All of those post's remind me of something about The Diamond Age- *sighs* I make way too many connections to adoption in my life- frak me
The way the people in this book live- especially those like Nell bothers me too. I didn't stop to think about it much until writing my previous posts on The Ship Who Sang. She is seemingly a thrown away child, (Nell) who has to take care of herself, while using the Primer to help her grow up. I get how the Primer echos Nell's thoughts and, Nell echos the Primers it's a circle. Primer as mother and father really- not only to Nell, but to the Mouse Army.
The Mouse Army-yeah again throwaway girl children- who are get this connection my mind made Chinese girls- who in reality in adoption are also throwaway children in their society, because boys are valued more than girls. But oh, The Mouse Army becomes so powerful-with Nell as their General. She leads them down the revolutionary road, she leads them to demanding their rights. I find it very interesting that the really subversive stuff in this book- lead to that for so many of the characters. The Drummers and their sex computer even make me think of self determination - the seed too. What is that about? Why going back to the old ways and leaving behind the technology -it leads to living in a society that does not value girls as much as it values boys. It leads to well yeah I am not going there this blog is not about that.
It's been far too long~
7 years ago
I feel like every book we've read about has to do with children not having some form of childhood. I don't know if it's just me or what! In some way the girl doesn't have legit parents, or she has to grow up quicker than when a child is suppose to.
ReplyDeleteAfter our discussion on Tuesday about how Miranda becomes Nell's mother- and Nell nominally in my mind at least becomes not only the Queen of the Mouse Army, but their mother, I had to really think about this. The way this society is set up just screams to me it's a sort of retelling of Stranger in A Strange Land. (Heinlein who is one of my favorite authors) The use of technology and the way they separate the phyles, the social stratification reminds me very much of how "children" are born and created in Heinlein's novel. That novel btw is a total mind frak the first time you read it. So she get's a mother in the end, but honestly I find myself more and more disgusted by books that do this sort of thing. (Not to mention Walt Disney movies WTH? is up with that?) Oh right, good parents = boring life with no adventures! LOL
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