Nov Dec Femnista 2014

Nov / Dec 2014

A Family Affair

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE… Gilmore Girls

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THE MARCH SISTERS Little Women

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SHE IS FAMILY While You Were Sleeping

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OURS IS THE FURY Game of Thrones

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SISTER TO MANY Wives & Daughters

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Produced by Charity‟s Place. No copyright infringement intended. All written content is original and nothing may be reproduced without written consent. Disclaimer: the opinions and endorsements of the individual writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Charity‟s Place or the Femnista editorial staff, and the films, books, etc., mentioned are not always appropriate viewing for all ages.

FAMILY STRONG Hansel & Gretel

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THE CRAWLEY FAMILY Downton Abbey

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LOUDER THAN WORDS Indiana Jones

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BIG SISTER Chuck

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ALWAYS AND FOREVER The Originals

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CONVERSATION WITH LYDIA Pride & Prejudice

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BEYOND BLOOD Supernatural

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ALL HAPPY FAMILIES War & Peace

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BROTHER DEAR, BROTHER… Sherlock

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Family is an undeniable part of our lives. We all had parents, whether or not we ever knew them. Someone gave birth to us and enabled us to go out and do good in the world. So it is natural that so much of fiction would revolve around family dynamics, in its many forms.

Trying to choose which topic to write about was difficult for me, because whenever I hear the word “family,” a dozen different families pass through my mind.

I think about Anne Shirley and her desperate need for a family, which she found in Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. That leads me to the King family of Road to Avonlea. This ragtag bunch is invaded upon by Sarah Stanley, a cousin to the Kings, who struggles to adapt to their “country ways” after her life in

the city with an absentee father.

The theme of family is carried on in Lucy Maud Montomery‟s other books, including my personal favorite, Jane of Lantern Hill, which is about a girl who unknowingly loves her father from afar, by finding his picture in the newspaper. As the story unfolds, her parents are drawn together again (her mother never wanted to leave him in the first place).

My mind shifts through history, to the Plantagenet line, and to the Tudors, to two queens who shared blood but not opinions, and whose lineage spanned half of Europe‟s monarchs.

Science fiction rushes into my head … to the Skywalkers, and Star War‟s defining moment when young Luke discovers the

man he is fighting is his father.

I think of the Adama family of Battlestar Galactica, a father and son torn apart by loss but forced to reconcile through serious events… who adopt into their lives “extended family,” including two tough-as-nails but very different women. And then, with fondness, I think about Doctor Who, and how he became part of “the Pond family.” He dashed about with the parents of the woman he eventually married, while she lived out her life in reverse, their timelines mangled beyond comprehension. But still, he is River Song‟s wife, and Amy and Rory‟s son-in-law. Family can be a tricky business!

I hope you enjoy reading about a few families that caught my writer‟s attention. I did! ♥ 3

Rissi C.

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here are sayings, songs and poems about the special kind of relationship daughters have with their fathers, but just as equally extraordinary... albeit perhaps fraught with more friction... are the relationships daughters have with their mothers. Over the years, culture has given us countless examples of mother-daughter relationships, from Jane Austen to the Disney classics. Some are tender, others are fraught with tension, and some even end bittersweetly. Though there may be none still that significant to today‟s culture as that of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore of Gilmore Girls.

Lorelai: In fact, if you put "oy" and "poodle" together, in the same sentence, you'd have a great new catchphrase, you know? Like, "Oy with the poodles already."

I came to find the series only after it ended and was made available to stream on Netflix, but it didn‟t take me long to see what so many fans loved about it.

If you were to put in a disc of the show, this is a typical conversation you‟d encounter:

This conversation takes place between three of the prime characters on the show and is just one example in a string of countless conversations that were and still are considered some of the sharpest, funniest scripts in television.

Lorelai: Heh, you know what I just realized? "Oy" is the funniest word in the entire world. I mean think about it, you never hear the word "oy" and not smile.

Impossible. Funny, funny word.

"Poodle" is another funny word.

The Gilmore women are Emily, Lorelai and Rory. Emily is the matriarch, rule-follower and allaround pain in daughter Lorelai‟s side. At sixteen, Lorelai became pregnant with her boyfriend‟s child, which caused a rift in her already strenuous relationship with her parents. She created an even wider chasm when she spurned Christopher‟s offer of marriage and struck out on her

Emily: Please drink your drink, Lorelai.

Rory: Hehe.

Lorelai: So from now on, when the perfect circumstances arise, we will use our favorite new catchphrase: Rory: Oy with the poodles already.

Lorelai: I'm telling you, it's knocking "Whatchutalkin' 'bout, Willis?" right out of first place.

own, raising young Rory for sixteen years by herself. This is where our story begins.

Wrapped in a comic bubble of genius, what‟s so interesting about this show is the truths it‟s hiding underneath the funny bits, including the fragility of the Gilmore relationships. In some sense, we can all relate to at least one of them, since the relationships we have with our mothers are life-altering. This is something creator Amy Sherman -Palladino seems to respect and rarely takes for granted. My impression of this show, prior to seeing what this was all about was that it would chronicle only Lorelai and Rory in terms of a mother-daughter relationship.

Instead, it is as much about Emily and Lorelai‟s relationship.

The country artist trio The Band Perry has a song called „Mother Like Mine.‟ One of its lines puts the relationship between mothers and daughters into perspective even in its simple form. It says, referencing a relationship between mother and child, “I‟ve got the best and the worst of her in me.” How true this is.

Because of her upper-class, conflicting upbringing, everything Lorelai does is a result of the way she was raised.

Where Lorelai was brought up in

structure and rigid manners or in seeing her parent‟s jet off, she deliberately raised her daughter to live outside that world, to be independent and able to fend for herself—to be her best friend and while I don‟t totally mesh with this in a parent-child relationship, there isn‟t an instance I can think of when Lorelai is not a mother to Rory.

Whether the pair agrees, disagrees or cannot get past whatever barrier they‟ve bantered themselves into, Lorelai is an influence in Rory‟s life, most of the time for the better.

There is a point in every motherdaughter relationship when it shifts from a mother taking care of her child to one of mutual respect and, yes, even a kind of friendship. The Gilmore girls refer to each other as best friends on multiple occasions. Their relationship is charming, poignant and rings with a kind of genuine emotion. Lorelai and Rory have an almost impossible time keeping things from each other.

Sometimes that puts them in trouble; other times it‟s just what they needed to get over a rocky point in their lives.

Emily is, she isn‟t always working an angle. Ironically, Lorelai is more like her mother than she likes to think. Lorelai‟s leeway in her own relationship with Rory is possible because Rory is essentially the best kind of daughter. She‟s a good girl with a passion for learning and books, and unlike her mother, she wants to befriend and please her grandparents.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rissi C. spends her free time reviewing books and movies, attending to the necessities of life (such as accumulating costume dramas for her collection), plotting future novels, and pondering the deeper aspects of life. She greatly enjoys interacting with her readers on her blog.

I like the relationship laid out between Lorelai and Rory. It‟s one of mutual respect and though she is a sixteen year old, Rory has earned any respect Lorelai gives her, which certainly gives new meaning to the best version of a mother-daughter bond. ♥

Lorelai has had to admit that not everything her mother does or says is wrong. She‟s had to apologize and admit that as difficult as 5

Rachel Sexton

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veryone has a family, and whether we spend a lot of our lives with them or not, they leave some sort of impact on us.

A lot of literature and writing for the screen explores this topic—both the good and bad.

As the holidays approach, this is the time of year that family comes to the fore. A wonderful film adaptation of a classic story with a family focus happens to have a significant portion of scenes with holiday settings and is an entertaining movie to boot. Little Women demonstrates the unity of family by detailing the bond between the March sisters despite their differing personalities.

