“The beast emerged slowly, reaching out to grip the edge of the box with tiny four-fingered hands. Its fur was damp, and its huge eyes blinked in the glow of the heaters. It looked about attentively, twitching as it pulled itself farther from the broken egg… At least it was clear enough that the creature didn’t eat humans. It was far too small for that, and too… appealing, even with its strange excess of skin. Somehow the large eyes seemed wise and sad. Alek found himself wanting to pick the animal up and comfort it… It was strange, how the creature didn’t give him the same uneasy feeling as other Darwinist creations. It was too small and sleepy-looking, and gave off an air of preternatural calm” (129-131).
As Alek is about to escape from the Leviathan, he notices that one of the eggs of Dr. Barlow is about to hatch. To Alek, the beast seems to captivate him; unlike the other Darwinist beasts, this one seemed to give off emotions like sadness from its countenance. He could tell it was harmless, and it was a creature that made him feel calm, despite his situation and him being a Clanker and therefore being in direct opposition to manmade creations such as this creature.
Based on the author’s illustration of the creature, it reminds me of a monkey and lemur hybrid; it doesn’t striking look to be a creature that would provide Alek with a sense of calm and tranquility, but maybe that’s just me. Yet, this creature is supposed to have the power to accomplish Dr. Barlow’s mission of making the Ottomans allies to the Darwinist nations. So, it’s a cute and adorable creature by the book’s standard, and it possesses a great amount of power to change the tides of the war. It’s definitely ironic and somewhat of a cliché, but it’ll be interesting to see Westerfield flesh this out.
The way that Westerfield describes the beast as “appealing” and the way that it gives off a tranquil aura once again support the idea that not all Darwinist creations are meant for warfare. Well, actually, that’s not completely true; this creature supposedly has the power to change the tides of war, but besides that, its abilities and appearance do not denote anything dangerous about it. Being a newborn baby, or having its image being described as being similar to that of a newborn baby, helps to create this innocence image of the beast and therefore support the idea that Darwinist creations can be majestic in their own right.
As a reference to one of my earlier posts, this cute little creature who can’t hurt a fly supports the idea that our current society is falling victim to “cute, little, fluffy” objects and animals and are buying into this image and appearance. Animal breeders are looking to create animals that will look appealing; toy makers are pushing out products that have this “cute” image, like Hello Kitty or Barbie dolls.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Behemoth - The "Behemoth"
“Deryn saw now what the walker’s trunk was for. As the machine lumbered through the crowd, its trunk swept gracefully from side to side, nudging pedestrians out of the way. The howdah pilot’s fingers moved nimbly on the controls; he pushed carts aside, and even rescued a child’s fallen toy from being crushed by the walker’s giant feet” (109).
In this scene, onboard the “Behemoth”, or otherwise known as the elephantine walker viewed earlier in the novel, Deryn witnesses the walker in action and how it functions using its different body parts. The Behemoth uses its trunk primarily to sweep people away lightly and to avoid crushing people and objects with its giant feet.
Once again, having a “Behemoth” in real life would be pretty amazing; I wouldn’t mind taking a “Behemoth” to school for a ride. Granted, the traffic may be horrible if everyone decides to take a Behemoth, but regardless, who wouldn’t want a giant mechanical elephant that you can control and move about? Walking and driving would become a thing of the past with Behemoths, and unlike in video games, these Behemoths aren’t vicious creatures with sharp claws, but rather elephants that people can ride on.
All joking aside, once again, Westerfield is building up the idea that Darwinist creations are majestic in nature with this passage. The Behemoth, despite its name and negative connotation of it being a mindless beast and creature, is actually an elephant whose trunk is described as a way to gently brush people and objects aside to keep them from being crushed. It’s definitely powerful, that’s no doubt, but the way Westerfield describes the motion of the trunk pushing people aside gives it the impression that it is a gentle giant. It’s powerful, but it has a sense of delicacy unseen in savage beasts and creatures, or even the Behemoth by its normal definitions in today’s society. Rescuing a child’s toy also tugs at the heartstrings as well; it’s an appeal to the emotional side of the readers to get them to support the Behemoth and feel at ease with its majestic presence and the idea that both Darwinist and Clanker ideas can come together and that each creation doesn’t have to be about war but rather be about efficiency.
