Ms. Marvel's Marvelous Memes

Bad Luck Kamala- This meme has to do with the confining of Kamala's relationship with her parents. Most every child has been through this phase, where they believe that they know how to take care of themselves and wish that their parents would let them loose to have some fun. In the end, most children tend to believe that their parents wound up making the right call. Especially in Kamala's case. With great power comes great responsibility after all.

"Big Boots"- I noticed throughout the volume that when characters would reference Captain Marvel they would speak about her fashion sense, most specifically her "big boots." Now, clearly this is an underlying stab at the fact that Captain Marvel, like the majority of female superheroes, has rather large breasts. People look to the skies and want to see this typical picture of feminine power and beauty coming to save them, not the 16 year old Kamala.

Taylor Swift Transformation- It is telling that one of the first things Kamala is able to transform into is her mother, even though she tried to transform into Taylor Swift. This could be dissected into any number of things, but Kamala herself put it best when she said the situation was getting a little bit "Freudian."

Kamala's Astonished Koala- While this meme may not have a large underlying meaning to it, it is simply the most accurate look that I could picture on Bruno's face when he discovered that the superhero who was shot in his shop was none other then his best friend. The picture says it all.

Graceling: Category A, Prompt A

“How absurd it was that in all seven kingdoms, the weakest and most vulnerable of people - girls, women - went unarmed and were taught nothing of fighting, while the strong were trained to the highest reaches of their skill.” 
  

The passage above shows the issues Katsa is facing with her identity and gendered expectations in this text.  Katsa sees women everywhere as vulnerable and in need of protection. In Katsa’s culture just like in western culture today, women are seen as lesser and as objects to be protected. Yet, Katsa is not like the stereotypical woman of this time and does not fit into society’s expectations for her. She is strong, brave, and fights against many men. This confuses Katsa because she is unsure of her place in her word and why more girls are not being taught to defend themselves like she was. She is not vulnerable like other women and can protect herself and others.  Rather than seeing herself as a rebel and above the rules of society, Katsa thinks she is an anomaly and unnatural. When in actuality, it is society with the problem not her. This is unfortunate because Katsa should not use these talents to identify herself as weird or odd. She should be identifying herself as inspiring and as a role model for the girls in her society to realize their true capabilities and not accept the narrative put on them. She could be the figure who changes this stereotype in her culture and could ultimately change the lives of girls in the kingdoms. This is a classic representation of why perspective is important and why gendered expectations are dangerous for people's identities and sense of self.

Graceling Intro Song Selection

Song Selection for Chapter 1/Dungeon Breakout Scene: "Mission: Impossible Theme Song"

As a first-time reader of Graceling I was a little unsure of what to expect when delving into the novel. In the first few pages, Katsa can slink around behind castle walls undetected and single-handedly dispatch of 20-30 men with ease. This seemingly ludicrous ability, afforded to her by her "grace" reminded me immediately of the feats accomplished in movies such as Mission: Impossible, The Bourne Supremacy, or James Bond. One could say these special agents were “graced” with fighting/killing like Katsa. Katsa working in the shadows as part of a secret Council to effect positive change throughout the kingdom seemed very akin to a secret spy agency – complete with a vast array of safe houses and hidden operatives. The tense MI theme song lends itself perfectly to Katsa’s portrayal in the early portions of the novel. I could easily imagine her sneaking about, dispatching a guard as the music swells, and then sneaking as it lulled. Although Katsa’s sleeping pills aren’t nearly as sophisticated as say an exploding stick of gum, they are very much a tool of espionage, contributing to her secret agent image. 

Here is a link to the song.

