A little bit of Laurie lovin'...

[whiskerslily.livejournal.com]

"The Taxi"

When I go away from you
The world beats dead,
Like a slackened drum.
I call out for you against the jutted stars
And shout into the ridges of the wind.

Streets coming fast,
One after the other,
Wedge you away from me,
And the lamps of the city prick my eyes
So that I can no longer see your face.
Why should I leave you
To wound myself upon the sharp 
                                                  edges of the night?

-Amy Lowell (1874-1925)

This is a love poem about alienation, and the feeling of loss-- which reminds me of Laurie (and of Laurie/Jon). One thing about Laurie is that ... well, she is a loner. She has no real friends (besides Dan and Jon, who end up being her lovers, and I wouldn't count her mother as a friend per se). Once Jon leaves, Laurie has very few options. 

The poem has the speaker call out for the lover "against jutted stars", which just makes me think of Laurie realizing that Jon is far, far gone (both emotionally and physically -- he can't relate to her either way). And, since Laurie really has been shackled to Jon for years, she has to adjust to the world again.

PS... I have been a big fan of this community for awhile, and I'd love to help advertise it. The idea behind this communtiy is just genius, and I think lots of people would love this place if they knew about it... :D

Comments

[flyingrat42.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for posting again, and for bringing along such a lovely poem. I think your perspective on Laurie is very apt, really...it's easy to forget, over the course of the story, how limited Laurie's life has really been, and how (as you say) she finds herself having to adjust to her new place in the world. Such a huge step for her, and as I go back and reread the GN I'm struck by how much courage she shows in the face of such an enormous change.

(Any suggestions you have for advertising would be very eagerly appreciated, and please feel free to go ahead and pimp us out wherever you think is appropriate. Really glad you're enjoying this, and please continue reading and posting-- you have made some great contributions!)

[whiskerslily.livejournal.com]

No problem! I already pimped this community out over at watchmenfic. I think that this is a good place to get inspiration, so fanfic writers would appreciate it.

And, Laurie. I find that people in the fandom either love her or they think she's the "token girl". She's very bold and compelling, and I think she has a strong sense of justice (her opinions on rapists and the concentration camps of Dachau she mentioned while talking with her mother in Chap II.panel 10) but she's also selfish and bratty at times (aren't we all?).