Welcome back to classes. 14 more days of Great Narrative Reading to go!
11.28.2010
Drawing Parallels
Welcome back to classes. 14 more days of Great Narrative Reading to go!
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Welcome back to classes. 14 more days of Great Narrative Reading to go!
One thing that is parallel between the "Hero & the Crown", and "Persuasion", is the theme of hiding. Also, they both show progression from their hiding throughout the story. Anne is sometimes perceived as a wallflower, and by the end of the narrative she has progressed into a happier, more blooming woman. Aerin is very similar, in the beginning she is ashamed of her family background, and spends a lot of time by herself hiding. By the middle of the narrative, Aerin has come out from hiding and has gained self confidence.
ReplyDeleteAerin was at the dinner table with her father Arlbeth, and Arlbeth told Aerin, "Royality isn't allowed to hide--at least not once it has declared itself" (118). Anne had proven herself by killing those first two dragons and now she had come out from her hiding. She became noticed by nearly the whole town for her efforts killing dragons.
Anne was very similar to Aerin. She was seen as a wallflower by some characters in the beginning of the story. By the end of the narrative Anne was described as , " A few months hence, and the room now so
deserted, occupied but by her silent, pensive self, might be filled again with all that was happy and gay, all that was glowing and bright in prosperous love, all that was most unlike Anne Elliot!" (7). Anne also, had made significant changes and was seen as blooming by others. Anne and Aerin both came out from hiding.
Overall, I enjoy both of these narratives because it has been interesting tracking the progression of character of both women. In both narratives, there were always strong supporters of these characters in the beginning. For example, Aerin is always supported by Talat, Arlbeth, and Tor among others. Anne was always supported by Lady Russell, and Captain Wentworth.
These characters always had people who believed in them, however, in the end it took their own personal growth to come out from their hiding and show the world their true character.
...and this is just one of the reasons why I love both of these books...
ReplyDeleteThere are many parallels between The Hero and The Crown and Beowulf. In both of these stories, the main character is called or compelled to face great monsters in battle. Both face and defeat a terrifying foe(for Beowulf it was Grendel and for Aerin it was Maur) only to find that another, even more dangerous monster rises in the wake of the first. Aerin's second challenge is to face her Uncle, the evil wizard. Beowulf's is the dragon that ultimately kills him. Both stories place a high value on the weapon the hero uses. Aerin and Beowulf's swords have names and although sometimes their swords fail them (such as when Aerin is trying to enter her uncle's tower and her sword dims or when Beowulf fights Grendel's mother at the bottom of the lake and his sword is no use against her), in the end the swords prove useful (Aerin's helps her fight against the Northerners and Beowulf's strikes the fatal blow against the dragon.) Both Hero and the Crown are stories about brave heroes and the roles they fill in society.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may be a bit obscure, the parallel that exists between Anne in Persuasion and Talat in The Hero and the Crown is certainly one of significance.
ReplyDeleteIn Persuasion, Anne is a “people reader”; she has a knack for dissecting and evaluating the character of others. For example, in chapter 17, the narrator says of Anne’s “reading” of Mr. Elliott, “There was never any burst of feeling, any warmth of indignation or delight, at the evil or good of others. Her early impressions were incurable. She prized the frank, the open-hearted, the eager character beyond all others” (p. 151). Here, Anne relies on her people-reading skills to realize that Mr. Elliot is a rather closed man.
Just like Anne, Talat, Aerin’s horse in The Hero and the Crown, can also “read” people. I found the personification of Talat in the book especially interesting; it’s almost as though Talat is part of Aerin and knows what she is thinking and feeling and exactly how to comfort her. For example, in chapter 14, Talat knows that Aerin is hurt and that he must protect her: “Occasionally she woke up and found herself collapsed forward on Talat’s neck. But he would not let her fall off, and she didn’t. He carried her steadily, his ears pricked and cautious…” (p. 129).
Both Anne and Talat are people readers, even though, quite ironically, only one of them is a person. In fact, it is quite interesting indeed that the “people readers” of these two books happen to be an introvert and a horse.
