Reading Analysis - Tumblr Posts

Perhaps a lighter way of understanding this concept is through crack fics or romance fics where misunderstanding is one of the key foundations in the story.

With much of the nature of these fics being rooted in dramatic irony, it’s maybe the most blatant demonstration of logical fallacy and inconsistencies between characters’ thoughts, words, and actions, as well as the difference between what the characters know and what the author knows.

In these cases, the author usually highlights the points mentioned by op (esp if it’s a shorter crack fic where the author really needs to be concise), so consider it a starter course to work up to the more subtle (?) differences in other works :)

Basic rules for analysing fiction, an incomprehensive list jotted down in a hurry:

The protagonist isn’t always right

The protagonist isn’t always good

The protagonist isn’t always written to be relatable or likeable

The narrator isn’t always right

The narrator isn’t always good

The narrator isn’t always telling the truth

The narrator isn’t always the author

The protagonist’s moral compass, the narrator’s moral compass and the author’s moral compass are three entirely different things that only occasionally overlap

Pay attention to what characters do and not just what they say

Pay special attention when what the characters do is at odds with what they say

A lot of the time the curtains are blue for a reason. If they aren’t, you should read better books

I clowned myself.

We got our writing assessment back and I got flagged for making up a quote that didn’t exist, but guys.

Guys.

I didn’t make it up; it was a quote from the fanfic I stress-binged the night before my assessment.

there's an idea i had about the 2 types of readers that I've been thinking a lot about. maybe this is already a thing, plz lmk

there are readers that want the entire story just handed to them. all of the character development, the plot, everything. they don't want to have to think about any of it, they want it all in the book. no cliffhangers, no vague backstory. these readers don't read books for the feeling of the words, they probably don't read poetry, there ought to be a point to what they read. and once this kind of reader finishes a book, they kinda move on. they may think about the plot or foreshadowing or whatever, but it's all review of the book, nothing is added to the book at this point, they just review what they know. one of my sisters is this kind of reader.

then there is the other kind. this kind reads a book and then thinks about potential scenes that a character could have, or the way he might have reacted to hearing that news, or how these characters might act when reunited. this kind of reader is the fanfic writer, the one that adds to a story after they finished the canon story. this kind is the kind that can enjoy books with very bland characters because these readers can place themselves in the characters place and give the character their own personal traits, or the reader can simply fill in the character traits or background, etc; they don't need the character to be fully formed because they will personalize the character. these readers can be entertained by anything because they are actually creating their own entertainment, they just need something to jumpstart the process.

I guess this applies to movies and shows as well as books, but I haven't really thought through the implications

My least favorite thing about multiple pov books, is how the author inevitably tries to switch povs consistently but there are always those parts where one pov is full of action and really interesting and the other (s) is soooo boring in comparison. And I have to force myself to not skip the boring povs temporarily, and I hate it

Introduction to my blog:

I will blog and reblog whatever, but I do have a couple fandoms and a couple topics I come back to.

Recently it's been 90% six of crows.

Fandoms: Ninjago, The Hunger Games, The Queen's Thief (this'll randomly popup consistently, it's my #1 go to recommendation for everyone), Percy Jackson, Carmen Sandiego, Shadow and Bone/Six of Crows, Maxton Hall.

(I was updating my notes about fandom frequency and basically I'm not huge on fandom posting much anymore)

Topics: I love analyzing, including books, movies, media, fandoms. Sociology and psychology.

My posts are getting increasingly deranged.

I use the tag "no tags" for when I want to be able to find it later (maybe to delete)

Anything tagged #marsplastic is for my beloved @marsplastic13

Writing blog @olivevermore

I love breaking down hunger games and analyzing it, and I've thought a lot about the love triangle. Particularly how there isn't really one. How the love triangle was really just marketing, but it was always peeta and katniss. And also, Gale was always borderline toxic and possessive. If I compare that to TSITP...gale becomes Conrad imo, the way gale assumes that there is some attachment due to his care/protection/ whatever from the past, having issues that make the FMC feel needed and responsible to help, (I actual started writing this in June of 2023 and just stumbled upon it in my drafts so I'll try to finish what I was talking about) saying things to make the FMC feel guilty about choosing the other guy (even in small things, not even dating the other guy, but like talking to him), letting/making the FMC feel as though she's the only one who knows him/what's going on for him.

The thing about The Hunger Games for me is that Suzanne Collins was pointing out how powerful people are (and have always) pointing attention towards entertainment, and especially romance, to distract from serious issues. In the books, the love triangle is hardly present (again, IMO) but the movies proved the point by drawing out the relationships and marketing the movies for the love triangle, which led many people to believe it was just a dumb storyline about a teenage girl who can't choose between two guys uwu, when in reality it was a social critique, told from a teenage girl without criticizing or belittling girls in any respect, and taught a generation about activism.

That is the crucial different between the two, to me. Hunger Games was meant as a social commentary in ya fiction form, which got marketed as a love triangle. Summer I Turned Pretty really is about the love triangle.

Belly in the first episode is reading the Hunger Games, in the 4th episode in the flashback we see she's watching the movie, do you think there's a connection with TSITP love triangle?

Wow , great question. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the hunger games… it wouldn’t be fair for me to make an analysis, but I’d like to think that Jenny never does anything unintentional. In season 1, Cam and Belly went to watch Sabrina at the drive in and the plot of the movie represents the triangle between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah. There’s connections everywhere. My sister has seen Hunger Games and she said that there’s not even a love triangle that present. I know that Jere loves Belly, but it’s not as present and deep like I think Conrad’s love is. From what I heard, it seems like Katniss and Peeta’s relationship had the main focus and the third person of the triangle was there to spark things up between them. Same goes for TSITP, Belly and Conrad are beyond teenage love. They’re represented as a love that will always find their way back, no matter the obstacles, they’re meant for one another. The gravitational pull between Conrad and Belly is infinite, the light shines most on them. Jeremiah and Belly’s love is platonic, as teenagers and young adults that can get confused with being in love, but when it doesn’t feel right—you’ll just know. I’d love to hear your theories and connections.

Fake relationships in books and movies make me really mad because the characters suck at it. Like do they know they can be chill about it? Do they realize that by fake dating they have essentially an inside joke?? I would be so much better at this stuff. You could randomly assign me a person and bam are we getting engaged tomorrow?? They've gotta get better about pda and not catching feels and not being awkward and uncomfy. Like actually when a third party is like oh kiss (first of all that's kinda weird why do you want to watch people kiss but also) the fake dating couple knows it's fake so you don't need to be like oh my gosh oh noOoo like just kiss who cares?

Also because both of you are in on it, it's like an inside joke. You two are keeping a secret from everyone else and that, I promise, is an instant bond.

But actually why do characters suck at fake relationships? This person has to be your friend for the time being, use it. You can steal their food, hold their hand, frame them for a crime, use them as a headrest. And if you end up having to share a room, big deal. Some authors clearly never had to share a bed with a sibling, because unless it's a small bed, you can probably fit 2 people without much contact. And if you can't, either person can be like oh dude let me take the floor, I don't mind. Why do the characters take it so seriously?? Where is the chill?? You guys have terrible social skills if you can't even pretend to be comfortable