The novel was written by Louisa May Alcott and published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. It was such a success that sequels Little Men and Jo’s Boys followed. It chronicled the coming of age journeys of the March sisters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they become women under the guidance of their mother

Marmee. A lot of this occurs during the absence of their father as he is away serving as a chaplain in the Civil War; their neighbor Theodore Laurence (whom they call Laurie) comes to play a major part in their lives as well. Their experiences, interactions with each other, and love for each other do the most to shape all four March sisters. A film directed by Gillian Armstrong released in 1994 represents this adeptly.

Josephine March, called Jo by everyone, is the central character. She is the second of the four girls and the most tomboyish of the group. She‟s willful, stubborn, and has a temper that she tries to control.

Jo is the writer of the family as well, regularly giving herself over to a storytelling trance as tales of sensationalism pour out onto the page. She also writes Little Women itself toward the end of novel. This character is believed to stand in for author Alcott herself (with the other three being based on her reallife sisters, giving the whole novel an autobiographical

tone). The second half shifts more toward romantic lives for the sisters. For Jo, this means refusing Laurie‟s proposal of marriage and eventually meeting and falling in love with an older German professor, Friederich Bhaer. She also inherits a large home called Plumfield from a wealthy great aunt and turns it into a school.

Jo tends to have the most volatile relationships with her sisters. She disagrees with Meg about her choice of a spouse and, in a particularly memorable scene, fights fiercely with Amy when she burns one of Jo‟s manuscripts during a childish temper tantrum. Their feud only ends when Amy almost drowns by falling through the ice of a frozen pond.

Meg is the oldest, and has a conservative temperament guided by propriety. She has the most memory of the time when the March family, which is now genteel in their poverty, actually had money and consequence, and she longs for those days again. An incident at

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a friend‟s debut ball shows this.

Meg allows the girls there to dress her up and she attains a false air of flirtation but soon realizes that real substance lays elsewhere. She marries Laurie‟s serious and solid tutor, John Brooke, and has twins Daisy and Demi before the end of the story. Another incident from the novel which is not included in the 1994 film shows Meg‟s adjustment to domestic duties after her marriage. This is indicative of her character, which is very geared toward being dutiful and traditional.

The third sister in the March family is Beth, who is defined by pure goodness perhaps more than any other character. She is above all things kind, gentle, sweet, and shy. Beth is quiet and very centered on home life, never conceiving far away ambitions like the other girls.

The charitable work that forms a large part of the March family life manifests mostly through Beth. She is visiting the poor and sick Hummel family when she contracts scarlet fever from them. She recovers but is never the same and passes away at far too young an age. Beth is beloved to all her sisters; she acts as a peacemaker and is closest to Jo. Her death is a devastating blow to the entire family. She never gets a chance to enter the realm of romance like her sisters but Beth‟s spirit is a positive presence throughout the entire story.

Though she is the youngest, Amy receives just as much of a

full personality as her sisters.

Though petted as a child, she eventually grows less vain and self-centered. Like Jo, Amy has a creative outlet, though hers is painting and not writing. Amy is the most romantic and dreamy of the March sisters.

Her attachment to material things is stronger than any of her sisters, as evidenced when she desperately wants limes to trade at school but ends up being punished because they are forbidden. Her moral foundation, gleaned from her parents and sisters, is strong enough to stop her from marrying for wealth and she instead marries Laurie for love.

In the 1994 film, the characters are played by Winona Ryder (Jo), Trini Alvarado (Meg), Claire Danes (Beth), and Kirsten Dunst as a child and Samantha Mathis as an adult (Amy). They are all talented actresses who create an atmosphere of familial warmth and love. Ryder was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as well. And the on-screen bar for performance is already set high by Susan Sarandon, who plays Marmee.

You will want to rush out to serve at a soup kitchen immediately and then come home to sing Christmas carols after viewing this adaptation.

Little Women is a classic piece of literature and has a strong message of family unity as the vastly different personalities of the March sisters bond into a cohesive and loving force.

Though there are references to this novel elsewhere in popular culture (the episode of Friends where Joey reads Little Women comes to mind), the original work, and by extension the 1994 film adaptation, must be enjoyed to understand the strength of family at the heart of the story, particularly at this time of year. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Sexton is from Ohio and has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts. She loves her parents and her dog Lily. But what you really need to know is that she has to have acting, film, reading, and dance in her life and her favorite fandoms are Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, and Once Upon a Time. Plus, she is most described as quiet and her biggest vice is cupcakes. Her main hobby is editing fan videos.

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Rachel Kovaciny

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hile You Were Sleeping came out the weekend I turned fifteen. A couple of months later, I went to a sleepover hosted by a girl I was gradually becoming friends with. The next morning, the hosting mother took us to see this at the local second-run theater. It was the first movie I had seen in the theater since I was eight. I was enthralled by the experience. I can still remember exactly what that theater looked like: a tiny auditorium with only maybe a dozen rows of seats, covered in worn pseudo-velvet. My friend's mom let us sit together wherever we chose, while she and her little son sat in the very back. He fell asleep clutching Skittles candies and they dyed his hands all sorts of colors. To this day, nearly twenty years later, Skittles always make me think of this movie. Of a grainy filmstrip image interrupted now and then by hair and lint. Of sharing popcorn and giggles with three or four other teenage girls, two of whom are still my close friends.

But nostalgia is not the main reason why I love this movie. I love it because it gave me my first real taste of the idea of a "found family." I grew up in a very close-knit family, and I'm

very attached to the idea of having people who love and accept you; people you belong to and who belong to you; people to be with in troubles, celebrations, and everyday life.

So as the movie began, my heart ached for Lucy (Sandra Bullock) as she struggled to celebrate Christmas alone, with no family at all to share her joy, no one she belonged to. With both her parents dead, no siblings, and really no friends, she embodied a loneliness so potent it felt contagious.

And then the Callaghan family embraced her ‌ literally giving her a giant group hug when they learned she was their comatose son's fiancÊe. Which she wasn't, but they believed she was, and before Lucy could gather the courage to explain the truth, they made her part of their family. They gave her the love, acceptance, and belonging she'd been missing. (She then fell in love with their other son, Jack [Bill Pullman], but I'm not going to go into the whole plot because you've probably seen this movie a million times, too.

And if you haven't, go rent it, stream it, borrow it, or buy it.)

I was fascinated by this idea of finding a family if you didn't have one, of joining other

people and forging the bonds that are so dear to me. I've been drawn to stories about "found families" ever since: Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, the XMen movies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, The Avengers, and Lost. One of my favorite television shows from childhood, Five Mile Creek, also dealt with this theme, though it took me years to realize that.

While You Were Sleeping first brought the idea to my attention, and made me wonder, "What if I didn't have a family?" I've often imagined myself ending up like Lucy: alone with a cat and plenty of acquaintances, but no one I belonged to. What would I do?

Would I go find or create a family for myself? How does one even go about that?

I make friends fairly easily. If you like books or movies, I'm happy to hang out with you and discuss them. We can totally be friends. But close friends, friends that feel like they belong to you—I make those very slowly. It can take me years to get to the point where I'll feel that bond of kinship, not just friendship. It does happen eventually, if I let it. I'd like to think that, had I never

met my husband, never gotten married, and for some reason not lived anywhere near my parents or brother, I would have formed a family of sorts around myself. Not quite the way Lucy does, of course— I'm pretty sure I would never have the opportunity to rescue a man from an oncoming train and then pretend to be his fiancée. But somehow, I would find people to be my family.

Toward the end of While You Were Sleeping, Lucy's boss tells her, "You are born into a family. You don't join it like the Marines." I like to believe he's wrong, that if you need a family, you can find one… or one will find you. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: When she's not writing, Rachel Kovaciny passes the time by reading, baking, watching movies, crocheting, blogging, and homeschooling her three children. Her least favorite activities are house-cleaning and wearing shoes, and she's been known to go to great lengths to avoid both. She blogs about books, and also has a personal blog that talks about movies and other important things.