Gender and Marriage in Graceling

Category A, Prompt D

Throughout the text, a predominant source of fear and frustration for Katsa is being owned. This fear is founded in her relationship with her Uncle, who has for years held control over her actions and treated her as a tool for his desires, but it becomes a more complex issue when it comes to the other relationships in Katsa’s life, particularly those romantic ones. The passage I chose takes place over chapter 20, in which Katsa has fully realized her feelings for Po, and he has offered to be with her in whatever way she is comfortable. In the passage Katsa describes that “If she took Po as her husband, she would be making promises about a future she couldn’t yet see. For once she became his wife, she would be his wife forever. And, no matter how much freedom Po gave her, she would always know that it was a gift. Her freedom would not be her own; it would be Po’s to give or to withhold. That he never would withhold it made no difference.” This is the clearest example of her feelings about marriage and where her fears stem from.
Although it is not something brought to extreme focus in the novel, it is clear that in this world that Katsa lives in, women are beholden to men. Katsa’s Grace can be directly translated to mean that she is literally able to survive without a man in a place where it appears that ordinarily the security of a woman’s future is directly related to her marital status.It is no coincidence that Katsa and Po’s relationship is so often described and discussed in terms of consent. Po is constantly assuring her that he does not need her to change, that he would not control her. Katsa fear though is based in the belief that part of being with someone is giving up a bit of yourself even if the end you have only give up your happiness, as Po mentions. Consent is again mentioned in the moment it matters most, when they are together, Katsa saying “that this one time she would consent to hurt, and bleed, at his touch” and again it is tied to the idea of voluntarily giving something away, in this instance her virginity. Afterwards Katsa remarks “I have not lost myself”, a reaffirmation that although she is now involved with a man, she is still her own person and in control of herself.

Thematic Close Reading: Graceling

                One passage that sets a lot of the groundwork for the thematic resonance of the novel is the scene in chapter seven where Helda gets Katsa ready for a dinner party with king Randa (pages 62- 64). The passage starts with Helda pulling knots out of Katsa’s hair. This is shown as a contrast between Katsa’s actions: she is described as having thrown her party clothing about. Helda looks for Katsa’s shoes while katsa herself does as little as possible to postpone dressing up.

                The first discussion in the passage is about Katsa and Helda arguing about a red dress. When the dress is introduced, it is done so presumably through the opinions of Helda. It is described as “bright as the tomatoes Randa imported from Lienid, the tomatoes that tasted as rich and sweet as his chef’s chocolate cake.” Not only is the description based on food, the metaphor seems to be incorrect, the flavors in the description do not match and it is most likely because Helda has not tasted one or both of the foods.

                Then the conversation switches to the first disagreement between the two: Katsa does not want to wear the red dress. Helda says it’s pretty like the color of sunrise, but Katsa responds “it’s the color of Blood.” This implies not only that Katsa does have some psychological damage from her position as an assassin, but also that Helda is woefully unable to relate to her.

                When Katsa gets her hair washed, she says that she wishes she could cut it off because “It’s not worth the nuisance.” This is an obvious subversion of typical gender standards. But it is important to note that her hair condition is talked about through the context of her role as an assassin. Helda says that she should make herself look pretty for lord Giddon, and he the conversation turns into the final bit of narration. It explains how lady Helda cannot understand how ANY woman could not want to me beautiful and married.

                In this final portion of the passage the reader can see that this embodies one of the main themes of the book, not only is Katsa rebelling, by the end of the novel when she decides to teach women how to protect themselves, she is actively going against what she was taught. She becomes a leader but trains people in the skills that will actually give them power. 

The issue of identity is a prominent aspect of Kristen Cashore’s novel, Graceling. Not only is Katsa’s existence somewhat problematic as her Grace is rather destructive, but her fate is determined by her uncle who robs her of the ability to define her purpose in life. Katsa’s Grace allows her to be an excellent fighter. Unfortunately, until Katsa was able to harness her Grace properly, she ended up killing some people, prompting her to believe that she was a monster. Moreover, the fact that her uncle has enlisted her as a soldier of sorts does not aid in the process of self-discovery that all teens must go through. From my research on gifted children, there are children whose talents are exploited for the benefit of organizations or leaders. Katsa is gifted in the sense that she has an extraordinary ability and her uncle capitalizes on her talent, disregarding her wishes. In Katsa’s case, the emotional abuse that stems from this exploitation results in confusion and self-deprecation. Additionally, Katsa challenges traditional gender expectations. Females are often associated with being subservient individuals whose purpose is to be a mother and wife. Katsa finds this idea to be repulsive and intends to remain single despite the disproval she faces by most of the men in her life. The following passage from Chapter 7 illustrates Katsa’s desire to remain single and the criticism she encounters:

“Lord Davit,” she said, “have you a wife?”