The most obvious parallel for me would be between Hero and the Crown and Persuasion. Both girls are daughters that are deeply misunderstood by not only by their families but also by friends and people around them. In the Hero and the Crown Aerin is liked by her father, but not very close and often confuses his father by her interests in things that a daughter of royalty shouldn’t be doing. Sir Walter is also not very close with Anne but chooses not to try to be interested or really involved in her life. Anne also does things that Sir Walter thinks is beneath her class/ status. They both do things unexpected and sometimes unwanted by their families because they follow their own desires to do what they want. Anne goes back to Captain Wentworth and turns against Mr. Elliott, and Aerin still leaves to go fight Maur and find Luthe against the wishes of her father.In both stories there is an intertwining main love story with a somewhat side love story; Aerin with Tor as the one who has loved her for years, and her on the side flirtation with Luthe, and Anne had Captain Wentworth as the love for years and a slight “thing” with Mr. Elliott. The parallel of both stories starts out with each girl being very timid and not very confident or sure of themselves, and progresses through the book until the end where they are strong, confident women that know exactly what they want and show a lot more internal power and achievement than they had in the beginning of the stories. The true character of both finally emerges and proves to be almost completely different than we first saw them at the start.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to see many parallels between The Hero and the Crown and the previous books that we have read this semester. This story almost seems easily predictable because of all the similarities with the other books. While reading this book especially the dragon battles, I was reminded of Beowulf. The parallel between The Hero and the Crown and Beowulf was not necessarily brought to my attention by the similar dragon battles, but the reactions to the monsters posing a threat to nearby villages/palaces. I thought Aerin’s reaction to Maur perfectly paralleled Beowulf’s reaction to Grendel. Both Aerin and Beowulf will one day be known as great heroes and they both battle monsters even through they are royalty.
ReplyDeleteOnce the messenger had come to notify King Arlbeth of the black dragon, Maur, and after the army left for Nyrlol, Aerin made the messenger feel at ease by letting him know that she would accompany him back to battle the dragon (p. 112). Aerin instantly knew that she would take on this battle once her father ignored it because she was the only one left capable enough to bring peace back to the village. On the other side of the parallel, Beowulf was instantly eager to sail off to the Danes once he was notified of Grendel’s attack on Herot (p. 15, 194-228). Similarly, Beowulf chooses to help King Hrothgar because there was no one else more skilled and mightier for the task.
I believe that it is the overwhelming heroism in both Aerin and Beowulf that makes these two reactions completely paralleled. These warriors’ reactions are the underlying reasons why they are viewed as heroes as well as the defeat of their enemies. Both warriors were known by many people all across the land after their great battles that no one else volunteered for while also both warriors failed to have defeat cross their minds because of their great capabilities as warriors.
A theme that I noticed right away in Hero and the Crown was the awkwardness between Aerin and her father, just like in Persuasion. Aerin’s father a king and powerful man, just as Anne’s father, although not a king he is a man of power and of higher class. Anne’s father really ignores his daughter, and at some points seems embarrassed to have her his daughter. Aerins dad is the same way he is afraid that the people of his kingdom will not trust him as much because of his daughter, who the towns people think came from a witch. His fears are seen on pg 58 ch 7 “he knew his people had never loved the daughter of his second wife, and he feared their mistrust, and he had reason to fear it”.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme that stuck out to me was this elementary school romance going on between Aerin and Tor. Neither one of them wants to revile their true feelings to one another yet they both are falling for each other. As on pg 59 after Tor gives Aerin her gift “as she slid her sword into its scabbard and his her cheek as a cousin might; which he would not have dared had they been alone.” This is clearly showing how nervous Tor is around Aerin. This same type of romance is in Persuasian between Anne and Captain Wentworth, she doesn’t explain her true feelings towards him until the end of the book! Overall I’m really liking the Hero and the Crown and I’m hoping that in the end Aerin and Tor end up together, even if they are cousins… because I’m a cheesy romance girl like that!
As many others before me, I found the strongest connection between the text of The Hero and the Crown and Persuasion. Aerin and Anne are very similar in innumerable ways. They are both in “hiding” in the beginning of the novel, but both seek a deeper purpose. They are both not accepted—Aerin most fervently by the people of the land (8), and Anne, the opposite, by her family. Yet as both women feel the pressures of society on them, they still stand out individually to stay true to themselves. Anne does this when she goes to visit Ms. Smith, even though she knows the relationship will be frowned upon and potentially dampen her already shaky status with her father and sister. Aerin does this the first time she rides out to fight the dragons. It could also be argued she does the same when going to fight Maur, as she acts without explicit permission (111-112).
ReplyDeleteAlso, a significant connection lies within the women’s interests. Both seem to, while in hiding, turn to books for comfort. Aerin first goes to the library to get away from Galanna, but finds that she becomes interested in what the books have to offer her (28). One significant book she grabs is a history of Damar. In it, she finds “stories more exciting than the ones she made up for herself before she fell asleep at night” (30). In the stories, Aerin begins to recognize prose’s worth. Anne as well recognizes the knowledge that is to be found within texts, and it is eventually something that she is prized for—very similarly to Aerin, as her knowledge of kenet is praised by her father and Tor (98, 103).
