Ah, well. Life is like that, isn't it; even Mike knows that things don't wrap up as evenly as they do in fiction. Liz might have repented of the Settlepocalypse but she can't undo the mistake she made and they all know it.
Why is everyone so obsessed with that harmonica? Fandom and April alike. I mean, seriously, okay, you give something to someone, it's theirs. You don't get to whine about them giving it away. If she'd really wanted it, April would have said, "Okay, it might look like I'm giving this to you, but actually, I'm not." Then she would have outlined her plan to give it to some little kid in her family, one who can afford his or her own damn harmonica. Or, if she wanted it for herself, she wouldn't have given it away.
I don't care if you were planning for it to become a "cherished family heirloom". Why complain so strenuously about it being used to make a lonely little boy feel better? Besides, I've heard harmonicas before. It's probably the best damn use it could be put to.
The harmonica was clearly intended as a Big Symbolic Deal, what with the WWII story, the toss-out-the-bus story, the find-the-bully's-dad-was-a-jerk story. April also gave the harmonica away to Liz, true, but Liz objected, said it was a family thing, and April said she wasn't giving it 'away', she was giving it "to my sister".
The fact that Liz would give it away outside the family (actually, that it would be stolen and she didn't even *notice*) seems to show a huge difference in their connection to family heirlooms and history.
April could have been explicit, but Liz' objection seemed to show that she knew how important this was, and she wouldn't just give it away for anything weaker than family. All Liz said was that Jesse was a "special kid" (no spirit name story or mention of his family troubles) - April no doubt wonders why she couldn't have given him something else?
In any case, it's done and has been so for years, so she's going to have to get over it. But she *isn't* nagging Elizabeth about it; this is more of a "what if this were a perfect world?" thought.
Liz's giving the harmonica to The Li'lest Sociopath would have been permissible (albeit inconsiderate and tactless to a degree) had he not stolen it in the first place. Probably the kid is hard-wired, and will spend most of his life in prison for various thefts and assaults, so it won't make a difference--but you DON'T reward a kid for stealing. You just don't.
Hi. Just wanted you to know I've linked to your blog in a post about FBOFW fan art: http://www.monstersandrockets.com/2009/05/alternate-timelines-of-for-better-or.html
6 comments:
Ah, well. Life is like that, isn't it; even Mike knows that things don't wrap up as evenly as they do in fiction. Liz might have repented of the Settlepocalypse but she can't undo the mistake she made and they all know it.
Why is everyone so obsessed with that harmonica? Fandom and April alike. I mean, seriously, okay, you give something to someone, it's theirs. You don't get to whine about them giving it away. If she'd really wanted it, April would have said, "Okay, it might look like I'm giving this to you, but actually, I'm not." Then she would have outlined her plan to give it to some little kid in her family, one who can afford his or her own damn harmonica. Or, if she wanted it for herself, she wouldn't have given it away.
I don't care if you were planning for it to become a "cherished family heirloom". Why complain so strenuously about it being used to make a lonely little boy feel better? Besides, I've heard harmonicas before. It's probably the best damn use it could be put to.
The harmonica was clearly intended as a Big Symbolic Deal, what with the WWII story, the toss-out-the-bus story, the find-the-bully's-dad-was-a-jerk story. April also gave the harmonica away to Liz, true, but Liz objected, said it was a family thing, and April said she wasn't giving it 'away', she was giving it "to my sister".
The fact that Liz would give it away outside the family (actually, that it would be stolen and she didn't even *notice*) seems to show a huge difference in their connection to family heirlooms and history.
April could have been explicit, but Liz' objection seemed to show that she knew how important this was, and she wouldn't just give it away for anything weaker than family. All Liz said was that Jesse was a "special kid" (no spirit name story or mention of his family troubles) - April no doubt wonders why she couldn't have given him something else?
In any case, it's done and has been so for years, so she's going to have to get over it. But she *isn't* nagging Elizabeth about it; this is more of a "what if this were a perfect world?" thought.
Liz's giving the harmonica to The Li'lest Sociopath would have been permissible (albeit inconsiderate and tactless to a degree) had he not stolen it in the first place. Probably the kid is hard-wired, and will spend most of his life in prison for various thefts and assaults, so it won't make a difference--but you DON'T reward a kid for stealing. You just don't.
Hi. Just wanted you to know I've linked to your blog in a post about FBOFW fan art: http://www.monstersandrockets.com/2009/05/alternate-timelines-of-for-better-or.html
Thanks, Greg - interesting post!
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