Conflicts & Solutions
by Jonathan Quince
Thursday, March 17, 2005 16:31:56
We have here at Sopef a friendly little debate.
I hold creation and destruction to be a balance that must be wielded in creation’s favor. Controlled measures of destructive force are trial and cleansing by fire, carefully applied to clear the way for reconstruction and re-forging; after all, ground must be cleared and leveled for foundations to be laid. Rachel K. [] agrees, for the most part; but she adds that destruction may sometimes have a purpose in its own right, final and ultimate.
The genesis of Domina Sadista highlighted this difference. I was fascinated by the concept; but logical though it was, Rachel’s drafted ending lead to a philosophic argument. Sopef is a well of beauty, not a resource on forensic psychology; and ordinarily, I would never allow a place here at Sopef for what might be seen as a paean to death. Of course, Rachel, like I, would never change a story to suit “political correctness” of any sort, even mine. So, although she did have prepared an alternate ending (which I might someday post), we searched together for a way to fit the original.
(At this juncture, it might be appropriate to note that while I spend my days conceiving cures for all ills, she has an uncanny liking for the movie Basic Instinct. If I’m the “good cop” and she’s the bad one in that regard, I suppose that opposites really do attract.)
After some interesting deliberations, the answer she suggested was one of learning by contrast. The well-trained mind must be exposed to a spectrum of concepts, each explored both by example and by abstract reduction to archetypes. Without understanding the unadulterated destructive impulse, the acolyte of creativity cannot hope to harness it to better uses — and indeed, is endangered to its eventual seduction. Evading the very consideration of possibilities and impulses is a formula for disaster; for no matter how rigorous the censor’s crusade of omission, threads of evil will always wend their way into consciousness.
Let me ask you, dear reader: Did the story’s murderous ending thrill you or horrify you — or both? Any which way, it must be faced. Therein lies a demon that may whisper to you at any time; and only by knowing his name may you command him, rather than becoming his slave.
Plus, the story is really, really hot — and it clears the way for some juxtaposed contrasts in the future.