The Behemoth and the functions of its trunk to sweep people away definitely shows that today’s society has an emphasis on convenience like in the last post, but rather than using animals, society is just making pleasing to the eye creations that are convenient to us, like the iPhone. With society focusing so much on convenience and energy conservation, the creation of the Behemoth in reality could very well happen with potential hydraulic power and of course, time.
In this scene, onboard the “Behemoth”, or otherwise known as the elephantine walker viewed earlier in the novel, Deryn witnesses the walker in action and how it functions using its different body parts. The Behemoth uses its trunk primarily to sweep people away lightly and to avoid crushing people and objects with its giant feet.
Once again, having a “Behemoth” in real life would be pretty amazing; I wouldn’t mind taking a “Behemoth” to school for a ride. Granted, the traffic may be horrible if everyone decides to take a Behemoth, but regardless, who wouldn’t want a giant mechanical elephant that you can control and move about? Walking and driving would become a thing of the past with Behemoths, and unlike in video games, these Behemoths aren’t vicious creatures with sharp claws, but rather elephants that people can ride on.
All joking aside, once again, Westerfield is building up the idea that Darwinist creations are majestic in nature with this passage. The Behemoth, despite its name and negative connotation of it being a mindless beast and creature, is actually an elephant whose trunk is described as a way to gently brush people and objects aside to keep them from being crushed. It’s definitely powerful, that’s no doubt, but the way Westerfield describes the motion of the trunk pushing people aside gives it the impression that it is a gentle giant. It’s powerful, but it has a sense of delicacy unseen in savage beasts and creatures, or even the Behemoth by its normal definitions in today’s society. Rescuing a child’s toy also tugs at the heartstrings as well; it’s an appeal to the emotional side of the readers to get them to support the Behemoth and feel at ease with its majestic presence and the idea that both Darwinist and Clanker ideas can come together and that each creation doesn’t have to be about war but rather be about efficiency.
The Behemoth and the functions of its trunk to sweep people away definitely shows that today’s society has an emphasis on convenience like in the last post, but rather than using animals, society is just making pleasing to the eye creations that are convenient to us, like the iPhone. With society focusing so much on convenience and energy conservation, the creation of the Behemoth in reality could very well happen with potential hydraulic power and of course, time.
Behemoth - Elephantines
“I didn’t know Clanker countries had elephantines!” Newkirk cried.
“That’s no beastie,” Deryn said. “It’s a barking walker.”
The machine lumbered forward on huge legs, its tusks swaying back and forth as it moved. Four pilots in blue uniforms sat on saddles that stuck out from its haunches, one pilot working the controls for each leg. A mechanical trunk, divided into a dozen metal segments, swept slowly back and forth, like a sleeping cat’s tail…
“Diplomacy is all about symbols,” Dr. Barlow said. “Elephants signify royalty and power; according to legend an elephant divined the prophet Mohammed’s birth. The sultan’s own war machines are made in this same shape” (101-102).
In this scene, the crew aboard the Leviathan witnesses an elephantine that has come to pick them up and escort them in Istanbul or Constantinople. However, upon closer inspection, it was not a Darwinist creation, but a Clanker creation modeled in the same fashion as an elephant with the same body parts with a pilot controlling each body part. Dr. Barlow explains to the crew that this walker was modeled after an elephant for it symbolically represented.
I think it’s neat that the Clankers have developed their machinery after Darwinist creations; there’s definitely a sense of synergy between the two different types of technology used within the novel and it does give the impression that the two can coexist with each other rather than pit each other’s technology against one another. Modeling animals with technology has already been done in real life too; we have cat-shaped alarm clocks, and teddy bear cameras, so having this kind of cooperation in the novel seems reasonable.
In a more serious sense, modeling Darwinist creatures with Clanker technology is a way of paying tribute to the power and beauty of such animals like the elephant; it’s nothing like in reality where this is really just used for the “cuteness” appeal to children who don’t know any better. This passage reveals how such modeling is a way of symbolism and diplomacy and shows the readers how much animals are revered in this world, even by the opposition, who goes so far as to even model their machinery and creations after the Darwinist creations. Vivid description from the author of the elephantine walker, as well as Dr. Barlow’s description, helps establish this idea to the readers that animals are revered as symbols of the world. This sort of idea does counteract the idea established in previous posts that the Darwinists have the potential to create dangerous creatures; they also have the potential to create majestic creatures of symbolic importance as well to the world.