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Lianne M. Bernardo

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hen readers are introduced to House Baratheon in A Song of Ice and Fire, there is a sense of prestige that goes with their name as they are the ruling house in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Yet strangely enough the bloodrelated brothers of this family— Robert, Stannis, and Renly— have never had a moment in the books where all three are in the same room. Everything readers know about their relationship is hearsay from other characters who know them and from the brothers themselves.

An early hint of their terse relationship comes from Robert himself, who often says in A Game of Thrones that he considers Ned to be a brother more than his own blood brothers. When they were boys, he and Ned were sent to Jon Arryn as wards and grew up together; Robert even fell in love with and was promised to marry Ned‟s sister Lyanna.

Robert doesn‟t talk much about his brothers, relying on Ned after Jon Arryn‟s death for support on all matters relating to the care of the realm. Even on his deathbed, Robert entrusts the care of his son and the regency to the realm until Joffrey comes of age to Ned... not to his brothers.

Stannis, the middle brother, has a differing relationship with his brothers. Robert was away so he was never truly close to him, but when he speaks of his older brother, it‟s with an awareness of their difference: "Laughing. Drinking. Boasting.

Those were the things he was best at. Those, and fighting. I never bested him at anything."

Later, when faced with battle plans, he remarks that he is “not Robert” as a war leader.

Stannis‟ regard for his older brother is also marred with bitterness, as Robert never properly bestowed recognition of his worth: Stannis played a major role during the war and afterwards served as Master of the Ships in the Small Council during Robert‟s reign, but was slighted in other ways. Firstly, when the war was over, Robert didn‟t assign him to Storm‟s End, the ancestral stronghold of the Baratheons as was his right when Robert was crowned king. Instead, Storm‟s End was given to his younger brother while Stannis was given Dragonstone, the ancestral landing of the Targaryens, which he took back during the war. Robert gave Dragonstone to him because he wanted a Baratheon securing the old Targaryen stronghold but Stannis did not see it this way;

Storm‟s End had all the revenue and was his by birthright while Dragonstone didn‟t have much to offer. The second slight came after Jon Arryn‟s death; rather than offering Stannis the position of Hand of the King and all the responsibilities that came with it, Robert offered it to Ned, who did not know of Stannis‟s feelings, so accepted it.

Stannis has an antagonist relationship with the youngest, Renly. In Stannis‟ mind, his actions undermine Stannis‟s position as the older brother after Robert‟s death. Renly, meanwhile, is guided by the notion that he would make the better king than Stannis, who is unwavering and not very well liked by many, even Robert: "Why the oldest son, and not the best-fitted? The crown will suit me, as it never suited Robert and would not suit Stannis." Indeed, in some ways Renly seems better suited for the role of king: although he didn‟t fight in Robert‟s Rebellion, he learned the game of politics, making him far better prepared to deal with and compromise when it comes to conflicting House interests, qualities Stannis thinks are not enough to earn a throne.

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The brothers are quite different.

Robert‟s only interests are eating, drinking, fighting and whoring.

Stannis is the opposite in his appetite, to the point that he doesn‟t approach the marriage bed unless he absolutely has to. Renly is all about visual beauty, extravagance, and how others perceived him, and his sexual preferences are completely different from that of his two brothers.

Despite these differences, they also share one common trait: their unyielding stubbornness. Robert was quite adamant to kill Daenarys Targaryen even though she lived far away from Westeros. If not for Ned‟s cautious influence, Robert may have gotten himself killed during the tourney for the Hand of the King. Both Renly and Stannis

are unable to put aside their differences, their ambitions, and their pride to join forces against the Lannisters. Their stubbornness in the end is costly, as later events in the series show.

The Baratheons provide us with a different take on family dynamics in Westeros. They are not like the close-knit Starks, nor like the Lannisters, who are bound together by a stern patriarch and the family name. The Baratheons are brothers in name only, and even their family name does not matter much in their minds. It will be interesting to see if their entire House will even survive the series‟ remaining novels. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lianne Bernardo is a 20something Canadian who loves history, period dramas, British television, travel, photography, and (European) football. She is an avid and eclectic reader, reading everything from fantasy to classic literature to historical fiction, and extensively about the books she's read on her website, caffeinatedlife.net An aspiring writer, she is working towards finishing a number of her writing projects. You can also find her on Twitter, @unavitacaffeina.

Tryntsje Cuperus

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f there is one classic British work of literature jam-packed with family relationships, it may be Wives and Daughters

by Elizabeth Gaskell. The relationship between mothers and daughters is a significant feature of the novel, but equally important are the relationships between fathers and daughters, fathers and sons, and maybe most of all sisters and brothers.

With Wives and Daughters, Gaskell leaves behind the industrial cities and social criticism of North and South and Mary Barton and returns to a small town scene like she described before in Cranford.

The central character is Molly, the daughter of the widowed Dr. Gibson. He has been raising his only child on his own for a while and they have a close, open relationship. Mr. Gibson treats Molly as his equal, a rarity for the time in which the novel is set (1830s) and talks to her as he would to an adult. At the same time, he seems to miss that his daughter is turning into a adult and is shocked that one of his medical students wants to court her.

Mr. Gibson sends Molly to stay with the local squire‟s family, the Hamleys. Molly is soon very much at home here and is a great comfort to the bedridden Mrs. Hamley, who sometimes

calls her “Fanny,” the name of her deceased daughter. The two Hamley sons adopt Molly as a sister as well, taking her under their wing and confiding in her.

Molly is the only one to whom Osborne, the eldest, confides in about his French wife and son.

Roger, the younger son and an aspiring naturalist, spends much time with Molly, teaching her about nature but also about life in general and tries to boost the shy Molly‟s confidence.

Mr. Gibson in the meantime, believing Molly needs a female influence in her life, is open to the idea of marrying again and soon Molly has a stepmother: Hyacinth Clare. It is not just a stepmother Molly gains with this marriage, but also a sister, Cynthia. Molly is excited at the prospect of having a sister and upon meeting Cynthia is immediately enchanted by her high-spirited personality. The two girls are a study in contrasts, with Cynthia having been at school in Paris and adopting a worldly air, while Molly is shy and slightly awkward in social situations.

Still, they take a liking to each other and quickly grow in sisterhood.

Their relationship is tested when Cynthia meets Roger.

Molly is secretly in love with him but he only has eyes for

Cynthia and even asks her to marry him before he leaves for a research trip to Africa. Molly is heartbroken, but tries to hide it and wish the best to the sister and friend she cares about.

Events unfold from there, in a complicated tale of secret relationships and family affairs.

Wives and Daughters starts with Molly as an only child, but at the end, Molly has gained “siblings” in Cynthia, Roger, Osborne and his wife Aimee.

The subtitle of Wives and Daughters is “An everyday story” and Molly could be named an “everyday girl.” But by being herself and showing everyday kindness, she is an important support to those around her. Multiple people confide in her and this leads to a positive change in their lives.

Osborne can share the load of his secret family with Molly and knows someone will remember them when something happens to him. Cynthia can finally break free from a past romantic entanglement.

While Molly is undoubtedly the heroine, she also learns many things from her “siblings” and changes because of these relationships. While Molly teaches Cynthia to be honest and have courage, Cynthia teaches Molly how to be a confident young woman and

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tryntsje Cuperus is a 30-year old Dutch woman working as a PhD student in veterinary science. She’s an Anglophile and history lover, so her favorite movies are period dramas and her favorite books are classics or historic novels. She loves animals and nature and her favorite season is spring. She also blogs. behave in society.

Through her heroine Molly, Gaskell moves away from the family fatalism which was widely used as a theme in Victorian literature. Elizabeth Gaskell herself wrote about family fatalism in Ruth and Mary Barton, but in Wives and Daughters she shows a hopeful but still realistic picture of how family can work.

