She Lay in the dark and knew everything

acciobenedictcumberbatch: lupinatic: here-is-the-place: When...

Sat, 05 May 2012 11:11:08 -0700

lupinatic:

here-is-the-place:

When people say these books are children’s books, as if to demean them, I balk. These books dealt with themes that adults do not fully understand or wish to. It dealt with racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, prejudice, and general ignorance. These books taught us that it doesn’t matter how you were raised, but that you get to choose to be kind, loyal, brave, and true. They taught us to be strong under the pressures of this world and to hold fast to what we know to be right. These books taught me so much, they changed me as a person. So just because they’re set against a fantastical backdrop with young protagonists does not mean that their value is any less real.

This.

First book: Starts with the double murder of a pair of twenty-one year olds who were much missed and leaving their baby son a war orphan. A child growing up in abusive conditions that would give Cinderella the horrors. Dealing with peers and teachers who are bullies. The fickleness of fame (from the darling of Gryffindor to the outcast.) The idea that there are things worth fighting and dying for, spoken by the child protagonist. Three children promptly acting on that willingness to sacrifice their lives, and two of them getting injured doing so.

Second book: The equivalent of racism with the pro-pureblood attitude. Plot driven by an eleven year old girl being groomed and then used by a charming, handsome older male. The imbalance of power and resultant abuse inherent in slavery. Fraud perpetuated by stealing something very intimate.

Third book: The equivalent of ableism with a decent, kind and competant adult being considered less than human because he has an illness that adversely affects his behaviour at certain times. A justice system that is the opposite of just. Promises of removing an abused child from the abusive environment can’t always be kept. The innocent suffer while the guilty thrive.

Fouth book: More fickleness of fame. The privileged mistreating and undermining the underprivileged because they can. A master punishing a slave for his own misjudgment, and the slave blaming herself. A sports tournament which involves mortal risk being cheered by spectators. A wonderful young man being murdered simply because he was in the way. A young boy being tortured, humilated and nearly murdered.

Fifth book: PTSD in the teenage protagonist. Severe depression in the protagonist’s godfather, triggered by inherited mental health issues and being forced to stay in a house where abuse occured. A bigoted tyrant who lives to crush everyone under her heel, torturing a teenager for telling the truth in the name of the government (and trying to suck his soul out too). The discovery that your idols can have feet of clay after all. An effort to save the life of someone dear and precious actually costing that very same life. The loss of a father-figure and the resultant guilt.

Sixth book: The idea that a soul can be broken beyond repair. Drugs with the potential for date rape are shown as having achieved exactly that in at least one case, resulting in a pregnancy. Well-meaning chauvinism trying to control the love life of a young woman. Internalised prejuidce resulting in refusing the one you love, not out of lack of love but out of fear of tainting them. The mortality of those that seem powerful and larger than life.

Seventh book: Bad situations can get worse, to the point where even the privileged end up suffering and afraid. More internalised prejudice and ~~fear~~ hysterical terror of tainting those you love. Self-sacrifice and the loss of loved ones, EVERYWHERE. Those who are bitter are often so with a reason. The necessity of defeating your inner demons, even though it’s never as cool as it sounds. Don’t underestimate those that are enslaved. Other people’s culture isn’t always like your own. Things often come full circle (war ending with the death of a dearly-loved pair of new parents and their orphaned baby son living with his dead mother’s blood relative instead of his young godfather). Even if ‘all is well’ the world is still imperfect, because it’s full of us brilliant imperfect humans.

So… still think that Harry Potter is a kid’s series with no depth?

fucka-duck: It’s like the cat realizes whose holding it in the...

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:27:28 -0700

fucka-duck:

It’s like the cat realizes whose holding it in the second gif

…WAIT A MINUTE, ANDERSON COOPER!

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Thu, 03 May 2012 00:56:25 -0700

So you’re scared of snakes.I’m petrified of snakes.You just...

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:20:24 -0700

So you’re scared of snakes.
I’m petrified of snakes.
You just should get over it. So I’m going to help you today.

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Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:49:30 -0700

fyeahlilbitoeverything: ohmygil: 10-74: so I heard there are...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:35:24 -0700

fyeahlilbitoeverything:

ohmygil:

10-74:

so I heard there are ship wars in this fandom already? we’re what, four episodes in?

inspired by this amazing post and the result of sleep deprivation + a horrible headache + having HMB on repeat all day

/so if this my canon =D

SUPERGIRL!KORRA HOLY SHIT

This is amazing.

fripperiesandfobs: Court dress of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna,...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:17:00 -0700

fripperiesandfobs:

Court dress of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, 1890’s

From the State Hermitage Museum

Daniel Radcliffe and George Clooney attend the Bloomberg &...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:31:28 -0700

Daniel Radcliffe and George Clooney attend the Bloomberg & Vanity Fair cocktail reception following the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 28, 2012 in Washington, DC.

popculturebrain: In which show runners take to Twitter to...

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:56:46 -0700

popculturebrain:

In which show runners take to Twitter to lament their mistakes.

indietrove: annya127

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:30:04 -0700

indietrove:

annya127

alicexz: Favorite Character from a Fandom: Downton Abbey (asked...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:34:54 -0700

alicexz:

Favorite Character from a Fandom: Downton Abbey (asked by a lot)

GOSH I HAD TO RE-DO THIS my first attempt was horriD so yeah anyway Sybil is really pretty and nice and awesome in Season 1

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Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:10:25 -0700

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Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:46:00 -0700

“A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets. But now you know...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:51:28 -0700

“A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets. But now you know there was a man named Jack Dawson and that he saved me… in every way that a person can be saved. I don’t even have a picture of him. He exists now… only in my memory.”

Fashion by Rose Dewitt Bukater

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:40:39 -0700

Fashion by Rose Dewitt Bukater

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Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:22:54 -0700

“Republic City needs its Avatar once again.”

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:22:08 -0700

“Republic City needs its Avatar once again.”

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Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:41:11 -0700

noshipnoshore:

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:36:50 -0700

noshipnoshore:

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Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:07:56 -0700