Emma Stapp – Page 5 – Literary Arts Blogspace

why i want to be misty day when i grow up

one of the most iconic and brilliant series in recent history is the anthology, american horror story. “coven”, the third season of the show, features a school for young witches in new orleans, which intrinsically fascinates me because of my affinity for spookiness. one thing that gives the show its twisted charm is its ability to allow you to fall in love with its characters, despite its incredibly dark subject matter. a perfect example of this effect is my adoration of a particular witch in the third season.

ethereal is the best way to describe one of the most beloved women of ahs– misty day. she is the first character in this blog series that i discovered recently, which made me almost hesitant to write about her rather than characters that have walked alongside me for many years; but something about her stood out to me immediately upon experiencing her story.

misty is strikingly beautiful, with waves of blonde hair and wise eyes. she’s extremely eccentric and spends most of her time alone. she is from the louisiana bayou, where she was shunned because of her powers. misty possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life. some people from her Pentecostal community believed that she was gifted, chosen for a higher purpose. unfortunately, most believed that her powers stemmed from evil. when she performed a miracle by reviving a dead bird, the people made the decision to burn her at the stake. because of her gift, she was resurrected and spent her time wandering through the swamps, making a home for herself. she lived in a small shack she had furnished with natural materials she collected in her exploring. her home was covered in the plants she nurtured herself.

i think what drew me to misty immediately was her love for stevie nicks, which i share. she spends her days in her beautiful, cozy corner of the louisiana swamp, listening to the mystical words of one of the greatest female singer-songwriters of all time, and i’d be lying if i claimed not to be jealous of such a life. i think the stevie’s lyrics reflect misty’s character in many ways. like her, they are simultaneously simple and enchanting with an undeniable sense of melancholy and power. misty describes stevie as her hero, and i relate to that on a positively spiritual level.

a heartbreaking part of misty’s story is her loneliness. having been misunderstood her entire life, she really never had anyone to consider a friend. misty has one of the kindest, gentlest souls i’ve ever seen in a character, and the thought of her felling unwanted is so devastating. when she finally discovers her home, her family in the coven, she finally feels the true sense of peace that she deserved all along.

i must acknowledge that this installment is shorter than the others in this series (but not without reason). i think it’s only fitting for misty, someone who doesn’t waste time on delicately crafted words. she inspires and enchants by simply living. her compassion and grace are incomparable, and possessing such a quiet charm as hers would be remarkable.

misty day mini playlist:

seven wonders- stevie nicks

rhiannon- stevie nicks

dreams- fleetwood mac

songbird- fleetwood mac

if you ever did believe- stevie nicks

misty wearing the shawl stevie nicks gave her <3

why i want to be dana scully when i grow up

special agent dana katherine scully, MD. from her title alone, it’s quite obvious that scully is a highly accomplished career woman, but credentials cannot begin to encapsulate all that makes her such a tremendously stirring and influential character. she is a woman in a field of work that is typically occupied by men and is constantly aware of her status and the sexism she faces. she stares into the crooked face of the male ego every day and dismisses it with the graceful click of her practical heels.

dana grew up in a tightknit catholic military family with two brothers and a sister. her mother, maggie was the picture of a perfect parent- caring, understanding, and always there for her kids. while she loves her brothers greatly, she was undeniably closest to her sister, melissa. the scully sisters were quite different in many ways- where dana is reserved and logical, melissa was a philosophical and extroverted. though their differences were clear, their relationship was incredibly strong. they looked to each other as safe havens, and each needed the other for balance. dana’s father, captain william scully, was a stern but loving man with high expectations which dana spent the entirety of her young life trying to meet and exceed. she did occasionally resent her father’s harsh rules and impossible standards, but she also used them as inspiration to achieve the goals she set for herself.

ultimately, dana focused on her love for the study of science, which led her to become a medical doctor. rather than practicing medicine, she chose to become a criminal pathologist, opening the opportunity to become a field agent for the fbi. much to her father’s dismay, she immediately chose to pursue the new career path that he considered dangerous and beneath her. she was assigned to a division known as the x-files, which investigates cases involving paranormal and unexplained phenomena. she was chosen because of her scientific background to debunk the work of the only agent in the division- fox mulder.

when dana knocked on the door of the basement office in the hoover building, she had no idea the changes she was letting into her life. inside that small, poorly-lit room sat the files and the man that would alter the course of her life irreparably. she walked in confidently, arms crossed and guard up as always. she looked to mulder, who scanned the spy who had come to shut down his life’s work. they shook hands, and the world did its very best not to stop. because of what they had both been through in their lives, trust came with time, but it took no time at all to realize that they were meant to be partners- in life, in death, and in the work to which they would dedicate the former and latter. it is practically impossible to talk about scully without talking about mulder because they are so beautifully intertwined- perfect opposites. dana has often been referred to as mulder’s “human credential”- the one thing that keeps him from simply floating away. the ambiguity of their relationship, although frustrating, is undoubtedly one of the factors that contributes to my opinion that theirs is easily one of the greatest fictional love stories of all time.

one of the most interesting facets of scully’s character is her trauma throughout the series and how she overcomes it. during the first season, her father passed away unexpectedly, which had a profound impact on her. she spoke about her fear that her father died still disappointed in her for her career choices, but dana’s mother did her best to assure her that wasn’t the case. another major event was her abduction. there was a man involved in a case they worked on who was convinced that he was being tested by aliens, and he essentially sent scully to save himself. she was missing for weeks, and mulder was utterly lost without her, despite having known her for only a short time. eventually, she was found in a coma and woke days later with no recollection of what had happened to her. she had several brutal encounters with some of the perpetrators they investigated throughout the years, but the tragedy that affected her most was likely the death of her sister, who was murdered by a hitman who thought she was dana. because the fate intended for her had taken away one of the people she loved most, she was overtaken by grief but rarely let it show. she instead chose to further dedicate herself to tearing down the corrupt establishment that caused her sister’s death. scully faced countless unimaginably painful trials- too many to list here. however, she always broke through with her courage, passion, and goodness in tact.