Molly Gibson may be an only child, but still is a sister to many. For Molly Gibson, acquired family was as important as her blood relations. ♼

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Carissa Horton

O

nce upon a time, many years ago, a little boy and his sister were led deep into the woods and abandoned by their father. These two children left a trail of bread crumbs to find their way back home because they knew of their father‟s plan, but didn‟t anticipate the birds eating the crumbs. And so they wander through the woods, cold, alone, terrified, until they stumble across a house… not just any house, a house made of cookies and candy and dripping with sugary goodness. This is the tale of Hansel and Gretel, and we all know the end of the story. The gingerbread house is owned by a witch who eats little children, and it is only through the cleverness of these particular children that she is finally bested and burned alive in the same oven where her victims met their demise.

But what happens next? For some reason the question has never been posed regarding Hansel and Gretel‟s future lives and their occupational choices.

That is, it had never been posed until Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters splashed its way across the silver screen in 2013, and I do mean splashed. It is a gruesome fairy tale starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the intrepid siblings who joined the only profession that makes sense considering their experiences… witch hunters. After all, that witch

was not the only witch in the world, and they are all child eaters. But time is not on the side of the witches, and Hansel and Gretel swiftly make names for themselves as some of the craftiest, most successful witch hunters of their generation.

Family is the word that jumps to mind when considering this particular tale, at least for me.

True, they were abandoned in the forest by their father, but throughout the entire movie, neither Hansel nor Gretel ever abandon one another.

Whenever they are separated (and it does happen), it is not because one willingly left the other‟s side. Circumstances took over and there was nothing that could be done to prevent the separation. Gretel‟s first thought is of Hansel‟s safety, just as her safety is forefront in his mind. During all those weeks of eating only sugar as a child captive, Hansel developed the sugar sickness. I know, I know, it seems silly, but is actually a brilliant bit of storytelling to have Hansel be a diabetic before it was ever even diagnosed. Gretel will do anything to make sure Hansel takes his medicine on time, and she is terrified for him during one nearly fatal scene when he didn‟t have a chance to take his “insulin.”

They also play to each other‟s strengths. Hansel is an

introvert… awkward when required to speak in public settings, so he takes a back seat to his sister‟s silver tongue as she convinces village leaders to hire them to defeat whatever witch is wreaking death and destruction upon them. Never once does he resent her aptitude for communication, choosing instead to admire the sister who saved his life all those years ago.

Gretel knows that Hansel has her back, trusting in his skills as a warrior to protect not only innocent bystanders but herself as well. They work in tandem, a skilled unit of varying and unique strengths. Neither is perfect, each making lapses in judgment, like Gretel allowing her rage to get the better of her when confronting the village sheriff, or Hansel when he decides to recklessly sleep with a girl he has just met who turns out to be a witch, although not all is as it seems in that instance. They make mistakes and pay dearly for them, but not once do the siblings turn on one another. Support and family love are at the forefront of their relationship, always.

Honestly, their relationship is the only reason Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters works … well, that and the hilariously snarky sense of humor sprinkled liberally throughout the film. The value placed on 19

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family is high. Even the back history for Hansel and Gretel isn‟t all that it seems at first, revealing some hidden truths throughout the story as information comes to light, healing the still deep wounds of both siblings. Imagine being left alone in the woods by your parents? Abandoned and with no way to find your way back home? Why would you even go home after being left like that?

Hansel, though affectionate towards his sister, cannot easily talk about their parents‟ abandonment. When Gretel wants to discuss it, he would rather push the memory away, preferring not to verbalize any thoughts or opinions on their parents‟ motives. Abandonment is easier for him to handle when he refuses to remember that they were abandoned. For Hansel, the past serves no purpose other than setting them on their current path and he‟d rather dwell in the present.

Their wounds run deep, and it is only when the truth about their parents come out that true healing is able to take place, for both of them.

or so for another viewing. It‟s rare when Hollywood gets the relationship between siblings right. It doesn‟t have to be about rivalries; sometimes siblings are just best friends, whether they‟re of the same sex or brother and sister. Hansel and Gretel survived all their encounters with witches, all their battles, and all of Hansel‟s clumsiness, because they were together and protected one another. The wounds of their childhood pushed them together instead of pulling them apart, and it is impossible to envision one without the other. There may be spouses someday for both of them or there might not, but it doesn‟t matter because together,

While the film has its fair share of gore, it‟s everything else… the relationships, the humor, and the actors… that keep me returning to it every 6 months

Hansel and Gretel are strong. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carissa Horton has as much love and devotion to her family as Hansel and Gretel. She helps them run a Steampunk Emporium, and in her spare time writes stories, reads books, and knits for fun. She works for Compassion International, which finds sponsors for third world children, and dreams of being an agent at a publishing house.

She blogs about life, faith, relationships, and fandom in her free time.

21

Rosie Wilson

I

f there‟s one PBS show we all know and love, it is Downton Abbey. Somehow, all the classic period dramas hail from across the pond, but we don‟t mind. In fact, it would be difficult for me to find another fictional family from that era that I might enjoy more. The Crawleys, after all, are a stalwart bunch. They keep calm and press on, even when it‟s hard, but they haven‟t always been so tightly knit. There was a time when relationships were strained (some still are) and tensions were high.

At the start of Series One, the Titanic has sunk, killing the heir to Downton. Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, and his wife Cora, Countess of Grantham, have three daughters —Mary, Edith, and Sybil. In the events following the loss of the heir, we see deep-rooted feuding between Mary and Edith, though they have never gotten along. We also see Sybil branching out from tradition, going as far as to befriend the Chauffer and try on the new “modern” fashion.

Robert finds the next heir, Matthew, whom many in the Crawley family would like to see marry Mary. The couple in

question is very uninterested in this idea; little do they know they‟re a good match. After a tumultuous series of events, Matthew believes Mary would only marry him for his inheritance and they part ways.

Adding to this drama, their butler Carson brings a telegram announcing the start of what we know as World War One. So ends Series One and begins Series Two. This war is only the beginning of trouble and difficulty for this family, but the events try and strengthen their bond. The great manor house of Downton Abbey is transformed into an officer‟s hospital for the increasing wounded. Desiring to do her part, Sybil becomes a certified nurse. Edith too finds respect and fulfillment in helping the officers write letters and lending them books. Cora helps as well by taking charge. Mary helps out where she can but pines after Matthew, who is away at war and also betrothed to another. Everything seems stable, despite the bitterness of war, and then an obstacle is hurled their way… Matthew is injured.

This is resolved eventually but not without plenty of drama.

Moving forward, the war ends and we transition into Series Three. Sybil has married Tom, the Chauffer and moved away to Ireland. Edith pursues a relationship with Anthony Strallan and Matthew and Mary marry. Everything is beginning to look bright after the war, but it isn‟t long before tragedy strikes Downton again, testing the familial relationships.

Without going into too much detail, a dark pall is cast over Downton. Matthew and Mary‟s relationship is strained, Edith becomes more independent than before, and the death of Sybil puts a wall between Cora and Robert. Things never looked so bleak in this series. But, as is usually the case, good comes out of it: Edith and Mary try to be better sisters toward one another, Grannie brings Cora and Robert back together, and the future of Downton is secured again.

This family, though it has faced so many trials, sticks together. I asked myself, what it is that holds them together? I believe the answer is determination and stubbornness. You don‟t give up on family, no matter what comes your way. I think the Crawleys

are a perfect example of an imperfect family. Almost every single family member has made a mistake at one point or another, but they forgive and love each other anyway. They keep calm and carry on. Nothing beats them down for very long. So, though they are all deeply flawed (is there even a perfect family out there?), and though they still pick on each other at times, they know and realize what is important. They aren‟t going to give up on one another easily, that‟s a guarantee.

As I bring this to a close, I want to share one of my favorite elements of Series Four, which I know I didn‟t directly address.