Both Anne and Aerin have similar personalities, but obviously live in different time periods and thus express themselves differently. Both are selfless and thrive on the belief of their own greater purpose—each both trying to understand themselves. The undeniable connection between both girls is the loss of their mother, which they cope with in different ways. Although Aerin’s plot deals more with her coping with her mother’s absence, Anne’s plot recognizes her mother’s importance in maintaining Anne’s “rootedness” and place in the family. Through each girl’s struggle, a strong more powerful hero is born, and this may be the biggest connection of all.
One recurrent theme I have found interesting throughout our readings is that of the relationships between parent and child. This theme is a very significant one in Persuasion, the Odyssey, Hero and the Crown, and even Beowulf. We see very different relationships between mothers & sons, fathers & daughters, and everything in between.
ReplyDeleteThere in obviously significant tension between Aerin and Arlbeth in the beginning of the book, but around the chapter 13 mark we are really starting to see them grow closer and closer together. Both are (arguably) heroic warriors, much as we see in Odysseus and Telemechus. Father and son are separated for some nineteen years, but we see them reunite with a bond just as strong as if they had never been separated, when they fight side by side in the final battle with Penelope's suitors.
Similarly, though it may seem strange, there is obviously a very strong bond between Grendel and Grendel's mother in Beowulf. She is so enraged by Grendel's death that she exacts revenge on the villagers, and in this we see just how much she cares for her son, monstrous as they both may be.
The final parent-child relationship we have seen in our texts is that of Anne and her father in Persuasion. They have a very odd relationship in that neither of them seem to particularly care for the other, unlike what we see in the three previous examples. Perhaps their lack of a relationship serves as a reason for us to appreciate that which the others share all that much more.
When reading "The Hero and the Crown" I noticed a parallel in the plot I don't think many people would notice. A lot of people will probably also disagree with me but I see a similarity in the love relationships in "Persuasion" to be like those in THATC. Now try to see where im coming from...even though it is really confusing. Like the love triangle in "Persuasion" between Anne, Captain Wentworth, and William Elliot, there is a love triangle forming between Aerin, Luthe, and Tor. I personally feel like Aerin is like Anne, Luthe is like Captain Wentworth, and Tor is like William Elliot. Even though Aerin loves both Luthe and Tor (Anne loves Wentworth and initially sort of likes Mr. Elliot) and ends up with Tor (Anne does not end up with William Elliot, this is the only part which does not match up), I feel as if Aerin is more truly in love with Luthe, like Anne is truly in love with Wentworth, even though a relationship with Mr. Elliot was better matched (Tor is the best match for Aerin because he is first sola and more tied to her family).
ReplyDeleteJealousy also is seen between the two males who both want the main character in both stories. Because Anne was spending time with William Elliot, Wentworth was jealous of Anne's cousin, like Luthe was jealous of Tor because he had been closer to her throughout her life, "'It matters little,'said a low voice from behind the hair. 'I am not missed.' 'Tor,' said Luthe darkly"(163). In THATC both males seem nice and a good match for Aerin. Aerin ends up with the one who was better matched for her at the time but still have feelings for the other. In "Persuasion", both males appear nice and good matches (even though one ends up to be decieving). Anne initially spends a lot of time with the one better suited for her but still has strong feelings for the other. While the female protagonists end up with opposite characters, their situations were similar enough that I felt it could been seen as a parallel.
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ReplyDeleteFor me, the most numerous amount of parallels exist between Hero and the Crown and Beowulf. Most obviously is the existence of monsters (Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon in Beowulf and the several dragons in Hero and the Crown). Despite the fact that monsters appeared in other texts (particularly the Odyssey), their role in these two texts was much more significant. After all, there would not be a plot line without them.
ReplyDeleteI think it is also important to focus on comparing Beowulf and Aerin. Both are heroes in their respective stories and both fight on their own and out of their own free will. Beowulf was "too proud to line up with a large army against the sky-plague" (2345-2347) in his last battle with the dragon. And this character-trait was not a new one but rather one that had followed him throughout the entire tale. Aerin also fights alone and her motives were similar. As she contemplates what she is setting out to do she comes upon the realization that she wants "to be doing something. To be doing something better than anyone else was doing it" (77). Both her and Beowulf want to essentially prove themselves to others. Both also happen to stumble upon "hero-ism" in doing so.