While advertisers and marketers in the present day continue to push out toys and products modeled after animals to target the younger audience, this book seems to indicate that we should be taking a different approach. Instead of using these models for entertainment purposes for younger audiences, there lies the possibility of using animal-modeled technology for convenience purposes or travel purposes; imagine being able to travel on an elephant across a river…
“That’s no beastie,” Deryn said. “It’s a barking walker.”
The machine lumbered forward on huge legs, its tusks swaying back and forth as it moved. Four pilots in blue uniforms sat on saddles that stuck out from its haunches, one pilot working the controls for each leg. A mechanical trunk, divided into a dozen metal segments, swept slowly back and forth, like a sleeping cat’s tail…
“Diplomacy is all about symbols,” Dr. Barlow said. “Elephants signify royalty and power; according to legend an elephant divined the prophet Mohammed’s birth. The sultan’s own war machines are made in this same shape” (101-102).
In this scene, the crew aboard the Leviathan witnesses an elephantine that has come to pick them up and escort them in Istanbul or Constantinople. However, upon closer inspection, it was not a Darwinist creation, but a Clanker creation modeled in the same fashion as an elephant with the same body parts with a pilot controlling each body part. Dr. Barlow explains to the crew that this walker was modeled after an elephant for it symbolically represented.
I think it’s neat that the Clankers have developed their machinery after Darwinist creations; there’s definitely a sense of synergy between the two different types of technology used within the novel and it does give the impression that the two can coexist with each other rather than pit each other’s technology against one another. Modeling animals with technology has already been done in real life too; we have cat-shaped alarm clocks, and teddy bear cameras, so having this kind of cooperation in the novel seems reasonable.
In a more serious sense, modeling Darwinist creatures with Clanker technology is a way of paying tribute to the power and beauty of such animals like the elephant; it’s nothing like in reality where this is really just used for the “cuteness” appeal to children who don’t know any better. This passage reveals how such modeling is a way of symbolism and diplomacy and shows the readers how much animals are revered in this world, even by the opposition, who goes so far as to even model their machinery and creations after the Darwinist creations. Vivid description from the author of the elephantine walker, as well as Dr. Barlow’s description, helps establish this idea to the readers that animals are revered as symbols of the world. This sort of idea does counteract the idea established in previous posts that the Darwinists have the potential to create dangerous creatures; they also have the potential to create majestic creatures of symbolic importance as well to the world.
While advertisers and marketers in the present day continue to push out toys and products modeled after animals to target the younger audience, this book seems to indicate that we should be taking a different approach. Instead of using these models for entertainment purposes for younger audiences, there lies the possibility of using animal-modeled technology for convenience purposes or travel purposes; imagine being able to travel on an elephant across a river…
Behemoth - "Telescopes"
The space was crowded by what looked like a mismatched pair of telescopes pointed down at the sea.
“Is that a weapon?” he asked.
“No. The fat one is a reconnaissance camera,” Dylan said. “And the wee one’s a sight for aerial bombs and navigation. But they’re useless at night, so it’ll be private enough” (89).
Deryn is escorting Alek to a place where he won’t be caught. Along the way, Alek notices Darwinist creatures that looked like a mismatched pair of telescopes, one of them being large, while the other one is small by comparison. Deryn explains to him their functions as a camera and a detector for aerial attacks and navigator, respectively. However, despite their functions, she eases his worries by telling him that they’re useless at night so they can sneak past their watchful eyes.
I’m not too sure on why exactly the Darwinists would choose the “fat one” to be the reconnaissance camera for the Leviathan while the “wee one” becomes the detector for navigation and aerial bombs. It feels as if the two roles should be reversed; the bulky one should be the detector for the navigation and for the aerial attacks due to its size and stature, possibly allowing it to detect enemy attacks over height obstacles. Likewise, the small creature should be the camera; its small stature allows it to remain undetected and it doesn’t need to peer over great distances to detect any suspicious behaviors or enemies onboard the Leviathan. Regardless, both seem to perform useful functions, barring the fact that they don’t have night vision, and can be applied to reality as well.