Tom and Mary work together with Robert to keep the estate.

Tom and Mary have this understanding of one another, since they‟ve both lost their spouses. They‟re just friends and they always will be, but their friendship is good for both of them. Tom and Mary aren‟t related by blood but they act like they‟ve been siblings all their life (without the teasing, I‟ll grant you). The tragedies they both experienced and their vision for Downton‟s future bring them together and makes them a great team.

The Crawleys have come a long way since we‟ve met them and I‟m sure they have a ways to go, but I know they‟ll face the future together, no matter what it brings. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rosie Wilson is a college senior with a passion for the written word. In the last few years she has rediscovered her childhood love for reading, and now she blogs at Writings of Rosie. It is her greatest pleasure to endorse Godly fiction as she loves to interact with fellow bloggers as well as with published authors on a daily basis. She desires to one day inspire other hearts to come to Christ through her stories. Next to reading, Rosie loves to write, spend time with her friends and family, and play guitar.

23

Caitlin Horton

Y

ou know that old saying “It takes a village to raise a child”? Well, that is probably true for some people, but not the family I have in mind. In fact, in three generations of this particular line it only takes one parent who will have maximum impact on their child‟s life.

Sometimes this happens when they are teens and sometimes when they‟re adults, but always in meaningful ways. This shows how humans never stop learning from one another and despite all the bravado that says “I can manage alone,” there are times when all you want is for a parent figure to grab you in a bear hug and tell you that “You don‟t have to be the one-person band.” The above kind of sentiment is good for the family I‟ve mentioned, because they can also be called dysfunctional and without the common ties of blood and love, they would probably run screaming for the nearest exit. And why not? After all, there‟s a history of gun-shootouts, circus trains, stolen goods, and lifelong crusades for finding the “perfect” object, all the while ignoring other objects (and people)

that may be more significant in the long run.

You might be debating what family I mean… or you knew the instant you read “circus train” because c‟mon, how many stories have those in them? It‟s the Jones‟, of course!

Henry Jones, Henry Jones Jr. (aka Indiana), and Henry Jones III (known as Mutt Williams) all share a common given name but apart from that, little seems to unite them other than their lineage at first glance. After all, they‟re from three different eras, have differing concepts about clothing, education, careers, what makes up a good time, and don‟t even really look all that much alike.

Take Henry Jones, to begin with. He is a learned scholar, firm archeologist, artist, linguist, man of faith, reader of Charlemagne, wearer of tweed and glasses, and expert in ignoring his son, Henry Jones Jr. Indiana Jones is a man of integrity who aims to finish all altercations that start with him, is an avowed anti-Nazi, scholar and Professor of History, parttime archaeologist/adventurer, sometimes philanderer, fedora, whip and pistol clad man who runs away from marriage like

it‟s a snake about to bite him.

His son, “Mutt” Henry Jones III, is part Marlon Brando, part James Dean black leather jacket wearing greaser with a penchant for quitting school, fixing motorcycles, feeling bad for his single mother Marion, and exuding a desire to both fit in with a family and still be independent. They don‟t really seem related at all, do they?

But what lies underneath is what you do get from your family, subconsciously and mentally. All three have wit, ingenuity, a drive to discover and rescue, a willingness to put others first, and a desire to be loved by those closest to them.

Mutt doesn‟t like that his mother lied about who his dad really was (it was not the guy she did marry whose last name was Williams), and doesn‟t like that Indiana left his mom at the altar, but really doesn‟t like it when the bad perpetrators start messing with either parent. It‟s the old adage that one person can be mad with their family, but outsiders have no right to be, particularly when those outsiders are enemies and waving guns.

Indiana, likewise, didn‟t know what to do with his more 25

conservative, straight-laced father who made him count backward in Latin as a patience exercise as a teen when he needed to tell him something important. He also didn‟t know what to make of his mother hiding her illness from his dad until it was too late. What he does come to know is that all childhood ills aside, he doesn‟t want his dad to die, doesn‟t want Marion to hate him for the rest of his life, and doesn‟t want Mutt to live without a father figure anymore. And Henry Jones learns that despite all misgivings about his son, Indiana will take the leap of faith, become the penitent man, and will always choose saving a person, particularly family, over a glorified object any day of the week.

Each generation learns from the actions of the prior and is able to take those lessons to heart and apply them in a new setting. Even before Mutt knew who Indiana actually was, he was willing to engage in a motorcycle chase to keep the “old man” safe, even riding it up into the college campus and through the library to achieve that goal. This hearkens back to a ride that Indiana took with his father firmly entrenched in a sidecar in Nazi Germany, while using a flag-pole as a jousting lance and knocking the enemy off their motorcycles.

Without knowing it, Mutt was keeping alive a Jones tradition of outsmarting the enemy while being adventurous!

There is much more to family and the Jones family than one article can delve into, but what a slight look into the Jones family does reveal is that caring hearts can be in anyone and not just family, but that bond does help amplify and purify it into a stronger love. Henry, Indiana, and Mutt are some of the toughest kind of men around and are not used to voicing how much they care for each other, but their actions are able to speak for them: I love you, your opinion really does matter, I really want to make sure you are safe and sound.

And this is a lesson that I think everyone can experience, if not with their parents, then in their interactions with other family members and friends. I know I have with the loved ones around me and even though I don‟t quote Charlemagne, wear a fedora, or ride a motorcycle, they don‟t seem to mind! ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Caitlin Horton is a 20something reader, seamstress, and history buff. She lives a life blessed in the knowledge that she is God's child, and her life has a purpose within the scope of His plan. She encourages her readers to remember, every day can be like Bilbo's "adventure" if you’re willing to take the "ordinary" and add some "extra" in front of it! She blogs about her crafts, and runs a Steampunk Emporium with her family.

Carol Starkey

A

s an older sister, I can relate to Ellie from NBC‟s Chuck. She watches over him, wanting the best for him. She‟s more than a little bit bossy, and thinks that her way is best. The first time we see Ellie, she‟s coaching Chuck on a date. The date doesn‟t go well, but from the first moment, you see how important they are to each other.

As his big sister, Ellie wants only the best for her little brother. It goes deeper than that, though.

Their mother left when they were children and their father wasn‟t around much. They ended up having to depend on one another and Ellie took on a surrogate mother role. They even celebrate every Mother‟s Day together… as a day where they celebrate not needing their own mother.

This role doesn‟t change much when they grow up. Chuck lives with his sister and works at a local store, seemingly content with his life. One day, a beautiful woman, Sarah, walks in and changes Chuck‟s life forever.

Ellie likes Sarah from the start and is thrilled when Chuck starts dating her. Once he does, his life improves. He takes more care with his appearance, gains more self-confidence, and even urges Ellie to take a job in Africa. In short, he grows up. And though Ellie still feels protective toward him, she lets him go.

The basic premise of Chuck is that he has the Intersect, a giant database, in his head. The FBI uses that information to take down the bad guys.

That means Chuck has to hide who he is and the double life he‟s living.

With the Intersect in his head, he, Sarah (actually an FBI agent), and Casey (another FBI agent) work together to track down and stop thieves and killers. Eventually, his best friend and even Ellie‟s fiancé find out, but Chuck doesn‟t want Ellie to know because too much information could be deadly for her. The bad guys will target her to get to him.

Eventually, Ellie does find out and feels betrayed. Her parents deserted them as children and now her brother has done the same thing. Even though Chuck‟s being the Intersect is dangerous, Ellie still wants to know. While she hates knowing Chuck is in constant danger, she also totally understands. He enjoys the work and Sarah and Casey are there to make sure he‟s safe.

In the end, Ellie and Chuck‟s

relationship works because of their mutual trust and love for one another. It‟s been a long time since I‟ve seen a show with sibling love portrayed in such a normal and positive light. There are fights and disagreements, but Ellie and Chuck always try to act in the best interests of the other.

