![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ever_neutral
When someone asks, "how are you?", they really don't want an answer.
My womannnnn. Speak to my soul. I think this is one of those gems I missed the first time around because the pilot repulsed me so thoroughly (OH SHOW, I REALLY DO LOVE YOU NOW, I PROMISE), but--this whole scene is a great ~encapsulation of Elena's character. She's the girl who feels at home in graveyards! She'd rather talk to inanimate objects (and… crows) than real people in her life. WHO CAN BLAME HER? I don't. And that particular quote up there, reveals rather. a. lot. Elena is angry. We don't see that anger too often, but let's not take it for granted that it's not there! She's angry that she has to pretend to be okay for people; she's angry that nobody sees through her; she's glad--and proud, despite herself--that nobody does. Gurl, come to my bosom.
People die around you. How could it not matter?
Haha, remember that anger I was talking about? This whole scene is one of my favourite Elena moments, honestly, because: DAMN girl, you bitch-slap that psychotic jackass. (Things I get off on, whatever.) And good gawd, THE RESONANCE OF THIS QUOTE A SEASON AND A HALF LATER. Of course, Elena is talking about herself, deep down, truly, and that's why she allows herself to be really fucking angry, the way she is, right here, in this moment. It's human life; it's an awful waste. How could it not matter? The reality of Elena Gilbert is that she identifies with monsters more than the living, breathing people she has to look after. MY HEART, IT BEATS.
STEFAN: I should have died that night, just like I had chosen. I should have let Damon die, too.
ELENA: But you didn't. And if you die now, it's not gonna change what happened.
STEFAN: Every single person that's been hurt...Every single life that's been lost, it's because of me.
ELENA: The night that my parents died...I blew off family night so that I could go off to some party. I ended up getting stranded, and they had to come pick me up. That's why we ended up in the car at Wickery bridge. And that's why they died. Our actions are what set things in motion. But we have to live with that.
Yessss, all of that dialogue is necessary. But it's really the bolded parts that stay with you, because: wise woman is wise. I'm not so sure that this is a triumphant power-of-love moment so much as it is a stunning ELENA moment. She's able to talk sense into her foolish man, because like I said… she identifies with monsters. And it's sad and terrible, that this seventeen-year-old girl believes herself--emotionally--to be no better than mass-murderers! It's one of my favourite things about her, though, so whatever. She is smart enough to know that nothing will change what's already happened. Nothing she does will bring her dead family back; she will never be granted absolution or forgiveness, as much as she longs for it. But goddamn it, she can give that forgiveness to others who are (objectively) even less worthy of it.
But he did this to me, Stefan. Which means he doesn’t really know what love is and to be honest I don’t know if I do. I’m seventeen years old. How do I know any of this yet? I know that I love you, Stefan, I know that, but my future, our lives together, those were things I was supposed to do as they came along, I was supposed to grow up, decide if I wanna have kids and start a family, grow old, and I was supposed to have a lifetime of it. Now, that’s all gone… I don’t want to be a vampire, Stefan. I never wanted to be one.
You get three caps because: her faaaace. Nina Dobrev is my wife. Also, I really dig that middle shot of Elena touching Stefan--absolute certainty in the midst of absolute uncertainty. Great body language work, guyz. Anyway, what do I even say about this quote that dozens of others have not? The vulnerability offset with total self-awareness. It's just a stunningly written scene. Elena's been struggling with the point of living for a long time, you know, and the truth finally comes out--she's been stumbling through this whole ordeal, really, because she doesn't truly know anything. (She's only seventeen.) She doesn't know what love is! And I'm glad, because yanno, I'm no longer seventeen and I have no idea what the hell it is either. We're all blind fools stumbling through the dark, yo.
We need to do this, ok? Breathe, eat, sleep, wake up, and do it all over again until one day, it's just not as hard anymore.
WAHHHHH. Yep… She pretty much said it! Life: how does it work. I think Elena would like to believe that one day it won't be as hard anymore, but I don't know that she really believes that and, well, there is your depressed heroine in a nutshell. How does she even have it in herself to be around other people at a fucking Gone With The Wind moving screening? Mind boggling. Boggles the mind. I believe Elena's thinking the same.
~
That's all for today, folks. What will tomorrow bring? idk idk. I'm makin' it up as I go along. ~Talk to me in comments.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 05:09 am (UTC)Can you just write about Elena forever? That would be lovely.
Also: I'm not so sure that this is a triumphant power-of-love moment so much as it is a stunning ELENA moment. She's able to talk sense into her foolish man, because like I said… she identifies with monsters.
Yes, so much. Elena can talk Stefan down (and he can talk her down) because they speak the same language. It's not really her love saving him, but her ability to understand and relate to him.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 05:33 am (UTC)*follows Ruth's hearts with a garland of posies*
Everything she just said. I am sleepy and inarticulate.
Nina Dobrev is my wife. . Mazel Tov. You + Nina Forever.
Also you choose the best caps.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 07:22 am (UTC)Nina/me OTP.