While this passage does seem to offer more of an insight into the creatures that the Darwinists created, it also begs the question of exactly what kind of creatures they are capable of creating with their technology. Throughout the books, the readers have seen flechette bats, message lizards, the Leviathan itself, and now these animals that operate as surveillance creatures. While not completely threatening, the passage seems to raise the question to the readers about potential creatures that they could see in the future from these Darwinists, maybe a creature somewhere along the lines of Godzilla or even a virus that’s tangible and has a physical presence. Looking back on the previous posts and pages, Westerfield builds up this suspicion throughout the chapters and pages by constantly referring back to these creatures and their capabilities and functions; it wouldn’t be surprising to see something threatening in the future from this group of people.
All of these creatures that are suddenly being discussed about and being worried about does bring up a moral and ethical point if these creatures are really meant to be created. In reality, we have PETA who, although doesn’t exactly make the smartest decisions when it comes to animal safety and protection, advocates for the safety of animals against immoral treatments. It brings up a good question in today’s society: is experimenting with animals to develop them truly immoral?
“Is that a weapon?” he asked.
“No. The fat one is a reconnaissance camera,” Dylan said. “And the wee one’s a sight for aerial bombs and navigation. But they’re useless at night, so it’ll be private enough” (89).
Deryn is escorting Alek to a place where he won’t be caught. Along the way, Alek notices Darwinist creatures that looked like a mismatched pair of telescopes, one of them being large, while the other one is small by comparison. Deryn explains to him their functions as a camera and a detector for aerial attacks and navigator, respectively. However, despite their functions, she eases his worries by telling him that they’re useless at night so they can sneak past their watchful eyes.
I’m not too sure on why exactly the Darwinists would choose the “fat one” to be the reconnaissance camera for the Leviathan while the “wee one” becomes the detector for navigation and aerial bombs. It feels as if the two roles should be reversed; the bulky one should be the detector for the navigation and for the aerial attacks due to its size and stature, possibly allowing it to detect enemy attacks over height obstacles. Likewise, the small creature should be the camera; its small stature allows it to remain undetected and it doesn’t need to peer over great distances to detect any suspicious behaviors or enemies onboard the Leviathan. Regardless, both seem to perform useful functions, barring the fact that they don’t have night vision, and can be applied to reality as well.
While this passage does seem to offer more of an insight into the creatures that the Darwinists created, it also begs the question of exactly what kind of creatures they are capable of creating with their technology. Throughout the books, the readers have seen flechette bats, message lizards, the Leviathan itself, and now these animals that operate as surveillance creatures. While not completely threatening, the passage seems to raise the question to the readers about potential creatures that they could see in the future from these Darwinists, maybe a creature somewhere along the lines of Godzilla or even a virus that’s tangible and has a physical presence. Looking back on the previous posts and pages, Westerfield builds up this suspicion throughout the chapters and pages by constantly referring back to these creatures and their capabilities and functions; it wouldn’t be surprising to see something threatening in the future from this group of people.
All of these creatures that are suddenly being discussed about and being worried about does bring up a moral and ethical point if these creatures are really meant to be created. In reality, we have PETA who, although doesn’t exactly make the smartest decisions when it comes to animal safety and protection, advocates for the safety of animals against immoral treatments. It brings up a good question in today’s society: is experimenting with animals to develop them truly immoral?
Behemoth - Message Lizard Room
“What is this place?” he breathed.
“It’s the barking lizard room, isn’t it?” Dylan whispered. “It’s where Dr. Erasmus takes care of the beasties.”
Alek swallowed, his eyes falling on a table where a dissected lizard lay pinned. Then he saw that the ceiling was covered with the gaping mouths of message tubes, tangled like railroad tracks at a station, “And it’s a sort of junction too, isn’t it?”
“Aye. Dr. Erasmus is in charge of all that palaver – origin and destination tags, emergency alerts, clearing up traffic jams” (83).
