a moment.] You read me too well. Never do that in public ever again.

Sophie: Of course, but you’ve got to play your part. Be unpredictable to me for once.

Rafal: There’s no winning with you, is there? [he sighs, resigned.]

Sophie: When has there ever been a chance? I’m your match. Don’t forget it. [she sweeps away.]

Rafal: [dourly] Check. And mate.

Rhian: [steps up, not knowing the context of Rafal’s last conversation] There. Now, you’ve really done it! Blown it with the only girl who’s ever had the nerve and a sufficiently inflated ego to speak to you. Do you know how hard it was to get her paired up with you on trivia night?! I had to convince her you were worth her time!

Haha, I love this one! It fits them so well. And I love The Great Gatsby! Do you think Rhian would do a hit-and-run and let Rafal take the fall by forcing him to switch seats?

(Gavaldon could be the Valley of Ashes, and Marialena or the Storian could be Doctor T. J. Eckleburg.)

random sketch that i did while rewatching the great gatsby last night.

i was thinking about this all day LMAO and only got to doing it while watching a movie

(rando assumptions) you’re pretty cool introverted and intelligent, i feel like you get pretty good grades at school and you hang out with your friends in the library or something and maybe you sometimes like going off to relax in really dark rooms/places by yourself and you stare out the windows when the sky is cloudy and grey and also maybe you have autism or synesthesia? i dunno

Glad tidings, Anon! Never thought I'd say this, but congratulations, I suppose it is possible for an ask game to have a "winner" since you've taken me aback.

And I stopped to wonder about whether I'd been plagued by spyware. /j

All this is to say you're right about several things you've put forth here. If anyone wants more specifics or is curious, I may answer you in the comments or through DMs.

SGE Characters as Literary Things

(Not all of these are actual literary or rhetorical devices; some are just writing techniques, forms, genres, mediums, etc.)

This is a bit abstract, so I’m curious about how subjective these might be. Does anyone agree or disagree? And feel free to make additions if you think I left anything out, or request another character that isn’t here.

Hopefully this makes (intuitive?) sense. As always, I'm willing to explain my thought process behind any of the things I've listed.

Also, anyone can treat this like a “Tag Yourself” meme, if you want. Whose list do you most relate to, use, or encounter?

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LANCELOT (I know—how odd that I’m starting with a minor character and not Rafal, but wait. There’s a method to my madness. Also, watch out for overlap!):

Metonymy, synecdoche (no, literally, to me, these are him.)

Zeugma

Analogy

Figures of speech

Slang, argot

Colloquialisms

Idioms

TEDROS:

Simile

Metaphor

Rhyming couplets

Rhyme schemes

Sonnets

Commercial fiction

Coming-of-age genre

Line enjambment

Overuse of commas

Cadence, prose speech

Waxing poetic, verse (not prose)

Alliteration

Kinesthetic imagery

Phallic imagery/sword sexual innuendos (sorry)

The chivalric romance genre

AGATHA:

Anaphora, repetition

Semicolon, periods

Line breaks

Terse, dry prose

Semantics (not syntax)

Elegy

Resonance

Consonance, alliteration

Pseudonym

Narrative parallels

Realism

Satire

SOPHIE:

Sophistry (yes, there is a word for it!)

Imagery

Italics, emphasis

Em dash

Aphrodisiac imagery

Unreliable narrator, bias

Rashomon effect

Syntax (not semantics)

Diction

Chiasmus (think: “Fair is foul and foul is fair.”)

Rhetorical purpose

Provocation, calls to action

Voice, writing style

Rhetorical modes: pathos, logos, ethos

Metaphor

Hyperbole, exaggeration

Sensationalism, journalism

Surrealism

Verisimilitude

Egocentrism

Callbacks (but not foreshadowing or call-forwards)

Narrative parallels

Paralepsis, occultatio, apophasis, denial

Hypothetical dialogue

Monologue

JAPETH:

Sibilance

Lacuna

Villanelle (an obsessive, repetitive form of poetry)

Soliloquy

ARIC:

Sentence fragments

RHIAN (TCY):

Unreliable narrator

Setup, payoff

Chekhov’s gun

Epistolary novel

RHIAN (prequels):

Multiple povs

Perspective

Dramatic irony

Situational irony

Chiaroscuro (in imagery)

Endpapers

Frontispiece

Deckled edges

Narrative parallels

Foreshadowing

Call-forwards

Foil

Death of the author

RAFAL:

Omniscient narrator

Perspective

Surrealism

Etymology

Word families or 'linguistic ecosystems'

Latin

Verbal irony

Gallows humor

Narrative parallels

Call-forwards

Circular endings

Parallel sentences or balanced sentence structure

Narrative parallels

Foil

Juxtaposition

Authorial intent (“return of the author”)

HESTER:

Protagonist

Allusions

Gothic imagery

ANADIL:

Defamiliarization

Deuteragonist (second most important character in relation to the protagonist)

Psychic distance

Sterile prose

Forewords, prologues

Works cited pages

DOT:

Tone

Gustatory imagery

Tritagonist (third most important character in relation to the protagonist)

KIKO:

Sidekick

Falling action

Dedications, author's notes, epigraph, acknowledgements

Epitaph (Tristan)

BEATRIX:

Pacing

Rising Action

Climax

HORT:

Unrequited love

Falling resolution

Anticlimax

Malapropism

Innuendo

Asides

Brackets, parentheses

Cliché

EVELYN SADER:

Synesthetic imagery

Villanelle

Foreshadowing

AUGUST SADER:

Stream of consciousness style

Imagery

Foreshadowing

Coming-of-age genre

Elegy

Omniscience

Rhetorical questions

Time skips, non-linear narratives

Epilogues

MARIALENA:

Diabolus ex machina

Malapropism

Malaphors, mixed metaphors

Slant rhyme

Caveat

Parentheses

Footnotes

MERLIN:

Deus ex machina

Iambic pentameter

Filler words

BETTINA:

Screenwriting

Shock value

Rafal attempting to use slang in a Modern AU:

Rafal has joined the chat.

Rafal: I am insane. Unhinged. And mentally-ill. - RM

Agatha: Yes, that's true. What about it?

Rafal: I'm wicked.

Tedros: True again. Why are you stating the obvious?

Rafal: No, you misunderstand. I'm colloquially bragging like the youth do?

Agatha: Wut? Are you trying to say something we disagree on?

Rafal: Yes. I have a good argument too.

Rafal: Wait.

Rafal is typing.

Sophie has joined the chat.

Sophie: Apologies, darlings! I TOLD him not to go through my contacts! I've been trying to teach Rafal to keep up with the times as of late. He means "sick," and "wicked" as in "wicked cool."

Tedros has left the chat.

Agatha: And you thought that would work?!!

Sophie: It was worth a try?

Rafal: How's this, my love? I'm DECEASED at the sight of these previous texts!

Sophie: ???

Rafal: 💀💀💀💀

Sophie: What are you trying to SAY???

Rafal: Isn't it obvious? I'm LAUGHING at the princeling's idiocy.

Agatha: ...mood

Sophie: Oh. Slay.

Rafal: Whom?

Sophie: NO ONE. It means continue doing what you're doing because you're stylish and/or successful.

Sophie: He's right, you know, Aggie.

Agatha: Yeah... can't defend Tedros there.

Rafal: 💀💀💀💀💀💀

Sophie: ...We're never going to get him to give it up, are we?

Agatha: Nope

Rafal: These pictographic symbols are great. 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

Agatha: 🙄

Rafal: Look at my flock. Too bad there aren't any Stymph ones. 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

Agatha: Ok, this is your problem now. Bye.

Agatha has left the chat.