ADenkyirah

ADenkyirah

Contributing writer for The Artifice.

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    Latest Articles

    Comics
    38

    Kamala Khan: The new Ms. Marvel

    Kamala Khan is a Marvel property, and was created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson...

    ADenkyirah

    TV
    36

    Jessica Jones Punches the way for Female Superheroes

    On November 20th, Netflix released their second Marvel program, Jessica Jones. Jessica Jones is based off the Brian Michael Bendis’ Alias...

    ADenkyirah

    Anime
    45

    Whitewashing of Asian Characters in Hollywood Anime/Manga Adaptations

    2014 and 2015 were the years of new retelling of iconic Disney stories (Maleficent, Snow White and the Huntsmen, Cinderella,...

    ADenkyirah

    Latest Topics

    3
    literature
    Dystopian
    Write this topic

    Are Dystopian novels becoming too generic?

    From The Giver to the Hunger Games, to Divergent, it seems as if Dystopian novels have become the new Paranormal. Where Twilight had filled book store shelves, now we see novels like, The Maze Runner, and The 100, filling those shelves. But, what if this genre has become too predictable, too generic? Will they die out like the Westerns? Or is safe to say that, Dystopian novels will forever be a staple in book genres.

    • As an outsider to the dystopian genre, having only read 1984, it seems like a lot of these series are becoming cookie-cutter rebellion against the power. Whoever writes this should look at novels and series that define the genre, especially 1984, Farenheit 451, and The Giver. Hunger Games seems like one of the first recently popular series to fit into the dystopian genre. Look at bestsellers, and look at how dystopian authors are being influenced. – John 9 years ago
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    • Dystopian novels are the new literary fad, proving to be very popular and profitable. I think that there are certainly authors that are simply trying to jump on the bandwagon, but some are really trying to get a genuine message and story out. Stories about the future are often meant to remind us that what we do now affects the world in years to come. I think, similar to the track vampire novels went, there are classics as John pointed out, newer stories that really pack a punch, and predictable, cookie-cutter novels. Perhaps discuss one example from each of those categories. Interesting topic, you would definitely have a lot to discuss in any direction you went. Maybe look at pop culture as a driving force for this phenomenon. – MichelleAjodah 9 years ago
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    • Dystopian novels are not going anywhere. The hype may die down, but they have been around a long time and will continue to be around until we somehow stumble upon the perfect society. Good luck to that. Dystopian books are generally used to take a "good idea in theory," and then show us that it's not going to work. Also see Brave New World and basically anything by Ayn Rand. – Tatijana 9 years ago
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    • You've only mentioned YA titles. Popular dystopias should be distanced from their more literary offspring, though some middle ground can be found in-between. – JekoJeko 9 years ago
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    • Perhaps it would be helpful to note that maybe it's not necessarily the Dystopian novel itself that is thought by some people as too common, but the Dystopian YA novel. The writer on this topic should try to research what other novels and works are out there to see if they follow similar arcs. – Jaye Freeland 9 years ago
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    • I mean, dystopians have been a genre for quite some time. I think the one you're interested in specifically is young adult dystopia. Interestingly, I just saw a review about Divergent by Veronica Roth that argued it was basically a knock-off of The Hunger Games. I didn't agree at all - while they share similarities (namely, that they're both set in post apocalyptic America and have female protagonists) everything else about them is different. I think part of the problem is that the YA genre is taken less seriously as a literary genre to begin with - so even if the books in question aren't actually the same, they're assumed to be because the genre is taken so lightly. (Note how no one criticizes how the "classic" dystopian novels share similar characteristics.) I think because it's a popular fad (and, let's be honest, mostly loved by teenage girls, especially books like THG and Divergent) it's easy to mock it or pretend that it's somehow less original or interesting. I wouldn't agree with that at all. In any case - when writing this, focusing on the entirety of the dystopian genre might be fun. Like thinking about the popularity (or non-popularity?) or novels like 1984 or Brave New World in their own time, compared the popularity of dystopian novels now. – kcecka 9 years ago
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    • Dystopian novels are definitely becoming popular. The vampire craze went around when Twilight came out, so why not now with a dystopian future? I think it's safe to say that the first major dystopian future novel/movie to come out was the Hunger Games. The amount of popularity it gained world wide is insane. From there, so many more movies of the same genre were made. I agree with what kcecka said. It's definitely big in the YA world. – diehlsam 9 years ago
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    • Part of what makes a lot of dystopian fiction seem alike, especially YA dystopian fiction, is that the movie adaptations are all made to to be similar. After the smash success that was The Hunger Games movie, there seemed to be a surge in following years with Divergent, The Maze Runner, The Giver, and others I'm probably forgetting. I think that movie studios tried to make all subsequent YA dystopia movies fit the mold created by The Hunger Games, and it worked better for some (Divergent) than for others (The Giver). – chrischan 8 years ago
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    • I recently reviewed the film Equals, a dystopian film about a post-apocalyptic society where emotion has been totally stamped out. I wasn't very positive, and my main argument was that the dystopian vision felt shallow. There was no causal logic to it, no substantive explanation of the psychology that allows people to accept the terrible new conditions and no external cause that imposed it either. As a result, it wasn't so much "Here's what happens when society goes too far this way" as it was "wouldn't it be horrible if society was like this?" Of course it would be. But without bringing us from here to there, what's the nightmarish fantasy got to do with anything? – TKing 8 years ago
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    • Great topic. Perhaps a broad collective concern for out-of-control social and political events has encouraged modern dystopian works, making them appear less unique. – Tigey 8 years ago
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    • I think dystopian novels will probably be around for as long as we are. It relates strongly to the issue of our own mortality, albeit on a societal scale. What happens if our supposedly civilized, well-organized, and morally sound society goes off the rails? Deep down, all of us are capable of cruelty and so dystopian novels often expose the aspects we fear most about ourselves. The genre is likely meant to shock us into realizing our own culpability. However, I do feel the genre has gotten a bit oversaturated and generic lately. Fahrenheit 451 is probably my favorite as far as dystopian novels go. It's filled with great lines of prose and remarkable insights. – aprosaicpintofpisces 8 years ago
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    Add Note
    7
    literature
    character appearance
    Write this topic