What is an Ian?no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 07:10 am (UTC)Yes to Elena *relating* with Stefan. Things we have discussed.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 01:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 05:43 am (UTC)But now I have to be serious.
When someone asks, "how are you?", they really don't want an answer.
OMG, I totally forgot she said this and...GAH. I've said the exact same thing before, at least in my head. People ask me how I am and I've learned that a lot of the time, I can't really tell the truth because no one wants to hear it. They ask to show they care when, in a certain way, they don't. They don't want share in my life, or share theirs with me, because when I ask, I want to know. They tell me they're fine and expect me to do the same. It makes me want to scream and cry because I want that so much, but have lived a little bit longer than Elena and know it doesn't get easier. What I'm looking for is a lot more rare than it should be.
SOB and I have filled your post with my own personal ramblings instead of love for Elena. The quote just really struck me. Elena, why are you me? ♥
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 07:35 am (UTC)omg, do not apologise for your overidentification-y ramblings. THIS IS THE BLOG FOR THAT, lol. Pretty much word to everything. I relate with Elena far more than I imagined possible.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 08:30 am (UTC)PS I am mentioning you in my Lana post whenever I finish it.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 09:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 09:35 am (UTC)I can't help loving her!
Seriously, check my Lana tag. I would say there are too many things on it, but there can NEVER be too many things.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 07:31 am (UTC)& How FUNDAMENTAL your understandig of her is, you GET her--really, really GET her *__*
I underestimated almost all of these quotes the first time around tbh, particularly this one:
We need to do this, ok? Breathe, eat, sleep, wake up, and do it all over again until one day, it's just not as hard anymore.
which, basically has me so psyched for season 3 Elena because you can only play pretend for so long *-)
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 07:46 am (UTC)Dude, if we don't get Elena just... going off the rails, in S3, I will be extremely put out.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 08:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 09:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 12:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 01:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 01:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 02:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 11:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 02:56 pm (UTC)And also, WORD on just about everything else.
lol @ your icon
Date: 2011-09-11 11:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 03:39 pm (UTC)The fact that you stan Elena so hard and so WELL makes me insanely happy because everything you write/do is FANTASTIC. And I can just sit back and absorb. :D
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 11:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 11:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 06:12 pm (UTC)AND TO MINE. I love your quote post and agree with basically everything you said. Plus, you know how I hope for a proper deconstruction/breakdown for Elena in S3. 4 MORE DAYS. xD
no subject
Date: 2011-09-11 11:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-12 08:36 pm (UTC)Also:
The reality of Elena Gilbert is that she identifies with monsters more than the living, breathing people she has to look after.
YESSSSSSSS. WORD. Empathy Elena shows towards everyone is one of the most amazing thing I saw in any character ever. That girl is just so full of love and forgiveness. Just not towards herself.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-13 01:37 am (UTC)Ughhhh yes, what you said. ::huggles Elena::
no subject
Date: 2011-09-14 03:21 pm (UTC)THIS SO MUCH. Elenaaaaaa. My first time whipping through s1 of VD in like 2 days, this scene was the one where I realized that I really fucking loved her. It snuck up on me and slapped me in the face here.
Fucking great post, as usual.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 01:26 am (UTC)And thank you! You flatter me way much, lol.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-17 05:28 am (UTC)Because I only watched the pilot once, and it was during my marathon through the first season... she talked to the crow? I remember the strange crow, but only that Elena thought it was super-weird before being distracted by ~mysterious mist~
People die around you. How could it not matter?
I refuse to believe that it wasn't symbolic she was so covered in blood in this scene too. I just love that quote. Elena is faced with someone else who has caused death, and it's worse because Damon doesn't seem to care. I also link it somewhat to The Crying Wolf, when Stefan rips the werewolf's (Brad or something?) heart out, and she's... relieved. She doesn't even give the corpse much of a second glance. Admittedly, the wolf was trying to kill her, but he got his heart ripped out after she stabbed him multiple times, and it didn't give her pause. It's so jarring to see how deeply she's fallen into the supernatural world, when you refer back to this moment. Like Damon's presence was FORESHADOWING what could come.
Our actions are what set things in motion. But we have to live with that.
Oh god did this quote stay with me. It just breaks my heart that Elena knows all this so strongly, from first-hand experience. It's also such a demonstration of her strength too to be able to come to terms (though not forgive herself) enough with that thought to express it.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-18 12:56 am (UTC)LOL, yes, the crow ~arrived~ and Elena greeted it hello. It was cute.
I refuse to believe that it wasn't symbolic she was so covered in blood in this scene too.
oh my GOD, yes. The decline of Elena's morality over the seasons has been an amazing, subtly developed thing - she's learning that you do what you have to do to SURVIVE. It is legit profound. Good point about the Damon scene being fabulous foreshadowing too.
Btw I feel like since we've been talking so much (and you've been making such an effort to comment!) it'd be a good idea for me to add you. So... I'm just gonna do that.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-18 03:47 am (UTC)AKA Katherine's motto.
If this means I get access to that mind of yours that brings up meta/fic like this, then I'm all for it. Adding you now.