They are also similar in how the town reacts to their achievements. When Beowulf comes back from defeating Grendel and Grendel's mother, he is hailed as a hero and they celebrate with huge feasts. Aerin is not given such lavish rewards but they do entrust her to go out and fight many more dragons. It does seem that Beowulf is attracted to the attention more so than Aerin but nonetheless, they both get hailed as heroes.
When I begin to think of comparisons between this book and others that we have read, I think of how Gallana reminds me of Anne's sister, Elizabeth. They are both extremely jealous and put a great deal of effort into trying to convince themselves and everyone else that Anne/Aerin are not important or could not possibly have anything important to say. They are both worried about their appearance and are very shallow. When Anne or Aerin receive attention from Mr. Elliot or Tor Gallana/Elizabeth get very upset. Neither one has a reason to hate these women. They simply hate them for existing. They aer mean and do not care if they hurt feelings.
ReplyDeleteThere are clearly many similarities between The Hero and the Crown and the books we have read previously. Parallels to Persuasion, Beowulf, and even the Odyssey have all been mentioned, but there is also a very interesting parallel between The Hero and the Crown and Out of the Silent Planet. This comparison has to do with both Ransom's and Aerin's experiences of the thrill of the hunt.
ReplyDeleteRansom experiences this thrill when he goes with the hross to hunt the hnakra. The hross look forward to and prepare for the hnakra hunt for their whole lives, and on the day of the hunt, "the whole village was astir" with nervous excitement (pg. 78). Ransom and the hross have learned the hnakra's habits and vulnerabilities, and they know how best to go about attacking them. When Aerin decides to go after her first dragon, she has no experience, but she has also spent many months preparing for her hunt training Talat and discovering the recipe for kenet. As she embarks, her nervous anticipation is evident as "her hands shook" and "she was worrying anxiously" (pg. 85). Like Ransom, she eagerly awaits the unknown fight ahead of her.
Upon close examination, the battle between Ransom and the hnakra is strikingly similar to the battle between Aerin and the dragon. The hnakra comes at Ransom on a "torpedo-like track," with "the great black pit of its mouth" open (pg. 81), while the dragon "hurtled out of its den and straight at" Aerin and "opened its mouth and blasted them with its fire" (pg. 87). The hnakra and the dragon are both only vulnerable to a spear thrown at a certain location, and the ends of the battles are almost identical, with Hyoi and Talat holding the creatures' heads while Ransom and Aerin deliver the fatal blows.
The motivation behind the hunt is also very similar for Ransom and Aerin. Ransom feels that by partaking in the hunt, he can "show that the human species were also hnau" (pg. 79), and he feels that he "must leave a deed on his memory instead of one more broken dream" (pg. 81). This desire for acceptance, belonging, and accomplishment is very similar to Aerin's feelings. She thinks of herself as an outcast and wants to prove her loyalty and worth to her people, and she takes comfort in the fact that she is "on her way to accomplish something useful" (pg. 86). They are both fairly successful in achieving their goals, as Ransom earns the title of "Hman Hnakrapunt" and Aerin becomes known as "Aerin Fire-Hair" and "Aerin Dragon-Killer."
The experiences of Ransom and Aerin are obviously very similar, regarding both the motivation behind the hunts and the description of the hunts themselves. To me, this shows that Lewis and McKinley both have an excellent understanding of not only the adventure genre, but also the universal human desire for acceptance and accomplishment.
The parallel between books we have read and Hero and the Crown that I found the most apparent was the similar traits of Anne and Aerin and their families.
ReplyDeleteGalanna takes the place of Mary and Elizabeth by putting Aerin down. On page 14 Galanna says “You revolting child… even if you are incapable… of mending the settings yourself, you might save the pieces and let one of us do it for you.” With the emphasis on incapable and us Galanna really separates Aerin and shoots her down. Mary and Elizabeth say similar things like who would want Anne at Bath?
In both stories at least one parent would have preferred a son. Within the first chapter of Persuasion Jane Austen makes it apparent that Sir Elliot wished Anne had been born a son so that Kellynch would undoubtedly stay in the Elliot family. On Page 15 of the Hero and the Crown Aerin says that her mother, “died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son, since they usually find a way to avoid letting daughters inherit.” Both stories involved inheritance and this may be a source of her sense of inferiority. Between pages 15 and 16 she says it wouldn’t have mattered if she had been a son if the son would have turned out like her. Clearly she doesn’t feel appreciated by her family. Sir Elliot chastises Anne for seeing Mrs. Smith in Persuasion and is rarely supportive of her.