In this scene, Alek is trying to find an escape route due to the realization that the Clankers will be thrown in prison once their usefulness has been outlived. However, Alek gets lost and stumbles into the message lizard room where he meets up with Dylan accidently. Dylan, or Deryn, explains to him that the room that they are in is the lizard room where Dr. Erasmus operates and dissects the lizards for research purposes. In addition to that, it is also a room meant for relaying and delivering messages carried out by these lizards.
The lizard room that they’re in is similar to that of an intercom room, only the lizards operate more stealthily, while the intercom is just a large booming noise over the entire premise. I would actually prefer to have a lizard room in the context of school scenarios. The lizards can deliver specific messages to every homeroom rather than have every single message be read out to the entire school. Topics like Junior Variety practices could be delivered to junior homerooms only, while topics like senior fundraisers could be delivered to senior homerooms likewise. Of course, the dissecting part would have to be left out of the room, but other than that, it seems like a solid idea, barring fears of lizard creatures.
Going back to the previous post, this definitely seems to support Count Volger’s suspicion that the message lizards can be used as spies all around the Leviathan. In the context of the story, this passage seems to be meant for raising the question of the overall credibility of the Darwinists aboard the Leviathan, except for Deryn, who seems to be the only one who truly supports Alek, and it goes back once again to the whole saying of never judging a book by its cover. The passage makes the audience doubt even more the plans of the Darwinists for the Clankers and question what fate they have in mind for the Clankers once they have outlived their usefulness.
In a sense, this passage seems to be an indicator of how paranoid we’ve become as a society of other people. We feel we need to interfere and know about people’s lives, and thus the invention of Twitter and reality TV shows. Yet, at the same time, it can also be advocating the idea that instead of developing our machinery and consuming valuable energy resources here in the present day, we can devote our research time to evolving other species so that they can be used to benefit society and fulfill new purposes otherwise done by machinery.
“It’s the barking lizard room, isn’t it?” Dylan whispered. “It’s where Dr. Erasmus takes care of the beasties.”
Alek swallowed, his eyes falling on a table where a dissected lizard lay pinned. Then he saw that the ceiling was covered with the gaping mouths of message tubes, tangled like railroad tracks at a station, “And it’s a sort of junction too, isn’t it?”
“Aye. Dr. Erasmus is in charge of all that palaver – origin and destination tags, emergency alerts, clearing up traffic jams” (83).
In this scene, Alek is trying to find an escape route due to the realization that the Clankers will be thrown in prison once their usefulness has been outlived. However, Alek gets lost and stumbles into the message lizard room where he meets up with Dylan accidently. Dylan, or Deryn, explains to him that the room that they are in is the lizard room where Dr. Erasmus operates and dissects the lizards for research purposes. In addition to that, it is also a room meant for relaying and delivering messages carried out by these lizards.
The lizard room that they’re in is similar to that of an intercom room, only the lizards operate more stealthily, while the intercom is just a large booming noise over the entire premise. I would actually prefer to have a lizard room in the context of school scenarios. The lizards can deliver specific messages to every homeroom rather than have every single message be read out to the entire school. Topics like Junior Variety practices could be delivered to junior homerooms only, while topics like senior fundraisers could be delivered to senior homerooms likewise. Of course, the dissecting part would have to be left out of the room, but other than that, it seems like a solid idea, barring fears of lizard creatures.
Going back to the previous post, this definitely seems to support Count Volger’s suspicion that the message lizards can be used as spies all around the Leviathan. In the context of the story, this passage seems to be meant for raising the question of the overall credibility of the Darwinists aboard the Leviathan, except for Deryn, who seems to be the only one who truly supports Alek, and it goes back once again to the whole saying of never judging a book by its cover. The passage makes the audience doubt even more the plans of the Darwinists for the Clankers and question what fate they have in mind for the Clankers once they have outlived their usefulness.
In a sense, this passage seems to be an indicator of how paranoid we’ve become as a society of other people. We feel we need to interfere and know about people’s lives, and thus the invention of Twitter and reality TV shows. Yet, at the same time, it can also be advocating the idea that instead of developing our machinery and consuming valuable energy resources here in the present day, we can devote our research time to evolving other species so that they can be used to benefit society and fulfill new purposes otherwise done by machinery.
