Week 05 - Akata Witch

When first reading about the witches in “Akata Witch,” I didn’t view them as witches. I used to believe that witches were women who wore black pointy hats, had green skin and big noses, and flew around on magic brooms, using their skills for evil purposes. When delving into my research, I discovered that there is a broader spectrum of witches, and that there isn’t really any defining physical, appearance-wise traits to them. Many, however, cast spells and possess some form of magic. 

Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha possess different forms of magical powers. Orlu can “undo bad things” or juju. Chichi can remember everything she reads, similar to Sasha’s ability. They call themselves “leopard people” rather than witches. They use their powers for good, teaming up with Sunny to catch the serial killer Black Hat Otokoto. Their teachings and culture are not what I expected either. They use chittim as a form of currency. Masquerades are not events where others wear masks, but are rather described as “dangerous symbolic manifestations of the ancestors or spirits.” Many other details in this novel are not what I used to believe were traits and attributes of stereotypical witches. 

Witches can be tied to how women were once objectified. Either a woman is sexualized and forced to “obey the man,” or they were “evil or feral witches” that could live in freedom. The characters in “Akata Witch” break this stereotype, using their powers for good to stop a force of evil. “Akata Witch” is, in my opinion, a fantastic new way of looking at witches and their culture that breaks the stereotype of “Harry Potter” or “Wizard of Oz,” and discourages the idea that witches are just women who refuse to live and serve men.

Week 04 - Annihilation

Jeff Vandermeer’s ‘Annihilation’ proves to be a very “weird” novel. The biggest example I believe is Area X, how the main characters act because of it and how they traverse through it, and how it remains a mystery throughout the story. In the book, technology isn’t allowed, which is already an unusual statement. The characters remain unnamed. Hypnosis that can only be reflected by inhaling spores, and even the monster “The Crawler” are all elements that can be considered odd. These are not normal when compared to the real world.

 What fascinates me about the “weird” in this novel is how it’s written. The author spoon-feeds information to the reader, giving us just enough to want more and continue reading. The monsters and creatures aren’t described in detail, and the film adaptation shows only brief glimpses of them. These creatures, and Area X, are not found in the real world, and there are no rules or hints given to the biologist and her team. They were sent to explore the area, having no idea how to survive in it. Annihilation demonstrates mystery and facing the unknown. “Weird” is compelling because things that can usually be explained by science cannot be answered.

 Being unable to answer supernatural occurrences can be equally intriguing and bone-chilling. The novel leaves the reader wanting to know more, and to have explanations for everything that happens. But when there is no logical way to respond to these events, the reader’s interpretations and theories can gradually become darker and more terrifying. “Weird” can lead to many conclusions without revealing what truly lies behind it.

Week 02 - Interview with the Vampire

In Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire,” Lestat, Louis, and Claudia’s relationship is proven to be complicated and forced upon by Lestat. He turns them into vampires, Louis first because he wanted the company, and Claudia to keep Louis with around after he shows thoughts of leaving. While Claudia becomes a child figure to the men, Lestat even claiming that she is their daughter, she grows to hate Lestat, while still caring for Louis. 

Vampires are presented today as romanticized, and more appealing than they really were back then. It is even mentioned at the end of the novel how the boy interviewing Louis wishes to be turned, believing that becoming a vampire and living forever is far greater than mortality. In the novel, however, Lestat is apathetic and even encouraging over the action of killing and feasting on human blood. He takes great joy in doing so, and tries to coax Louis into following in his footsteps. Louis, before raising Claudia, felt as if he was stuck with Lestat, quoting he was at “a great disadvantage,” and that there was much he didn’t know about being a vampire. He still cares for humans, and the idea of families. He chooses to feast on animals for as long as he can after Lestat explained to him how living off of animals was possible. Whether this is because he cares about him, or because he simply wants to keep him alive for his own gain, I am unsure. The relationship between them, as I see it, is rather toxic, where one being forced to stay with the other seemingly against his will.

As mentioned before, Claudia grows a hatred towards Lestat; despite having the power to live forever and the knowledge of a 70-year-old, she is stuck in a child’s body. Lestat threatened Louis with her life, yet “did not want to threaten her at all, but was loving to her, proud of her beauty, anxious to teach her that they must kill to live, and that they could never die.” This confuses me as a reader, yet intrigues me; Lestat is a difficult character to read. While he comes across as manipulative and selfish, turning her for his own gain, he has moments where he seems to truly care about Claudia, if not Louis as well.