Finally, at the wedding of Perlith and Galanna, Perlith’s gaze rests on Aerin as opposed to Galanna. “ Aerin would not have wished to outshine Galanna even if she could,” (Page 51). Anne is a wallflower in certain situations and likes to retreat from the spotlight while men are interested in her. Also, the narration from Anne’s point of view usually regards Anne’s worries about others. Both characters are sensitive to others wishes.
I think that "Hero and the Crown" sets up many ideas that are similar in the other texts that we have read. Obviously, this has a lot to do with the nature of the class. We are talking about Great Narrative Works. I think that the fact that Aerin is a hero is clearly similar to other heroes that we have encountered in the semester. Beowulf was hero, as well as Odysseus. She was different in a few ways from both of them. Clearly, Aerin is female which sets her apart from them in the first place. Also, people did not believe in her as much as everyone believed in them. No one really understood her and she was a little out of place in their society. Because no one understood her, she always felt down on herself, and that she had to prove something. From the beginning we see this. The text states, "Aerin was not a particularly clumsy young woman, but she was by now so convinced of her lack of coordination that she still broke things occasionally out of sheer dread," (13). Through this moment and other moments in the text, she reminds me of Anne Elliot. Anne was misunderstood and people did not believe in her either. She began to believe what others thought about her purely out of habit and respect. However, she came out of that--similar to Aerin. I think that these two women embody strong personal conviction in different ways, but similar avenues.
ReplyDeleteThere are many parallels between Hero and the Crown and Persuasion. One being the characters themselves. Anne is a very strong person but kind of keeps to herself in the beginning. Aerin is the same way. She is a very strong person but she keeps to herself in the beginning. Its not until the middle of the book for both Anne and Aerin that they start to come out of their shell and people see their true colors. When Anne went to meet mrs smith and not Lady Drympel her family was not happy because Mrs Smith was beneath her. This is similar to Aerin when she first decides to start fighting dragons, everyone looked down on her because dragon fighting was beneath her (pg86). Another similarity between Persuasion and Hero and the Crown is the theme of belonging. Throughout Persuasion Anne Elliot wants to feel like she belongs. In the beginning she felt like no one cared about her and that she was all alone. It wasnt until the middle of the book when she went to Uppercross but especially lyme that she began to find herself and feel like she belonged with people. This is the same with Aerin in the beginning of Hero and the Crown she was a loner, kept to herself but once she started fighting dragons and realized that she was good at it and her father knighted her she finally started to feel like she belonged.(pg 100 3rd paragraph) " For the first time she had official position in his court; she had won it. She carried the king's sword, and thus was, however irregularly, a member of his armies and his loyal sworn servant as well as his daughter. She had a place of her own- both taken and granted."
ReplyDeleteA parallel that stuck out to me when reading The Hero and the Crown was that of Arlbeth to Sir Walter and the relationship that they have with their daughters. Both Arlbeth and Sir Walter are aloof from their daughters. They very rarely spend quality time with their daughters. Both men are high ranking in their countries monarchy. Arlbeth is the highest rank in the country while Sir Walter is a lower ranking baron. Arlbeth clearly loves Aerin very much but he has no idea how to properly show it. This is made obvious after Aerin kills the first dragon and she doesn't eat breakfast with him for a week. "I was beginning to feel ogreish. I'm glad you've crept out of hiding." Sir Walter on the other hand doesn't make his love for Anne obvious and he never really shows that he truly cares about her in the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many others that there are striking parallels between Aerin in "The Hero and the Crown" and Anne in "Persuasion.
ReplyDeleteMost notably, Aerin and Anne are both characters that are often found trying to hide. Up until Aerin began fighting dragons, she mentioned that she had "hidden all (her) life" (101). Anne also found herself trying to hide. At one point, she noted that she wanted nothing “but to be unobserved” (66). Although both characters hide for different reasons, they both seem to hide from specific groups of people. Aerin wants to hide from the people of the town because she does not believe they trust her and, initially, Anne tries to hide from Wentworth (54). However, later on it seems Anne simply does not like being the center of attention while placed in a large group of people, such as when she took "the office of musician to a more active post” at parties (45).
Furthermore, there is a parallel between Anne and Aerin in that they are not totally beloved. Aerin is feared by her people (e.g. 110), while Anne is unloved by her father and sisters (e.g. 7, 32, 37). The characters are disliked for completely different reasons, but they relate to one another because they are both ostracized and disliked.