Chuck does a lot of growing up, and Ellie learns to back off and let him live his own life. Their lives stay intertwined, and if anything, the love and respect they have for one another only grows as the show progresses. ♥ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carol Starkley has a husband, three daughters and live-in mother -in-law, three cats, five fish, and a hamster. She’s a Christian, and hopes to point to him through how she lives. She also blogs.

27

Charity Bishop

Television has no shortage of self-destructive families, but none is as fabulously twisted as the Mikaelsons, The Originals.

The “Original” Vampire Family, from whom all other vampires stem, they‟ve been betraying and scheming against one another for over a thousand years… including the parents.

They first “came into being” when their father, Mikael, a brutal Viking tyrant, insisted they be transformed into vampires to protect them from a clan of werewolves. But when Klaus, a younger sibling, killed his first victim, it activated his werewolf gene, revealing him as the result of an adulterous affair. Mikael has wanted him dead ever since, but Klaus‟ sister Rebekah and his older brother Elijah have stood by him, protecting him, serving him, and fleeing with him in the long years since.

“Family” is at the core of both the relationships at stake and an underlining theme of the series, which explores the idea of family through multiple characters. In his warped mind, Klaus has been “protecting” his siblings through abusing them; he thinks by controlling them, he can keep them by his side.

Rebekah loves and defends her siblings, while yearning for a “family” of her own (the child she can never have). Marcel, a

former slave-turned-vampire, was adopted by Klaus and Elijah in the 1800‟s, so he serves as their “surrogate” family, someone who equally challenges their authority and defends his own adopted family—including the witch, Davina. Hayley, a werewolf, originally went to New Orleans, as an orphan, to find her family. The therapist Camille spends much of the first season trying to get over the loss of her twin brother, the victim of a curse. Even the first season‟s eventual antagonist is merely trying to bring her family together. And the glue that cements all their lives in place is a “miracle child,” a pregnancy that promises the Mikaelsons “a second chance.”

The second season has brought four more Mikaelsons into the plot: their violent, vengeful father, their manipulative, body -hopping witch mother, and two remaining siblings: Finn, who shares their mother‟s view that they are all evil and deserve death for their crimes, and Kol, an unpredictable psychopath with a long history of brutal, excessive violence.

Elijah is my favorite, and purely devoted toward bringing about Klaus‟s redemption through whatever means necessary. At times, his devotion feels naïve.

If forced to deal with a cruel, vindictive, unforgiving, brutal and malicious brother, most would abandon him, but Elijah endures it in the belief that one day, his hope for his brother‟s humanity will pay off.

Klaus is not an easy vampire to love. He has murdered most of his sister‟s lovers, infected those he claims to love with wolf bites (fatal to normal vampires and extremely painful to his siblings), compelled nice vampires into serial murdering sprees, daggered his siblings as punishment, and vindicated it all through typical abusive language: “I wouldn‟t have to punish you, if you were loyal to me.” He is deeply damaged yet still, Elijah pursues him, claims him, defends him, and vows to never abandon him.

Though imperfect, Elijah reminds me of the Lord. Like Elijah, He endures a good deal.

He sees the hideous truth of us and still loves us. He pursues us even when we betray Him. Just as Klaus is undeserving of Elijah‟s forgiveness, we are undeserving of Christ‟s; yet He gives it to us freely, in the hope that we will let him transform us. That is what I take away from The Originals. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Charity Bishop often features family dynamics in her fantasy novels. She has written several speculative fiction novels in which families play an important role: Thornewicke, The Secret in Belfast, and The Giftsnatcher. She has an unnatural affection for “angst-ridden” vampires that her mother wishes she would abandon, but … there are some things she cannot give up, even to please her family.

29

Hannah C. Price

t

he following is an excerpt from my interview with Miss Catherine Bennet (known by her friends and closet relations as Kitty).

Naturally, no recorders were present at the interview as they had not yet been invented in the 1810’s, so what follows is my best recollection of the conversation.

K: “Certainly. I am the fourth daughter of the illustrious Bennet family. My older sisters are Jane, Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Mary. My younger sister is Lydia. To be honest, I am surprised that you didn‟t ask one of my other sisters for this conversation, almost all of

Hannah: “It is very nice to meet you my dear Miss Catherine.”

Kitty: “Please, call me Kitty, most everyone does.”

H: “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me this afternoon for a short discussion on your family.”

K: “Of course, it is indeed my great pleasure to be your chosen guide to establish the Bennet family in a proper light.”

H: “Would you be so kind as to give me a bit of background on yourself first?”

whom I would be certain would have been a first choice.

Indeed, no one has bothered much or made an effort at all to understand exactly how hard it is to be a middle daughter. I wonder quite frequently if we are ever anyone of importance to anyone. In all honesty, I am of the belief that if all middle

born daughters were to disappear from the world today not one soul alive would take heed of the event.”

H: “I am sorry, I did not realize the difficulty of being a middle daughter.”

K: “It‟s understandable for an older or younger daughter to be unaware of the plight of daughters like me. You see, my two older sisters have always been „favorites‟ of my parents and of our village Meryton, and of practically every eligible gentleman we meet. They are beautiful and good tempered, but I fail to see why they need to be the center of attention wherever they go. Jane is so mild mannered and self contained that it‟s a wonder she managed to make a match with Mr. Bingley. He‟s a fine gentleman and a wonderful brother in law, but he is, I hate to be rude, boring. I don‟t know what the pair of them sees in each other. Lizzie made a fine

match as well, but she took a long time to go about it. At first our family thought that she hated Mr. Darcy, and we disliked him ourselves to be perfectly honest. I didn‟t see him much myself; most of what I know now has been related to me by Lizzie, but I like my brother in law well enough now that I know him. Lizzie can be brusque and pretentious and she is far too opinionated; I am still surprised at how much the gentlemen of our acquaintance seem to like her. Even Mr. Wickham, Lydia‟s husband and my third brother in law, seemed quite taken with Lizzie when first we met. I suppose he couldn‟t have liked her much at all; he married Lydia instead.”

H: “Most of our readership is aware of the marriages of your sisters. They were major social events in the small town of

Meryton, I understand. And the focus of quite a few pages of literature, I might add. Could you tell me about your family from your point of view?”

K: “Of course. Well, I already mentioned Jane, Lizzie and Lydia. Most people of our acquaintance and those who know of the Bennet family know them best of all, perhaps for their reputation, perhaps for the marriages they made, especially those on Jane and Lizzie‟s part (though Lydia‟s was quite well known for different reasons). Most people forget about Mary and myself.

As far as Mary is concerned, there isn‟t much to tell. She can be impossible to have a decent conversation with; she is so very occupied with her books.

She simply detests balls and social events and shuns amusement in all its forms. She does love to lecture me,

especially after Lydia ran away and caused such a scandal with Mr. Wickham. I don‟t mind mentioning the event, as it was known by practically everyone in town. I believe Mama, Papa, Lizzie and Mary all thought I was in danger of blindly following her example, without giving heed to the fact that I have my own mind on the matter. I suppose Mary means well by her lectures, but I find her endless talking on matters I don‟t give three straws about utterly tedious. She often sounds like she‟s been taking lessons in giving sermons from our cousin, Mr. Collins. He is a clergyman, and one that would put me to sleep if I attended his church too often. He is utterly insufferable. Mr. Collins usually ignores me, as if I am far below his notice, which suits me perfectly since I do not have to talk to him then. He will inherit Longborn, my father‟s estate, 31

one day when my dear Papa has gone, something I feel I shall never be able to forgive him for, even if the entailment is not his doing.”

H: “What can you say of your parents?”

K: “I love them both dearly.

Papa is a true gentleman, usually in his study. He attends some of our balls and parties around Meryton and does his duty as our father, calling on

new neighbors and taking an interest in my sister‟s potential suitors. I hope that one day soon he can do the same for me now that his favorite daughters are gone and married. He always preferred the company of Lizzie for one reason or another; they do get along well.

