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Actually I haven’t seen any story use objectification as the protagonist’s flaw, that would be kind of cool. Lots of rough growth, but cool.
#ProtectAdolinKholin
Yes, this is the “marriage one”
Okay, let me find that scene where Ethan talks to his dad all about it. The scene happened before the one with Ethan and Jonas.
That night, Ethan was unable to sleep. Despite being so tired he was ready to drop, his mind refused to let him rest, and thoughts ran dizzying circles in his head as questions demanded to be answered. Finally, Ethan flung off his blankets and got to his feet. Walking softly so as not to disturb Jonas, he crept downstairs.
Upon entering the living room, Ethan found his father was still awake, sitting in an armchair near the wood burning stove. He looked up when Ethan entered. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah,” Ethan replied. “It’s almost eleven, I thought you would be asleep.”
His father shook his head. “I had some things to think through, and I decided I might as well save us some money and keep the fire going so the heater doesn’t kick on.”
Ethan nodded and sat down on the floor, holding his hands out to the stove.
The two were silent for a time, and then Mr. Airman spoke. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing up so late.”
Ethan folded his hands over his up-drawn knee. For a time he was quiet, and Mr. Airman waited patiently. He knew his oldest son always carefully considered his words before he spoke. At last, Ethan looked up. “I’ve been thinking about those letters.”
Mr. Airman nodded but was silent, knowing Ethan wasn’t finished.
Ethan stared at the small lamp on the table which cast a dim glow over the room. “I read some of those verses. One of them really caught my attention. I’ve read it before, but this time something was different. It said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.’”
They were quiet again, and then Ethan looked up at his father. “Marriage wasn’t always forbidden.”
Mr. Airman waited.
“What was it like back then? Ella wrote about it being misused and defiled.”
Mr. Airman sighed. “Back then, things were starting to get dark. In those days it was not a common thing for an unmarried man and woman to live together. It wasn’t really socially accepted, though it did happen. As time went on, it became more frequent. Then, our government passed a very evil law. This law said that two men living together or two women living together would have the option of being considered married in the eyes of the government.”
“What!” Ethan exclaimed hotly. “But God explicitly forbids that! Look at what he did to Sodom and Gomorrah! Look at all the commandments in the New and Old Testament about how wrong and evil that is!”
“Ethan, you have to understand something. Our nation turned away from God. Why would they follow His commands?”
Ethan shook his head. “People can be so wicked.”
“Yes,” his father agreed. “And look what happened to our country as a result.”
They were silent for a time. Then, Ethan voiced his next question. “So, when did marriage become illegal?”
“In my parents’ time, true marriage was becoming less common than homosexuality. In fact, it was starting to become less socially accepted. When I was a kid, things had gotten so bad that the government just started to erase the idea of marriage. It was becoming an annoyance, and it also carried with it a memory of God’s laws. You see, Ethan, one of the strongest pictures of Christ and the church is marriage. If you are going to completely turn your back on God, you are going to eventually try to erase all memory of Him to ease your conscience. Well, that’s what happened. It wasn’t long before things started disappearing. Books, movies, works of art, photos– and it had a pattern. It was things that had to do with marriage. Real marriage. Soon if you looked up the word ‘Marriage’ there would be no results, and ‘Romance’ or ‘Love’ offered a wide variety of photos– none of which pictured a man and woman together. Things were getting bad, and your mother and I knew it. At first, her parents wanted her to wait until she was nineteen before she was married. However, with the way things were going, her father gave permission for her to be married at eighteen. Three months later, marriage of any kind wasn’t a thing. The year after, it was explicitly banned. The results of that is the world you live in now.”
Ethan slowly shook his head. “It’s just so wrong!”
His father nodded quietly.
“This is the kind of thing they did in Sodom and Gomorrah. Even worse! How has God not destroyed this place?”
“I have wondered that myself,” Mr. Airman confessed. “I’m not sure if this is the answer, but there is one thing that I feel God has pointed out to me over the years. Do you remember that before the angels went to the city, Abraham pleaded with them?”
“Yes, they worked their way from fifty to ten. If ten righteous people were found, God would spare the city,” Ethan replied.
“Like I said before, maybe this isn’t the answer, but I wonder if we have been spared for the sake of the few righteous.”
Ethan thought about that for a long moment. “Perhaps that is the reason. After all, I know of fifteen people who still follow the ways of God.”
Neither spoke for a time, and Ethan’s father added another log to the fire. At last, Ethan let out a slow breath and turned to fully face his father. “God says that what He has joined together, no man can separate. Not our government, not soldiers, not judges or lawyers. No man.”
Mr. Airman waited for Ethan to finish.
Ethan’s hands were shaking a little, and he clasped them tightly over his bent knee. Letting out a slow breath, he spoke. “Father, I want to find a wife. I want to get married.”