The Hero and the Crown most reminded me of Persuasion because of the similarities in the characters. Both Anne Elliott and Aerin were girls in well off families, yet they did not have as much influence as either one deserved. In Persuasion, Anne, was constantly overshadowed by her sisters, especially Elizabeth. “[Anne] was nobody with either her father or sister: her word had no weight; her convenience was always to give away-she was only Anne,” (7). Anne was not looked at as an equal to Elizabeth and her opinion was often completely disregarded when in fact, she had just as much a right to influence as Elizabeth. In The Hero and the Crown, Aerin is a first sol, but is often kept out of situations of influence for fear of what the people would think. Her father does not allow her to ride with him even after she has been dubbed and her sword is now property of the kingdom. She “discovered what the place she had earned in his court was worth” (105). Both Aerin and Anne Elliott feel as if they are of a lower class when they are not. This is exemplified in Persuasion when Anne is simply expected to tend to Mary. Although it is never brought up, it could have been as much Elizabeth’s responsibility as Anne’s. Anne’s gentle character allow for this to be something she attends to in a caring way, and this same gentle spirit can be seen in the way that Aerin does not want to disobey her father. Even in traveling to fight the Dragon, she does so without asking, but not going against his feelings. Additionally, earlier, before testing her kennet outside the city, she asks her father for permission to take a day’s ride out of the city (78). This obedience is also seen in Anne early on when she does not initially marry Wentworth because of the advice of Lady Russell, “whom she had always loved and relied on” (27). The last aspect of both of these young girls’ lives that links their characters together is the absence of a mother as they are growing up. This creates an environment for a lot more searching for acceptance than a story in which a mother is present and offering guidance may have.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Hero and the crown i have found some clear similarities with Aerin and Telemachus from the Odyssey. In the early stages of the Odyssey Telemachus is going threw many of the same problems as Aerin most significantly is the longing for an identity. Both Telemachus and Aerin have absent parental figures that by social norms would relate to them better then the one they have. Telemachus being male is missing a father and Aerin being a female is missing a mother. Both of their missing parents have had strong impacts on their lives. Telemachus is expected to live up to this great man Odysseus and Aerin is thought to be the same as her witch woman mother.
ReplyDeleteBoth Telemachus and Aerin go threw a transformation to find their identity. Telemachus transforms from a week boy, into a man as he asserts him self and attempts to take control of his house back. Aerin transforms from a very shy girl into a dragon slayer and warrior. In doing so they both find ways to connect with their missing parent. Aerin discovers the truth about her mother and is proud of her not ashamed. Telemachus finds his father and battles next to him.
In The Hero and the Crown, Beowulf, and The Odyssey all of the main characters have a band of loyal followers. Aerin has her yerigs and foltzas following her, Beowulf has his men, and Odysseus has his fellow warriors. The theme of commradery is very common throughout the three stories. And, only in Beowulf do the comrades abandon their leader. Aerin and Odysseus both have comrades who follow them and fight for them the entire way. They also stay with them no matter what.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus' men kept following him throughout all of the ships getting wrecked and all of the fighting of monsters and such. Aerin's yerigs and foltzas follow her all the way out of their own personal territories, they even grow to like each other. They fight off the Northerners for her at the gates of her city. They are ever-faithful and keep to her side no matter what comes their way. Just like Odysseus's men, and like Beowulf's until it came to fighting the dragon.
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ReplyDelete(Sorry, computer logged me out...)
ReplyDeleteOne of the parallels in The Hero and The Crown is of Aerin and Anne Elliot. Although Anne's story wasn't really about coming-of-age, but both girls experienced similar trials as females. They are both strong-willed but reserved, and neither of them overstep their boundaries when it comes to speaking out their opinions (for the most part). Rather than being in the spotlight, Aerin and Anne handle things in a more subtle manner. One main difference is in the romance. While Anne was greatly affected by her broken relationship with Captain Wentworth and is constantly thinking about their relationship, Aerin on the other hand does not seem to notice the hints and signs from Tor. "Tor thought that night that [Aerin] looked radiant and wished, wistfully, that it had something to do with him, while he was only too certain it did not. When, daring greatly, he told her as they spun through the figures of the dance that she was beautiful, she laughed at him" (pg. 65). Clearly Aerin has more important things on her mind than looking for romance.
Aerin and Anne also have similar family backgrounds. Although they both lost their mothers, their relationship with their fathers are a little different. While Anne has almost no connection with her father whatsoever, Aerin's distance with her father is not because he does not care for her but that that is just his way of showing his affection.
As many others have stated before, I feel that there is a very strong parallel between the father-daughter relationships in both Hero and the Crown and Persuasion. Both Aerin and Arlbeth and Anne and Sir Elliot have what seem to be somewhat, if not very, strained relationships.
