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My link about the question of Susan came up in the pub last night. Some thoughts hopefully of interest are percolating and may surface at some point. (Also see livredor here.)

However, one I am (apparently) contractually obliged to relate. Health warning: do not attempt to describe refinements to this point of view to sonicdrift when she is carrying hot and/or staining liquids because it breaks her.

"It's a shame they didn't go back to England, grow up, set up Stargate Command, and return after a few hours of Narnia time with modern weaponry. Or return just long enough to swipe some submachine guns from a bunker[1]."

(Of course, in the books, the idea of returning at least long enough to plan is raised, but correctly in my opinion, discarded because they realise the wardrobe won't let them play those sorts of games[2])

But just imagine it! The Pevensie commando team, fading camouflaged across the landscape, and ambushing the witch at the height of her power, Peter leaping from the trees with a Sten gun in each hand.

"Go ahead, Tilda Swinton! Make my day."

Of course, there's still the necessity to match the characters up. My first instinct was:

Peter Pevensie <-> Jack O'Neill.
Edmund Pevensie <-> Teal'c.
Susan Pevensie <-> Samantha Carter.
Lucy Pevensie <-> Daniel Jackson.

Peter and Edmund and Jack and Teal'c are the warriors. Peter and Jack are the leaders, the boldest, the battle hardened. Teal'c and Edmund have been through the most, which gives them a sort of gnomic certainty.

Susan and Sam are the most rational, sensible ones, sometimes forced to be too serious. And let their hair down with the youngest member of the team, despite being friends with the oldest.

Lucy and Daniel are the youngest, most inexperienced, most impulsive, curious and intelligent members of the team, and somehow the heart, the ones the story has been about from beginning to end.

However, I can see other mappings too.

[1] Not sure what was standard WWII infantry weapons, despite a brief check on wikipedia.
[2] My reading a book about a magical world and *not* immediately wanting to set up a series of experiments to study it is a major event, I think I need to consider that later.

Date: 2008-01-18 02:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] robhu.livejournal.com
You are awesome.

I want to see this written up as a short story :P

Date: 2008-01-18 02:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com
Thank you! I thought a story was the obvious idea, but I don't think it would actually work. I think the strength is all in the idea and the imagery "Tilda, Swinton...", and actually writing require (a) a plot and (b) actually merging the characters somehow (even if you ignore a rationalisation) and I think it would just fall flat. Or perhaps that I couldn't do it justice, anyone else would be free to try (I'd love to see).

In fact, though, just saying it gives me more ideas for wonderful moments:

* Lucy meeting Tumnus and being adult, obviously having them kissing rather than just being friends. Maybe Lucy better be Amanda Tapping for that, though.
* Peter/Jack meeting Aslan WIN WIN WIN. The sarcasm! The furry mane cuddling!
* A pitched battle with Nazi minotaurs!