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
So I like the idea of a marriage themed dystopia, but I do have some questions because some of this doesn’t make sense and could be cleared up. Can I ask a few things?
#ProtectAdolinKholin
Sure, go ahead and ask. This is still just in it’s first draft.
I have a couple other scenes with explanation so a may have already covered the questions you’re going to ask, but shoot anyways.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
@ellette-giselle @keilah-h @rae @grcr @esther-c @theducktator @mineralizedwritings @anyone-else-lol
Violet Iris resistance group!!
(not all of the characters on this board are shown or even mentioned in Freedom’s Fire…shhh…that’s for later books🫢🤫🤭)
LOVE IT!!!
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
@ellette-giselle THANK YOU!!
I’m excited to write them more in later books, hehe
You’re killing me with that picture of Jezyk!
Ugh.
I’m not crying.
Nope.
Totally Not.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
Okay great 😊 (If anyone is sensitive please skip reading.)
This is just a big brainstorm post, maybe it will be helpful.
Why would everyone give up as a group on heterosexuality? American culture overwhelmingly enjoys any depiction of male-female pleasure, it is an integral part of our culture. (It’s disgusting, but here we are.) Like, realistically, most people don’t want to be homosexual.
Is there a bigger reason for people to give up on heterosexuality all of a sudden?
Also, this story offers an important opportunity for distinction. What is marriage by your definition? What does the government see as marriage?
Because it doesn’t make much sense from the perspective of a government to deny heterosexuality by itself, that’s like denying your own country to reproduce. It’s more realistic to ban the laws of marriage.
But they need to present reasons for a ban. Non-Christians can be deeply lost, but they aren’t stupid. Banning marriage would go against Freedom and the American Way, etc.
I feel like a lot of people would protest. A LOT. America tried to ban alcohol in 1920, and look where that went.
Also, how do you illegally get married if the government’s definition of marriage is a legal registration?
#ProtectAdolinKholin
*discreetly offers tissues*
I’m gonna kill you.
Lol.
I guess I’m just getting a taste of my own medicine.
*sighs*
btw, can you send me the link to your Pintrest account? I can’t find it anywhere.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
I feel like most of what you just said doesn’t really have much to do with the story………
What makes you think this is America?
Who said it was?
I sure didn’t.
The people of this country don’t have a choice. It’s do what the government says, or die.
Why would everyone give up as a group on heterosexuality?
It wasn’t so much of a group effort as a few politicians looking for ways to deeper sink control. btw…… have you ever read The Giver, seen Equilibrium, read 1985, read That Hideous Strength, or read A Brave New World? This is not a new concept that I’m exploring. It’s been a side plot in may stories. I’m just making it the focal point of my plot.
and, also side note, there are some bills in congress this moment that, if acted upon, could lead to something like this in the future. Now, that is conspiracy theorism, but it’s not completely out of the question.
does any of this make sense?
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
Okay, so you’re going for a more ambiguous setting with more brainwashing? I do love The Giver and Fahrenheit 451, I like the genre.
I feel like most of what you just said doesn’t really have much to do with the story………
…Well I said this:
Because it doesn’t make much sense from the perspective of a government to deny heterosexuality by itself, that’s like denying your own country to reproduce.
I’ll expand this. Biologically, even outside of America, the human wants to get together with someone of the opposite sex. That’s just a fact of life, it’s a ravenous desire that has always existed in every culture to an extent. The Giver plays with this concept well because the government gets rid of the desire with anti-hormone drugs. In your universe, does the government get rid of the desire? If not, if they just ban relationships, that’s honestly not going to work.
What is marriage by your definition? What does the government see as marriage?
I think this has everything to do with your story.
Let’s say the government defines marriage as a legal registration, and gets rid of it. If you define marriage as a promise to stay together, Ethan could still make a promise to his girl in front of his church, and it would be a marriage in the eyes of God. The government wouldn’t care about that. It might be taboo, but not illegal.
Did I explain this well?
#ProtectAdolinKholin
I love it!!!!
They all look so awesome!! Wolfgang’s pic looks like one of my charries actually!
And….. why does the reference pic for Esther actually look a little bit like me…? 😳🫢
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
Okay, reproduction is allowed, but only through government selection.
Yes, I do have that under control.
If you define marriage as a promise to stay together, Ethan could still make a promise to his girl in front of his church, and it would be a marriage in the eyes of God. The government wouldn’t care about that. It might be taboo, but not illegal.
Haha, this isn’t marriage at all. Marriage isn’t a promise to stay together, and it isn’t a government contract. Marriage is a holy and sacred covenant before God.
And the government wholly and completely cares, because they have banned unauthorized children and they have banned marital relationships.It’s a little difficult to hide the fact that your married when you have the government officers going through the house every month or so.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
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