ReplyDeleteIn Hero and the crown, Arlbeth loves Aerin and seems to really want her around. It seems that their relationship is only strained because she was born a girl and Arlbeth doesn’t really know how to interact with her. I feel that as the story goes on, and as Nikkee said, around Chapter 13, you get a feeling that their relationship has taken a rather large turn and they begin to grow closer. I feel that the reason Arlbeth gave Aerin the “King’s sword” (Pg.99) was his not only wanting to protect her by knowing what she was up to, but also to maybe bring them closer and to help their relationship grow, which I believe it has succeeded in doing.
However, in Prersuasion, we see the very strained relationship between Anne and her father but Anne’s father almost at times seems to not want her around and is almost embarrassed to have her as a daughter. This first comes to light within the first couple of pages when he describes her as “she was only Anne” (Pg. 7). I feel that throughout Persuasion you never see Anne and her father growing closer but perhaps almost the opposite of that.
So, as you can see, there is are very similar father-daughter relationships in both Hero and the Crown and Persuasion. However, in one we see the relationship improving but the other we do not but in the beginning, from the point we get to see, they both start as very strained relationships.
For me I see many parallels between Aerin and Anne Elliot. Anne is a quiet person. She is never the center of attention or tying to be. She is more of an observer. Aerin is the same way. When she goes to visit her horse Talat she goes when it is dark (13). She does not want anyone else to see her. She wants to hide in the shadows. Another moment I saw Anne in Aerin was how she is not seen as an assets by her family. It was Anne’s friends that really appreciated Anne for who she was. Aerin’s dad and cousins never tried to make her come out of her shell. They let her stay in it. They let her sulk and be a ghost around the castle and Galanna just harasses her. It was Luthe who truly made Aerin who she truly is. He comes to her in a dream tell her he can help heal her after her fight with Maur (124). When Aerin comes to him in the mountains he is the one who teaches her how to use her Gift and heals her (144-166). He knows and sees the potential in her. Both Tor and Arlbeth knew that she was dying and they did not try to save her to their full potential (237). They were watching her die and Luthe would not allow that to happen. For these reasons I believe Anne and Aerin are similar characters.
ReplyDeleteThere are many significant parallels between the Hero and the Crown and Persuasion. The most distinguished parallel is that between the characters of Aerin and Anne Elliot. When we are first introduced to Aerin and Anne, they are both wallflowers.
ReplyDeleteAnne, known for her "elegance of mind" and "sweetness of character," was considered, "nobody with either father or sister; her word had no weight; her convenience was always to give way;--she was only Anne" (p. 7). Though Aerin's father does appreciate her, "he had rarely spoken more than a few words together to her when she was younger; his slow kind smiles...had been the most she knew of him”(p. 1). Over time both Anne and Aerin transform from fragile wallflowers into strong women. Anne, blessed with a second coming of youth and beauty, has begun to bloom again. Anne and her father find themselves alone together, “he began to compliment her on her improved looks…Certainly you cannot do better than continue as you are…”(p. 136-137). For the first time Anne’s father acknowledges her beauty and worth. Just as Anne has matured, so has Aerin. Aerin has finally won an official position in her fathers court, “She carried the king’s sword…a member of his armies and his loyal sworn servant as well as his daughter. She had a place of her own—both taken and granted”(p. 100). Though Anne and Aerin are very different, they share a few significant similarities.
Anne and Aerin both grow and mature in their journey from a fragile adolescent into a strong independent woman. Though they both discover themselves in different ways (one with dragons and the other with love), both women are significant examples of the heroic journey of women.
Christy Hunter
ReplyDeleteA similar theme I noticed between the Hero and the Crown and the Odyssey is that both texts have a complete sense of closure in their endings. In the Odyssey, the suitors, servants, and all of the people disloyal to Odysseus pay dearly for their actions throughout the epic and are killed by the hero they wronged. Similarly, in the Hero and the Crown, the good guys win while Agsded, Galanna, Perlith, and the Northerners get their comeuppance in some form or another. The romantic subplots in both texts also end favorably for everyone involved. Odysseus and Penelope have a joyful reunion and resume their life together. Meanwhile, Aerin happily marries Tor and becomes queen of Damar. Interestingly, these works end with an overarching sense of peace on the last 1-2 pages of their story. Athena persuades both warring parties that they need to put a stop to their fighting so that peace can again be possible in Ithaca. Similar to this, in the last paragraph of the Hero and the Crown, the narrator commends Tor's abilities as a ruler by stating, "Tor had been king less than three years when he was first called the Just, for the even-handedness of his wisdom" (245). This implies that the young king runs his country based on logic and reasoning, versus individual emotions or desires. One would assume that ruling in this manner means that Tor is unlikely to be corrupted by greed, which leaves the reader with the feeling of a hopeful future for Damar.