scully is easily one of the most influential women in television history, particularly in the genre of science fiction. there is even a phenomenon known as the “scully effect”, in which the character inspired a large population of women to pursue careers in STEM. though i wish i were, i am truthfully not very much like dana. however, the beauty of that is i still relate to her deeply on many levels, which i think is a testament to the impeccable writing and acting. she is a piece of fiction who will always mean more to me than just that, and i’m extremely grateful that gillian anderson brought her to life so beautifully.

dana scully mini playlist:

saturn- sleeping at last

a case of you- joni mitchell

pale blue eyes- the velvet underground

the scientist- coldplay

leather and lace- stevie nicks

special agent dana scully, medical doctor >>>

why i want to be audrey horne when i grow up

hello, blog world! i’m emma, and you are a total stranger to me. i’m almost entirely unfamiliar with the concept of my writing being viewed by anyone but me and the occasional english teacher, but i’m excited to expand my horizons! at first, i struggled a bit to choose what to write about for my first ever entry. i knew that because my interests lie heavily in the areas of television and film, i would likely write a review or character study, but i couldn’t quite narrow things down. suddenly, as i sat listening to my music and staring at my blank screen, i finally had an idea that i loved- writing about the female characters who inspired me and helped to make me who i am. while i can see the melodrama in the previous statement, the art of media has truly had a profoundly healing effect on me throughout my life. for as long as i can remember, i have taken comfort and inspiration from the strong women both in my life and on my screen, and the opportunity to write about them brings me such a lovely sense of pride and happiness. so, blog world, i invite you and yours to join me on this expedition into the catalogue of the fictitious women whose natures intrigue me- the women i want to be when i grow up and why.

upon seeing audrey horne, a central character in lynch’s televised masterpiece, twin peaks, the first thing you notice will likely be her undeniable beauty. she stands, a porcelain prima donna with raven hair, a gaze that cuts like a knife and a mind just as sharp. she brings the world around her to its knees in her sensible skirt and saddle shoes. she carries with her an unmatchable grace and quiet confidence, not in her looks, but in her unspoken wisdom.

the show introduces audrey under characteristically odd circumstances- beloved prom queen laura palmer has been murdered, and the student body of twin peaks high school is deeply affected by the tragedy. audrey, however, continues with her morning as usual. she puts on her red high heels, smokes a cigarette and watches as the world around her nearly collapses with grief. to those around her, it likely seems that her calm demeanor is indicative of a lack of emotion, but it actually stems from her intrinsically strong sense of curiosity. audrey, at her core, is an observer- and quite a fine one. her lifelong habits of watching, listening, and uncovering have made her unusually skilled in the art of reading people.

audrey’s family situation is a tragedy that largely contributes to her more melancholy side. benjamin horne, audrey’s father, is a calculated, unloving parent. he is known as a corrupt businessman with little regard for others, least of all his wife and children. audrey’s greatest wish is to have her father’s approval, but as she grows into herself, she somewhat realizes that she doesn’t need the love of an evil man (or any man for that matter) to make her whole.

johnny, audrey’s brother is older than her but has severe mental issues which cause his mind to be much younger than his body. she loves her brother dearly but doesn’t have a very strong relationship with him because of the guilt she associates with him. when she was a toddler and he was nine, she accidentally shoved him down the stairs, and the trauma to his head caused his condition. though she was only a child and his injuries weren’t her fault, her mother blamed her for the incident and shut her out entirely, leaving audrey completely alone.

spending her life in unwilling isolation at such a young age naturally jaded audrey, and the idea of friendship was so unfamiliar to her that it no longer seemed desirable. she had mastered the crafts of being alone without being lonely and being lonely when surrounded by people.

one of audrey’s most definitive and interesting storylines is her relationship with dale cooper. cooper is the fbi agent sent to investigate laura’s murder. from their first interaction, it is clear to them both that there is something there- something ineffably, gorgeously intense that neither of them have ever felt before. cooper, being a man of rigid principle and compassion, ultimately chose not to pursue a relationship with audrey because he thought it clear that what she needed in her life was time to grow individually and a true friend- that’s exactly what he gave her. she was left heartbroken, despite his good intentions in distancing himself. still, they learned a great deal from each other. he gave her the balance to use her investigative nature wisely and the knowledge of her worth. she showed him the importance of abandoning his comfort zone and letting people in, even if for a short time. though their feelings for one another were genuine and pure, the timing was impossible. personally, i believe that if the show had continued, the two of them would have inevitably ended up together because there is simply no better match or greater love for either character.

as an awkward twelve year old girl with no real sense of direction, twin peaks was life-changing for me. i saw reflections of myself in its characters, not all of which were pretty. on my screen, i saw both evil and goodness in their very purest forms. while there are many wonderfully complex characters in the show, audrey horne is one that brings me tremendous comfort and inspiration, and being even just a bit like her would mean being closer to the person i’d like to be someday.

audrey horne mini playlist:

silver springs- fleetwood mac

crimson and clover- joan jett

audrey’s dance- angelo badalamenti

you were meant for me- jewel

she’s always a woman- billy joel