“Mama is quite different from Papa, she is always at the balls and parties around Meryton.

She loves social events and takes great pride in her three

married daughters. Before Jane, Lizzie and Lydia were gone however, she always placed high priority on marrying them to rich gentleman. I think she views the good marriages of three daughters as being her greatest accomplishment. She doesn‟t completely ignore Mary and I anymore, as we are all the company she has when we are without company at Longborn, and of the two of us I think she prefers my lively conversation

to Mary‟s dull chatter. But I wish she would think more of us and less of the daughters she no longer has the companionship of everyday.

She does get pleasure out of thinking up matches for Mary and I, though I am of the opinion that Mary will end up a spinster unless she puts down her books and makes an effort to at least smile at the gentlemen she‟s introduced to.”

words, but thank you, Miss Kitty, for your time and conversation.”

K: “You are most welcome.

Please, come by for tea one afternoon. I‟d appreciate the company, even if the rest of the Bennet family is undecided.

Good-day.” ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: My passion is storytelling in all its forms. Some of those loves are American Sign Language, theater, film, audio drama and the varied mediums of art (painting, drawing, etc.). I want to be involved in film production someday, as I am already involved in theater production and would like to be able to turn my hobbies into a full time occupation.

H: “By my reckoning, I am out of time and

33

Amanda Porter

or some, there is nothing we wouldn‟t do for our families. Without a doubt we‟d walk through fire for them, take a bullet them, or walk through hell and back. If you‟re a Winchester, you‟ve probably done all of the above… more than once. That‟s because the Winchesters aren‟t your average family. They come from a long line of Hunters, people who make it the family business to hunt things (monsters and demons) and save people.

The Winchester family dynamics are all over the place. John, father of Dean and Sam, is more or less an absentee parent after his wife, Mary, is killed. He is so consumed with finding the demon (yes, you read that correctly) that killed Mary that at times he leaves his young sons to fend for themselves. While this forms an unbreakable bond between the boys, it also creates a strain in that same relationship.

Dean sees his father as the man who did what he had to do to find his mother‟s killer, even if

that meant leaving him to take care of Sam from time to time; at least for a while. Sam can‟t seem to see past the fact that his dad was gone most of the time. Their relationship is rocky from the start, but regardless, Sam loves his dad.

Dean, who is several years older, starts looking out for his younger brother “Sammy” at such a young age that it is pretty much ingrained in him. When his mother is killed, it takes place in their home; Dean must take Sam, a baby at the time, outside to safety. From that moment on, Dean feels he must take Sam under his wing and keep him safe. In any situation the boys share, Dean is always looking out for his brother. That is why he sacrificed so much, even his own soul, for him.

Sam wanted to get out of the monster hunting business and live as normal a life as possible.

For a while, he was able to, but he‟s a Winchester and a Hunter and happiness just isn‟t in their cards. Sam, as goodhearted as he is, is marked as a child to do bad

things and be a dark person, but he chooses the light and overcomes his fate. While he is the baby brother, he is also smart, selfless and brave; Sam works just as hard to prove himself as a worthy Hunter as well a decent human being.

As opposite as Dean and Sam are, if there is one thing they have in common, it is the love they have for their family. Here‟s the thing about the brothers: family is more than blood to them. They‟ve adopted family members along the way and those same people have adopted them back.

From a surrogate father in Bobby Singer, brothers like Kevin and Cas, to a kid sister like Charlie, the brothers give love and love in return. So, yes, Supernatural is about brothers who fight the forces of evil and happen to look fantastic while doing it, but it is also about brothers who have given their all in every way imaginable. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A.G. Porter is the author of The Darkness Trilogy, a YA Paranormal Thriller. She is an Independent Author who enjoys writing scary stories as much as she loves reading them. Currently, A.G. is working on the last book in the trilogy. When she isn't writing, she's taking pictures, reading, making nerdy jewelry, watching movies or spending much needed time with her family. A.G. lives in New Hope, Alabama with her husband, Billy, stepson Brenton, and their 4 dogs. A.G. enjoys writing stories about real people in supernatural situations. She also puts a lot of her faith into her books because she knows that without Christ she is lost and without God she is nothing. Visit her blog and Facebook Page.

35

Marianna Kaplun

W

ar and Peace is a novel by Russian author Leo Tolstoy, published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and regarded as one of the most important works of world literature. His masterpiece intertwines the lives of private and public individuals during the time of the Napoleonic wars and French invasion of Russia.

The fortunes of three families, the Rostovs, the Bezuhovs and the Bolkonskys are intimately connected with the national history played out in parallel with their lives. Soirees and balls alternate with councils of war and the machinations of statesmen and generals, violent battles with human passions in a work whose extraordinary imaginative power has never been surpassed. The prodigious cast of characters seem to act and move as if connected by threads of destiny as the novel relentlessly questions ideas of free will, fate, and providence.

Yet Tolstoy's portrayal of marital relations and scenes of domesticity are as truthful and poignant as the grand themes that underlie them.

It is not surprising that Tolstoy is Hollywood‟s and European filmmakers‟ favorite go-to

Russian novelist. To date, War and Peace has been brought to life on screen 13 times. Readers and directors alike are drawn to its powerful dynamics. Rather than explore them in depth (I‟ll leave that to you), instead I will discuss certain adaptations.

One of the English-language film versions of Tolstoy‟s book is an American-Italian version, directed by King Vidor and produced by Carlo Ponti and Dino De Laurentiis. Starring the radiant Audrey Hepburn as the charming, naive Natasha, the youngest daughter of the loving and close-knit Rostov family, Henry Fonda as the idealistic Count Pierre and Mel Ferrer as the disillusioned yet sensitive Count Andrei, the film focuses on their entangled relationships.

Hepburn is delightful to watch as she progresses from a wideeyed, innocent young girl to a thoughtful and sophisticated woman. Fonda, although criticized for being too old and too “American” for the role, nevertheless brings a certain gravitas to Pierre and portrays his conflict about the war and Napoleon with grace. The often detached performance of Ferrer

as Andrei lends itself well to the character‟s restrained and aristocratic manner. One of the most memorable roles is Herbert Lom as Napoleon who, while only being on the screen for a total of 14 minutes, brings depth to the domineering conqueror by giving a glimpse of the humanity beneath his tyrannical demeanor.

The film‟s scenography is wonderful. In the typical Hollywood style of the time, it makes everything appear larger than life by virtue of camera angles. The film has a wonderful cast but financially was unsuccessful. It earned only $250,000 for the studio. A large part of the reason might have been that this was an epic film about a Russian novel. The battle scenes are impressive, and the director‟s decision to hire around 10,000 soldiers from the Italian Army lends the scenes a certain authenticity.

The Battle of Berezina and the French Army‟s subsequent retreat are especially intense and formidable, and helped score the film an Academy Award nomination for Best

Cinematography in 1956. It also won the Golden Globe for the Best Foreign-Language Film.

Among many others, the Russian version of War and Peace is a magnificently unique film. Reviewing Bondarchuk‟s film back in 1969, a young Roger Ebert wrote: “War and Peace” is the definitive epic of all time. It is hard to imagine that circumstances will ever again combine to make a more spectacular, expensive, and— yes—splendid movie.

Perhaps that’s just as well; epics seem to be going out of favor, replaced instead by smaller, more personal films.

Perhaps this greatest of the epics will be one of the last, bringing the epic form to its ultimate statement and at the same time supplying the epitaph.”

No corners were cut and no expenses spared in making it.

Indeed, it cost “$100,000,000, with a cast of 120,000, all clothed in authentic uniforms;

the Red Army was mobilized to recreate Napoleon‟s battles exactly as they happened.”

