bacchant ([info]bacchantes) wrote,
@ 2007-10-01 09:16:00
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Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts on my most recent article on the Strange Horizons website, Medieval Mindsets: Narrative Theory and The Mists of Avalon. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them here, or feel free to email me at oracle_bacchus@yahoo.com.

http://www.strangehorizons.com/2007/20071001/medieval_mindsets-a.shtml

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[info]joyinthedance
2007-10-01 07:18 pm UTC (link)
First of all, congrats again! The first story too! *applause*

I really liked it! I always loved that book. I never studied literary theory and hadn't heard the terms "counterstory" and "master narrative," but it became very clear in the context of the book. Your essay made me appreciate just what an important work MoA is. Besides being a fastastic read and appealing to all out inner feminists, it challenges one of the most seminal myths of British (and by extention, Anglo-American) culture. And the popularity of the book attests to how badly a counterstory like that was needed.

Thanks for making me think about this again. ^_^ And go out and celebrate!!

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[info]bacchantes
2007-10-01 10:39 pm UTC (link)
The words "counterstory" and "master narrative" are terms Hilde Lindemann Nelson uses in her philosophy book Damaged Identities: Narrative Repair, so I don't think they are widely known.

Besides being a great story, I think MoA really makes us think about the ways oppression finds its way into our own lives. The fact that fiction can open up such a dialogue says a lot about the power of narrative.

Thanks so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it. You know, I think I'll take your advice and go out and celebrate tonight. :D!

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[info]muncide
2007-10-02 01:19 am UTC (link)
AAAAHHHH YOU'RE SO COOL *ASS KISS ASS KISS* 8D Congratulationnsss mrs. published author! *flail* Here's to your future prospects lolol

I remember vaguely you talking about this subject before, but as I've never read The Mists of Avalon (or really any of the King Arthur's tales), this is pretty new to me. I'm simply amazed at the complete relatability of the concept of master narratives and counterstories. I mean, the whole beauty thing still applies today, the whole looking glass self thing and faulty determinants of self-worth, etc., etc. Makes me wonder just how progressive our society actually is; there's still so much of our oppressive past and history present today in modern society. I wonder though, how much further can we go (in changing the master narrative)? Most societies or whatever are usually mildly conservative--to protect the status quo and current stability--so just like problems with racial stereotypes, I'm not sure if things like glass ceilings will ever go away as there is an incentive not to change. Especially considering the general complacency I'm sensing. Everyone complains about the unrealistic beauty portrayed in the mass media, but even with this general consensus nothing is really happening and girls are still starving. ahhh sorryyy this article really gets my thinking juices flowing~ XD;;;

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[info]bacchantes
2007-10-02 04:11 am UTC (link)
Ahahaha, thank you!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the article. I think you're right that oppressive master narratives have followed us from the past, but I wouldn't give up hope yet. Raising consciousness always helps. Women in the past did not even have a language to begin speaking about things like oppression, double consciousness (seeing yourself primarily through another's eyes), master narratives or, most importantly, counterstories. You can't change something if you can't identify the problem in the first place. So now the question is, once we recognize the ways in which oppressive master narratives harm us, how are we going to combat them? I am a strong believer that the more voices you add to the fray, the better. So we should go on creating stories, learning, debating, making counterstories and offering them to others. Criticize mangakas who still don't get it. :D Certain master narratives are still around, but they have gotten more subtle (I'm thinking specifically of racial stereotypes.) So in addition to creating counterstories that combat these negativities, we have to learn which oppressive master narratives are still functioning in our society and call them out on it. This is why I think education and critical thinking are so, so important to society.

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[info]ivory_and_horn
2008-01-20 01:34 pm UTC (link)
O-Oh man I'm kind of late to the party, aren't I? Umm...whether or not you see this comment...I very much enjoyed the article. I like it as a whole--the flow of your writing felt very natural, from the brief recap of Arthurian legend and the definitions of "master narrative" and "counterstory" to the analysis of Morgaine and Gwynhwyvar's roles in the context of their time period and those terms to the focus on harp-playing as an expression of master narrative vs. counterstory. At no point did I feel lost because I hadn't read Mists of Avalon before.

To be very, very specific, I really like the addition of the line "Evidence suggests Arthur thinks of her in a more flattering light." I think it emphasized the fact that master narratives have an internal effect, as well as an external one.

And of course, congrats on the publication. :)

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