Behemoth - Tazza
“What Tazza, talk?” Deryn stifled a laugh. “He’s no message lizard. He’s a natural beastie, a thylacine from Tasmania. Dr. Barlow has him as a traveling companion though, as you can see, he’s mostly my responsibility. Anyway, I’ve got a message from…” (57).
In this passage, Deryn goes to Count Volger to discuss with him about Alec’s secret information. Initially, Volger doubts Deryn’s credibility, believing in the possibility that she could be a spy, since the message lizards themselves could pick up messages and eavesdrop on their conversations. He then begins to believe that Tazza, the pet thylacine that Dr. Barlow has, can also be an eavesdropper, having the ability to pick up what their conversation is about.
I find it a bit weird that the Darwinists would even refer to their natural creatures as “beasties”; the word “beastie” doesn’t have a very good connotation to it. It makes me think of a vicious animal waiting for the right moment to tear someone apart. That aside, the thylacine reminds me of something like a pet dog, in terms of modern parallels. It keeps people company, and it seems to be Dr. Barlow’s most trusted friend, similar to the saying that says that dogs are man’s best friends.
Westerfield seems to be making a point in this passage about the cliché saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Count Volger suspects that even a natural creature such as Tazza could have abilities like that of the other Darwinist creations, despite its friendly appearance. Of course, Deryn denies Tazza’s speculated capabilities, but Westerfield draws upon the credibility of Volger to make the audience believe and wonder what exactly Tazza is besides being told that he is a “thylacine from Tasmania”. Even though he has went behind the Alek’s back in the past, his readers can’t deny the fact that he does possess a great amount of knowledge on par with Dr. Barlow, and maybe he could be onto something with Tazza being potentially a stealthy creature or a creature with an unknown purpose, like the eggs that Dr. Barlow is hatching.
The scenario presented in this passage does make us reflect on how in the present-day, animals can be trained to literally do almost everything. We have cats being able to play the piano, dogs that can sniff out drugs or become rescuers, and so on. Soon, maybe we can develop our own Darwinist creations, albeit, not on the scale of those in the book, but still, breeding our animals and training them to do human activities are just steps to making our own creations.
In this passage, Deryn goes to Count Volger to discuss with him about Alec’s secret information. Initially, Volger doubts Deryn’s credibility, believing in the possibility that she could be a spy, since the message lizards themselves could pick up messages and eavesdrop on their conversations. He then begins to believe that Tazza, the pet thylacine that Dr. Barlow has, can also be an eavesdropper, having the ability to pick up what their conversation is about.
I find it a bit weird that the Darwinists would even refer to their natural creatures as “beasties”; the word “beastie” doesn’t have a very good connotation to it. It makes me think of a vicious animal waiting for the right moment to tear someone apart. That aside, the thylacine reminds me of something like a pet dog, in terms of modern parallels. It keeps people company, and it seems to be Dr. Barlow’s most trusted friend, similar to the saying that says that dogs are man’s best friends.
Westerfield seems to be making a point in this passage about the cliché saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Count Volger suspects that even a natural creature such as Tazza could have abilities like that of the other Darwinist creations, despite its friendly appearance. Of course, Deryn denies Tazza’s speculated capabilities, but Westerfield draws upon the credibility of Volger to make the audience believe and wonder what exactly Tazza is besides being told that he is a “thylacine from Tasmania”. Even though he has went behind the Alek’s back in the past, his readers can’t deny the fact that he does possess a great amount of knowledge on par with Dr. Barlow, and maybe he could be onto something with Tazza being potentially a stealthy creature or a creature with an unknown purpose, like the eggs that Dr. Barlow is hatching.
The scenario presented in this passage does make us reflect on how in the present-day, animals can be trained to literally do almost everything. We have cats being able to play the piano, dogs that can sniff out drugs or become rescuers, and so on. Soon, maybe we can develop our own Darwinist creations, albeit, not on the scale of those in the book, but still, breeding our animals and training them to do human activities are just steps to making our own creations.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Leviathan - The Huxley
An airbeast was inside: a Huxley ascender, its tentacles in the grips of a dozen ground men. The beast pulsed and trembled as they drew it gently out, setting its translucent gasbag shimmering with the red light of the rising sun.