He shook his head. “It’s the only thing my estate lacks, My Lady.”

Katsa kept her eyes on her venison and carrots. “My uncle is very disappointed in me, because I intend never to marry.”

Lord Davit paused, and then spoke. “I doubt your uncle is the only man who finds that disappointing.”

As one can see, Katsa rejects the idea of marriage, abandoning the classic gender roles of the time. While the world Katsa lives in is fictional, the idea of a teenager going against classic ideologies could definitely have an impact on the readers of this novel. Perhaps an adolescent who does not want to get married would finally feel like their feelings were normal after reading this novel; or maybe a teenager would decide that it was actually alright to remain single throughout their life.

Graceling- Category A Prompt A

The Theme of Femininity in Graceling

"She wasn't normal. A girl Graced with killing, a royal thug? A girl who didn't want the husbands Randa pushed on her, perfectly handsome and thoughtful men, a girl who panicked at the thought of a baby at her breast, or clinging to her ankles. She wasn't natural" (pg. 32).



Throughout Graceling, Cashore emphasizes how Katsa is different from most of society both because of her Grace and because she does not desire what is "normal" for a woman in her society. Katsa denying the traditional feminine roles accompanied with her Grace of being able to kill really separate her from the rest of the women around her. While Katsa is aware of her differences, she does not try to change herself or conform, and instead sticks to her convictions throughout the novel. This passage highlights the central theme of femininity because it shows exactly what qualifies as "feminine" in Katsa's world and the way that Katsa feels unnatural because she has different interests and abilities. Throughout the novel, Katsa rejects not only having a husband or children but other traditionally feminine practices such as wearing dresses and having long hair. It seems that she believes because she is strong and powerful and does not want these things that she cannot be a "normal" woman. Cashore emphasizes these customary parts of femininity to show that they may not be for every woman, yet this does not take away any of their womanliness or mean they cannot be feminine. As the novel progresses, we see that Katsa has her own reasons for not wanting some of these "feminine" things, and that although she is unconventional to others, she has feelings and other interests that make her who she is. Through Katsa, Cashore illustrates the multiple degrees of femininity and shows that women can be both feminine and powerful, whether they chose to coincide with what is seen as "normal" or not. At times it did seem like Cashore was rejecting any aspect of traditional femininity, however I believe she was simply trying to highlight that strong, smart female characters can be feminine and that "feminine" does not have one definition, but many.

Category B - Choice D : Liren Xue

Reading through the story for the first time, the song that came to mind immediately when Katsa discovers Po’s fighting Grace after the first dinner party was Britney Spears’ Toxic. This interpretation is serious, but would probably be best in a not-so-serious adaptation since the song is a bit old and campy now. I thought it was fitting since Katsa’s immediate relationship with Po is very murky and driven by emotions which she couldn’t comprehend. Most directly, their sparring is similar to Toxic’s comparison between infatuation and a drug-induced high since Katsa, without even thinking about potential other reasons for why she would feel so strangely around Po, truly enjoys the opportunity to finally be able to fight a worthy opponent. Also, since the story is pretty heavy-handed about suggesting her infatuation with him, the song’s aggressive, romantic lyrics fit well—especially considering Katsa’s original distaste toward relationships in general. Finally, I think that since the book is aimed toward an adolescent audience, the usage of a pop song would be apt in a movie adaptation though I’m not sure how outdated Britney is at this point. 

Graceling Category B Prompt 1

https://www.instagram.com/graced_for_good/

I chose to set up an account for Katsa. Her handle is "graced_for_good" because she decides to direct her powers to a more positive mission. This is difficult because her grace is for killing, but she finds a way to stop using it for evil. Also, she's literally graced forever, or "for good."

Her first post (other than her profile picture which is a cat that has a blue eye and a green eye) is of a girl with very short red hair. Upon reaching an inn in the story, Katsa has a couple of girls help her cut her long, red hair because she has never wanted it or liked it. I chose the (very basic) hashtags because they seemed to fit the situation Katsa finds herself in. She wishes to use her grace to empower women, like the girls who cut her hair, who have to rely on the men in their lives to protect them.