What‟s more, 35,000 costumes were made for the production, and many Soviet museums contributed artifacts for the production design. That‟s staggering, even by today‟s standards. It‟s easy enough to praise Sergei Bondarchuk for his thundering battle scenes, or his delicate ballroom scenes, or the quality of his actors. He is able to balance the spectacular, the human, and the intellectual.

37

Even in the longest, bloodiest, battle scenes there are vignettes that stand out: a soldier demanding a battlefield commendation, a crazed horse whirling away from an explosion, an enigmatic exchange between Napoleon and his lieutenants. The director is able to bring his epic events down to comprehensible scale without losing his sense of the spectacular. And always he returns to Tolstoy's theme of men in the grip of history.

All the actors look a little larger, nobler and more heroic than life‌ which is the idea in these undertakings. Vyacheslav Tihonov plays Count Andrei as cold and proud but with a good heart. Bondarchuk made a happy choice when casting beautiful Ludmila Savelyeva as Natasha. She is a ballerina, not an actress, although her acting ability is equal to the role. Audiences applaud her two dances; one is in a graceful ballroom, the other a folk dance in a rude hunting lodge. Bondarchuk cast himself as Pierre, the selftormented intellectual, and it is his strong performance that provides the central thread of the complicated story. Upon its release, it became a success, selling 135 million tickets in its native country. It also won the Grand Prix in the Moscow International Film Festival, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language

Film, and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

A BBC dramatization came out in 1972. Anthony Hopkins is the soul-searching Pierre, Morag Hood is the impulsive and beautiful Natasha, Alan Dobie is the dour, heroic Andrei and David Swift is Napoleon, whose decision to invade Russia in 1812 has farreaching consequences for all three families. The twenty-part serial was produced by David Conroy. His aim was to transfer the characters and plot from Tolstoy's magnum opus to a TV drama to run for 15 hours (closer to 17). Scripted by Jack Pulman and directed by John Davies, Conroy's War and Peace had battle sequences filmed in Yugoslavia. The production designer won a BAFTA for his work. This dramatization differs from previous ones in preserving many of the "minor" characters … notably Platon Karataev, played by Harry Locke.

The last attempt to adapt the epic story to the screen is a 2007 Russian-French-ItalianGerman miniseries directed by Robert Dornhelm. It is studded

with an international cast with some stand out performances.

Brenda Blethyn is wonderful as always, and as Count Andre‟s father Malcolm McDowell is chilling and arresting.

As Natasha, we have Clemence Poesy, who is near perfect.

There have been complaints because she is blond in a traditionally dark haired part, but that seems trivial in comparison to her beautiful, charming performance. In the romantic lead of Count Andrei is Italian star Alessio Boni. He brings a deliciously tragic gravitas to the role. Gorgeous Violante Placido plays the wicked Helene with relish and great style. Benjamin is on hand to lend his considerable dark charm and great presence to the role of Dolokov. The filmmakers concentrated more on family affairs than on the battle scenes. It is not as huge and epic as the 1968 Russian classic but it is beautiful screen adaptation of War and peace for viewers of all ages.

I recently learned that the BBC intends a new adaptation by Pride and Prejudice screenwriter Andrew Davies.

One of the most widely admired

(and longest) works of world literature, the new version will be six parts long, rather shorter than its 1972 forerunner.

"Not just a great novel, it's a wonderful read and it'll make a wonderful serial. A thrilling, funny and heartbreaking story of love, war and family life," said Davies. With only six installments to play with, the Davies adaptation is expected to leave out the book's lengthy philosophical and historical elements, focusing on its human relationships and the story of its four families. BBC1 controller Danny Cohen said six hours was a "fair amount of time to tell the story" despite the novel's notorious length.

Asked how the drama would appeal to BBC1's heartland audience, Cohen said: "The aim is to explore universal themes, all great novels explore big universal themes that we all relate to. That's why they have stood the test of time. I know Andrew [Davies] will focus on those." I think it is very promising approval. We‟ll, wait and see. BBC has never let down our expectations. ♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I was born in Moscow. I am philologist specializing in Ancient Russian drama and theatre. I research tsar’s performance in the period of Ivan IV Vasilyevich (Ivan The Terrible) and Aleksey Mikhailovich (Alexis of Russia). Also I am film and TV critic by calling and librarian by profession. You can find my essays on my Facebook page and on the site of Lumiere . I also blog in English and Russian.

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Charity Bishop

I

‟ve adored Sherlock Holmes since childhood. I marveled at his genius and thought no one could top him… until I met his big brother, Mycroft, “even more brilliant” than Sherlock, but so lazy he never sets foot outside his club. Instead, he “occupies a minor position in the British government.”

Over the years, adaptations of the stories introduced Mycroft but didn‟t explore him in depth other than as a condescending force in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, where he is a mastermind who constantly berates his little brother for his foolishness.

Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffatt took this antagonistic approach as their inspiration when writing Sherlock, a modernized adaptation that uses the source material as “inspiration” rather than direct influence. Incidents in the canon, conversations, chunks of dialogue, and names turn up with frequency, all tied to different problems, conspiracies, and solutions.

The creators are fan boys and it shows, but out of all the changes made to the source material, I find Mycroft‟s relationship with Sherlock the most interesting. He is the elder, more responsible, and more respectable brother, and he no longer occupies a minor position in

the government—he actually runs it behind the scenes, employing dozens of minions to do his bidding, which allows him to turn up uninvited in times of duress at Baker Street.

If you take these characters at face value, both are rational to the point of utter coldness… but if you dig deep into them, you can piece together their stories from scattered references.

Sherlock, the self-proclaimed “high functioning sociopath,” knows good and well that he isn’t a sociopath—he merely sees emotion as blocking reason and tries to convince himself that he has no feelings.

This is blatantly untrue, both in his irrational decisions and in Mycroft‟s constant reminders to reign in his emotions and abandon “sentiment.”

Mycroft presents himself as unemotional, yet on Christmas Eve, he abandons his country estate, changes into a suit, drives to London, and awaits his little brother in the morgue so he won‟t be alone when he identifies the body of “The Woman.” Their relationship is fraught with conflict, a battle of wills and intellect as much as a sibling rivalry (“I am the smart one,” Mycroft asserts), but it is also how the brothers show one another affection. It isn‟t expressed in kind words, but in banter and quips. Some of it is mean spirited, but the subtext is two brilliant, detached, and logical men trying to connect.

Under all his unrelenting superiority, Mycroft fears one thing above all else—that his brother will lose control of his emotions and act on them. And that is precisely what happens.

Mycroft‟s many predictions about Sherlock come true—his friendship with John Watson helps him but also endangers his brilliance. His friendship with John is Sherlock‟s weak spot—and he is Mycroft‟s.

Sherlock has always seen his big brother as an interfering force determined to shape him into a mold he doesn‟t want to fit into; a man who confronts him with the accusation of “Redbeard” (the name of a lost family pet) to remind him not to be naïve and childish.

Mycroft‟s confession of “Your loss would break my heart” comes only hours before Sherlock makes a decision that will forever impact both their lives—and very nearly cost his life. Yet even in that decision is a subtle truth: Sherlock‟s action was not simply to protect John, but also Mycroft.

The relationship between these two men is difficult to grasp—a brutal, unrelenting power struggle of defiance and mental barbs that allow for torture, humiliation, and cruel words, but if we look past the icy exteriors, we find the glorious truth: for all their many varied protestations, these brothers do in fact love one another. ♥

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“Swashbucklers�

Claim your topic before someone else does! femnista@charitysplace.com

Promised Articles: Zorro, Shipwrecked, Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, Jack Sparrow.

Suggested Topics: characters from Pirates of the Caribbean, Errol Flynn, pirates throughout history, famous historical privateers, The Princess Bride, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Count of Monte Cristo, etc.

Any novel, television series, or film that involves swordplay is eligible.

Coming Feb 1st!