HW: Elric and OJ

[Stephen Swann]

skarsol writes:
>
> > (some would say crass) symbolism - e.g., impaling a woman on a sword is about
> > as unsubtle a metaphor for the sex act as can be.
>
> moorcock himself has stated that people try to read too much symbolism
> into his novels.
> you must remember that elric impaled on his sword thousands of men and
> beasts
> as well.

Well, the Melniboneans *are* a decadent race, after all.  ;-)

Anyway, Morrcock stated outright in his essay (forget the name, but
it's in the "Elric at the End of Time" compilation), that he added
lots of sexual imagery to the books in a blatant attempt to make them
more popular.

> and elric had plenty enuff real love making to bother with hidden
> innuendos.

But in contrast to this point, notice that that the only genuinely
empowering act for him was killing with Stormbringer (which as someone
already mentioned, is often written as a grotesque parody of the sex
act).  Notice also, that Stormbringer behaves like a jealous mistress.
Moorcock gives examples of this in the essay, such as it "screaming
like a woman" when he tries to cast it away from him.

> i think the deaths of his loves were simply high drama.i mean th over
> all feel of the novels was hopeless despair. this is only my
> interpretation,and is not meant to
> bash yours andy,cos only mike really knows....

But since he wrote an essay on the subject, now we know.  ;-)

Steve
swann at panix.com