I loved the D&L, and I will happily recommend it to all and sundry in some future fandom that has grown too large and unwieldy! Quality, you know, doesn't diminish over time. ;)
When I entered this fandom I, in my sponge-like way, took on the idea of the Mary Sue and the attendant desire to loathe her in her many forms. What I dislike most of all, is an undeveloped character, waltzing along with 'love-interest' stamped across his or her forehead, without any explanation or justification.
I loved Maud, and I don't have anything against her, as a character, as a heroine, as a relative of a canon character, or anything. However, as the trilogy progressed I began to get a little annoyed with her, as she seemed to drift into a more vague 'love-interest' role. By the end of If We Survive, it seemed to me that she'd lost a little of whatever it was that made her interesting in the first place. In the beginning, she was, dare I say it, spunky, independent, very real and unMarySueish. Later on, she didn't seem to let this character shine through as much, she just waited around wistfully to be reunited with Snape. Sure, she helped with the potions, uncovered Death Eater plots, consoled friends, etc, but she seemed to be so increasingly defined by her relationship with Snape. I sat there wondering. We know that Snape is lonely and angsty, and therefore he loves Maud. Why does she love him? (I know this seems like a mindlessly stupid question - I read the trilogy a while ago, so I'm sorry if my arguments sound inane). We know why she loved him, it was built up in TPMA and Personal Risks. But what does she get out of it, really? Why doesn't she ever think, If only I had a boyfriend who wasn't an absent undercover evil agent? When Snape is depressed, she goes and comforts him. Whenever she is depressed, she just has to deal with it and accept it's too hard for him to see her. She constantly gives him support and reassurance and boosts his self-esteem....what does he do for her? Tell her that he loves her dramatically? All very good, but rather distant. She stands steadfastly by and is a good and perfect and faithful girlfriend for chapters on end. It's...just a little bit annoying. I wanted TPMA Maud back, preSnape, and vibrant.
I'm not trying to Mercilessly Critique here, I'm just thinking of the ways in which Maud could be Mary Suelike, though she is unpopular and doesn't save the day or anything of the sort, and that would be the way that stands out most to me(and a little whinging along the way).
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Date: 2003-03-28 09:01 am (UTC)When I entered this fandom I, in my sponge-like way, took on the idea of the Mary Sue and the attendant desire to loathe her in her many forms. What I dislike most of all, is an undeveloped character, waltzing along with 'love-interest' stamped across his or her forehead, without any explanation or justification.
I loved Maud, and I don't have anything against her, as a character, as a heroine, as a relative of a canon character, or anything. However, as the trilogy progressed I began to get a little annoyed with her, as she seemed to drift into a more vague 'love-interest' role. By the end of If We Survive, it seemed to me that she'd lost a little of whatever it was that made her interesting in the first place. In the beginning, she was, dare I say it, spunky, independent, very real and unMarySueish. Later on, she didn't seem to let this character shine through as much, she just waited around wistfully to be reunited with Snape. Sure, she helped with the potions, uncovered Death Eater plots, consoled friends, etc, but she seemed to be so increasingly defined by her relationship with Snape. I sat there wondering. We know that Snape is lonely and angsty, and therefore he loves Maud. Why does she love him? (I know this seems like a mindlessly stupid question - I read the trilogy a while ago, so I'm sorry if my arguments sound inane). We know why she loved him, it was built up in TPMA and Personal Risks. But what does she get out of it, really? Why doesn't she ever think, If only I had a boyfriend who wasn't an absent undercover evil agent? When Snape is depressed, she goes and comforts him. Whenever she is depressed, she just has to deal with it and accept it's too hard for him to see her. She constantly gives him support and reassurance and boosts his self-esteem....what does he do for her? Tell her that he loves her dramatically? All very good, but rather distant. She stands steadfastly by and is a good and perfect and faithful girlfriend for chapters on end. It's...just a little bit annoying. I wanted TPMA Maud back, preSnape, and vibrant.
I'm not trying to Mercilessly Critique here, I'm just thinking of the ways in which Maud could be Mary Suelike, though she is unpopular and doesn't save the day or anything of the sort, and that would be the way that stands out most to me(and a little whinging along the way).