The second photo is of the mountains because Katsa and Po spend a lot of time camping. The hashtag I chose because Katsa thinks about marriage often throughout the story. Early on she tells Giddon she won't marry him. At the end of the novel she and Po have decided not to marry, but to plan travels together in the future. These are, by her own admission, vague plans that break tradition.

Her final photo is of Bitterblue's coronation. I chose this picture because Katsa frequently recalls the need for female empowerment as she travels throughout the Middluns. At the end of the novel she decides to go out and fulfill this need she sees in her society. She leaves Bitterblue to reign and provide an example of an empowered woman in charge.

Prince Raffin's Instagram

Category B Prompt 1

I chose to make an Instagram for Prince Raffin. In Graceling, Prince Raffin is described as a good-humored prince who is nothing like his father and would rather spend his days in the lab coming up with new medicines with his assistant and best friend, Bann. I googled Prince Raffin and selected a fan art picture of him which has his blue hair. At the beginning of the novel, Raffin has blue hair due to a side effect from a head ache potion he had made which turned his hair blue. I also chose to have Bann in his bio with a heart next to it because the novel implies that they are more than friends.When Katsa asks Raffin if he is in love with her after finding out that Giddon is in love with her, Raffin and Bann look at each other and laugh and Raffin comments how Giddon is very handsome. The first post is a picture of the two of them with an implied romantic relationship going on. The second post is a picture of a large potion lab which would be Raffin's dream lab. The last post is another picture of Raffin and Bann with another comment of their implied relationship. In this Instagram, I did not portray Raffin's close relationship with Katsa or how much he cares for others. I chose to focus on Raffin's passion for medicine and his relationship with Bann.

Misassumption of Gender Identity in Graceling

Category A, Topic D on Gender

 By Marissa Secades

“I know a Graceling when I see one.” He jabbed with his sword, and she rolled out of the way. “Let me see the colors of your eyes, boy. I’ll cut them out. Don’t think I won’t.”
It gave her some pleasure to knock him on the head with the hilt of her knife. She grabbed his hair, dragged him onto his back, and dropped a pill onto his tongue. They would all say, when they woke to their headaches and their shame, that the culprit had been a Graceling boy, Graced with fighting, acting alone. They would assume she was a boy, because in her plain trousers and hood she looked like one, and because when people were attacked it never occurred to anyone that it might have been a girl. And none of them had caught a glimpse of Oll or Giddon: She had seen to that.  

Cashore, Kristin. Graceling (Graceling Realm Book 1) (Kindle Locations 115-120). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition.

I chose this particular passage from the Part One, Chapter One because when I read the quote for the first time, I remember having to go back and re-read it, thinking I had misread the gender pronoun the castle guard uses in referring to Katsa. He very explicitly refers to her as a he when he calls her “boy” (115). At first glance, this may just seem like an honest mistake made by the castle guard. However, the paragraph immediately following the castle guard’s quote indicates otherwise, as the narrator explains the common trend to incorrectly assume another’s gender identity, with a particular focus on these next two lines. “They would all say, when they woke to their headaches and their shame, that the culprit had been a Graceling boy, Graced with fighting, acting alone. They would assume she was a boy, because in her plain trousers and hood she looked like one, and because when people were attacked it never occurred to anyone that it might have been a girl” (118). Thus, two conflicts with the idea of gender identity and misassumption arise.

First, the castle guard’s use of the word “boy” has much more significance than just a misassumption of gender identity. Historically, this word has been frequently used as a derogatory insult, most customarily aimed at young black men in both the southern and northern regions of the United States. Essentially, “boy” is used by someone— in this case, the castle guard— who is looking to assert his or her power and dominance over the other through degradation of identity. We see this all throughout literature as well, with other popular books for young adolescents, like J.D. Salinger’s Catcher of the Rye, using the word “boy” in a similar fashion and for the same effect as here in Graceling.

Secondly, the passage as gender identity being assumed through physical appearances— like “her plain trousers” (118)— and traditionally masculine characteristics— like “fighting, acting alone” (118). If the castle guard is following traditional gender stereotypes, as he seems to be, then in his mind Katsa could not be female. She must be male because a female would not fit into the male-molded stereotype that have been established as traditional gender identities.