When I finished these works, I found that I walked away from both of them with very similar feelings of contentedness. It was quite rewarding as a reader to see all loose ends tied up and justice served to those whose actions deserved it.
FOR BREE BECK:
ReplyDeleteThere are several similarities between The Hero and the Crown and The Odyssey. Aerin and Odysseus both fought monsters. There are also similarities between Teka and Eurycleia.
Although Odysseus battled gods and fought in wars throughout most of his life, Aerin had her fair share of battles as well. Both Odysseus and Aerin battled monsters. Aerin fought and killed many small menacing dragons, the huge Black Dragon, Maur, and finally Agsded. Odysseus’s monsters included the Scylla and Charybdis, the Cyclops, Poseidon, and the suitors. A parallel of the monsters themselves can be seen here. The suitors in the Odyssey were menacing monsters just as the smaller dragons (p. 31) were that Aerin had fought. With the suitors being only human, they were not as difficult to face as the other monsters that Odysseus faced, just as the dragons were nothing in comparison to Maur or Agsded. Poseidon served as Odysseus’s “Black Dragon, Maur”. Maur was an overwhelming mythical evil that Aerin had to fight, and she almost lost her life to him(p 87-90), just as Odysseus almost lost his life to the powerful and angry sea-god, Poseidon(book 13, 215-220). Finally, just like it was Odysseus destiny to kill the suitors and take back over his land, it was also Aerin’s destiny to avenge her mother and kill Agsded as well as to bring back the Hero’s Crown.
The Hero and the Crown’s Teka and the Odyssey’s Eurycleia also have much in common. Teka was the loyal nursemaid or caretaker of Aerin. Eurycleia was the loyal maid and caretaker of Odysseus (and Telemachus). In Chapter 2, we learn Teka was appointed as Aerin’s caretaker before she was even born, during her mother’s pregnancy. Teka knew much about whom Aerin’s mother really was (p. 14-19). Eurycleia was not only Telemachus’s caretaker, but also Odysseus’s caretaker. Like Teka, Eurycleia knew much about Odysseus and could tell Telemachus much about his father. Both Teka and Eurycleia formed close bonds with Aerin and Odysseus, both of them (maids) knowing much about Aerin and Odysseus. Although Teka couldn’t quite understand everything about who Aerin was, she knew that Aerin was trying to find herself, and, like a mother, she supported and protected Aerin. She told Aerin the truth about her mother and supported Aerin in her decisions. Eurycleia did all she could to support and protect Odysseus as well as Telemachus(book 2). She hid Telemachus’ journey so that the suitors would not find out and also helped Odysseus identify the disloyal maidens.
So everyone has really made parallels between characters and plot lines, but what struck me right away was the way the stories were told. Both "The Hero and the Crown" and "The Odyssey" begin their stories in medius rex, right in the middle of the action. I think this is key in affecting the way we understand and interpret what we read. What we learn in the beginning of the story forever alters how we read the story.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Odyssey" we start the story hearing of Odysseus's great deeds. Telemachus travels from island to island pleading for news of his father (Books II-IV). Here is where we learn of Odysseus's strength, courage, wit, bravery, and heroism. We are shown this extraordinary portrait of the man without actually knowing him. We are inclined to like him, to prefer him to other characters, because if we have heard others say. The same thing happens as we begin to learn about Aerin. The story jumps straight into action, we here of Nyrlol and the "demon-mischeif" up North (pg. 7, I). We are told intimate details of Aerin's life without really knowing her. We are forced to like her because of the way the story is written. By being thrown into things, we don't have time to make assumptions or predictions. We have to follow the pages and see where the story takes us.
It's interesting to see how stories written in such different worlds can be so similar. The way a story is written affects how we the readers perceive it. By starting these books in the middle of the action, the author forces readers to accept the characters for who they are no questions asked.
Although they take place in very different settings, time periods, and locations, one is rather more fictional that the other, for me, one a very big parallel was between Tor and Capitan Frederick Wentworth. Both are gentlemen, they are genuinely good guys. Also both Tor and Wentworth are in postions of power, although Tor moreso than Wentworth. Not only to they display similar characteristics, they are both involved in complicated romantic situations. In Hero and The Crown, Aerin isnt really aware Tor is in love with her and that she loves him until after she meets Luthe, and has a bit of a 'fling'. In Persuasion, Anne and Wentworth were in love, but she was persuaded not to be with him, later hoping he still loves her. While both take very different paths, both Tor and Wentworth end up with their dream women!
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