"A medusa," gasped the boy next to her.
Deryn nodded. This was the first hydrogen breather ever fabricated, nothing like the giant living airships of today, with their gondolas, engines, and observation decks.
The Huxley was made from the life chains of medusae - jellyfish and other venomous sea creatures - and was practically as dangerous. One wrong puff of wind could spook a Huxley, sending it diving for the ground like a bird headed for worms. The creatures' fishy guts could survive almost any fall, but their human passengers were rarely so lucky (Westerfield, 30-31).
Deryn is applying as a soldier for the army. Part of the prerequisites was “air sense”, the ability to travel in flight and know what to do if dire situations arise all the while keeping a cool and level head. For this test, candidates must fly using a Huxley, an airbeast that looks like a medusa with its tentacles.
I think personally having a Huxley as a pet would actually be enjoyable; I could use it to relieve my stress after a long day of work. That is of course barring the danger involved with flying a Huxley. Though a Huxley, design-wise, would not be very popular with the public. Like I mentioned before, we as a society unfortunately like cute and fluffy objects and animals. That’s why brands like Hello Kitty are so popular. A Huxley on the other hand has tentacles, is slimy, and is overall displeasing to the eye. Not to mention the fact that the Huxley has to put tentacles over the person in order to fly, which may also put some people off.
The passage about the Huxley seems to inspire both awe and fear into the audience. This is the first instance in the novel about a Darwinist creature; it’s interesting in that it’s a combination of jellyfish species and can fly, yet, it is also sort of frightening that it’s essentially a tentacle monster that can fly someone. The imagery, as well as the description of the Huxley work together to provide a sense of awe about this unique creature but also a sense of fear from the dangers of falling and the idea of being surrounded by slimy tentacles. The audience does get this sense of foreboding from the monster itself, but the uniqueness of the creature serves to instill more interest and awe than it is fear.
The idea of the fabrication of a Huxley seems to suggest that society today isn’t afraid to venture into new unknowns, even if that unknown is a tentacle monster. Even the Leviathan is proof of bold, large, and new innovations of today.
"A medusa," gasped the boy next to her.
Deryn nodded. This was the first hydrogen breather ever fabricated, nothing like the giant living airships of today, with their gondolas, engines, and observation decks.
The Huxley was made from the life chains of medusae - jellyfish and other venomous sea creatures - and was practically as dangerous. One wrong puff of wind could spook a Huxley, sending it diving for the ground like a bird headed for worms. The creatures' fishy guts could survive almost any fall, but their human passengers were rarely so lucky (Westerfield, 30-31).
Deryn is applying as a soldier for the army. Part of the prerequisites was “air sense”, the ability to travel in flight and know what to do if dire situations arise all the while keeping a cool and level head. For this test, candidates must fly using a Huxley, an airbeast that looks like a medusa with its tentacles.
I think personally having a Huxley as a pet would actually be enjoyable; I could use it to relieve my stress after a long day of work. That is of course barring the danger involved with flying a Huxley. Though a Huxley, design-wise, would not be very popular with the public. Like I mentioned before, we as a society unfortunately like cute and fluffy objects and animals. That’s why brands like Hello Kitty are so popular. A Huxley on the other hand has tentacles, is slimy, and is overall displeasing to the eye. Not to mention the fact that the Huxley has to put tentacles over the person in order to fly, which may also put some people off.
The passage about the Huxley seems to inspire both awe and fear into the audience. This is the first instance in the novel about a Darwinist creature; it’s interesting in that it’s a combination of jellyfish species and can fly, yet, it is also sort of frightening that it’s essentially a tentacle monster that can fly someone. The imagery, as well as the description of the Huxley work together to provide a sense of awe about this unique creature but also a sense of fear from the dangers of falling and the idea of being surrounded by slimy tentacles. The audience does get this sense of foreboding from the monster itself, but the uniqueness of the creature serves to instill more interest and awe than it is fear.
The idea of the fabrication of a Huxley seems to suggest that society today isn’t afraid to venture into new unknowns, even if that unknown is a tentacle monster. Even the Leviathan is proof of bold, large, and new innovations of today.
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