    Racial Ambiguity in novels

    Analyse different characters in novels who's race/ethnicity were left open for reader's interpretation. For example, in wake of the new casting of a black Hermione Granger, many people are going back to the Harry Potter books to find evidence of "whiteness" to discredit having a black Hermione. Although, never stated in the books she was black or white, many people, by default, believed that Hermione was white. Talk about why people automatically assume a default description of a character's appearance and if it hurts or helps a book series to keep a character's physical appearance open for other's to interpret.

    • This new development has brought up a lot of fanart made of Hermione as black which was made before the announcement. Some people interpreted her that way all along and I think that's great! It adds layers to the character's possibilities and even strengthens the "mudblood" discrimination she endures. – Slaidey 9 years ago
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    • I love to read novel while traveling. it gives me peace of mind. I love to travel solo. – WilliamRiley 9 years ago
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    • I asked my sister about this yesterday, actually, and she told me she knows Hermione was supposed to be white because the front cover of the book showed a white character, which was supposed to be Hermione. If not for the front cover of the book, it would be easy to assume that Hermione was black – carleydauria 9 years ago
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    • For some covers of "Wizard of Earthsea", Ged, who was explicitly described to have "red brown" skin, was depicted as white. Granted, this was quite a while ago, but it shows that the publishers would push people to believe that the main characters are white. – idleric 9 years ago
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    • I go by the cover too, seeing her white on the cover makes me think she was envisioned as white. This is just one casting decision, in a few years, they'll do the play again and Hermione will be Chinese or Arab or something and we'll have ourselves a whole new race to look at her with. – SpectreWriter 9 years ago
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    • There has also been discussion about the white casting of Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games as her skin colouring was always described as 'olive' suggesting she might be of mixed race since her mother and sister who are blonde are suggested to be quite different looking from the rest of the people in District 12 http://jezebel.com/5781682/the-imminent-whitewashing-of-the-hunger-games-heroine – Jacqueline Wallace 9 years ago
      0
    Add Note
    2
    literature
    feminism
    Write this topic

    The evolution of feminism in literary works

    Analyse the early works of feminism in literature and today's. For example, compare Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre to Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, Talk about the way women are depicted in these novels, why they're feminist, and what message both novels are trying to give to women.

    • This is an amazing topic. Many people today believe in feminism so much that its getting to the point of woman over man instead of woman and man. Too many novels are using feminism to the point to where younger girls automatically think that they are better than boys, just because a book made them think that. – KayD4656 9 years ago
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    • I agree with Kay on this matter, as a senior in Digital Media one point that we study is how media has shifted and how many people today make characters more for the purpose of expressing feminism rather than just making the character. Even Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is still asked why he writes strong female characters to which he responds he just wrote what he believed a female character as if an instinct and not for the purpose of making a female look strong. The problem is that these days people actually TRY to make women look strong-willed, but what they are actually doing is downplaying male character to make the female character look better. The point of equality is to not "try" and make it but to see it there as if it is a part of our natural law or our instinct. Once people understand those aspects of what it truly means to be equal, it is more likely that we will see more accurate depictions of feminism like that of Jane Eyre, Little Women, and other strong-willed females without the need for a person to actual try to create one. – Kevin Mohammed 9 years ago
      3
    • Consider feminism from the philosophical point of view. Use existential works. Simone de Beauvoir's "The second sex" for instance. – kimletaon 9 years ago
      1
    Add Note
    0
    tv
    Black female leads
    Write this topic

    Black female leads opposite white male leads, that get negative responses from viewers

    Analyze and explain the reasons for dislike of black female characters, in TV shows, that get negative backlash from viewers. For example, the CW show, The Flash, has a black Iris West, an Iconic love interest and reporter in the DC comics. When the actress was cast, instead of a white female, comic book fans were outraged. Now that she has been on the show for one season, the negative opinions of the character still continue. Another example, FOX's Sleepy Hollow, has a black female lead opposite a white male lead, she aslo gets backlash from some viewers. Just recently, Lera Vega, from Fox's Minority Report.

    • This is even true in Doctor Who I've found. Martha doesn't appear to be a favourite companion character to the Doctor by many people compared to all his white female companions. – Slaidey 9 years ago
      1
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    Latest Comments

    ADenkyirah
    Feb 2, 2016
    ADenkyirah

    I definitely I agree. She has a lot of range as a character, not only in a movie medium, but also a television. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her on our screens are the 2020s.

    		 Kamala Khan: The new Ms. Marvel
    ADenkyirah
    Dec 28, 2015
    ADenkyirah

    Wow! Thank you for this comment. I’m glad you enjoyed this article.

    		 Kamala Khan: The new Ms. Marvel
    ADenkyirah
    Dec 28, 2015
    ADenkyirah

    I grew up with anime and I’ve learned several things about Japanese culture from it. However, I did get to travel to Japan last year and experience the unique culture for myself.

    		 What the West Learned About Japanese Culture from Anime
    ADenkyirah
    Dec 28, 2015
    ADenkyirah

    It was hard for me to watch Gravity. I think watching people wander aimlessly into space, gives me anxiety. But, likely this article did none of that. I loved reading this article. It definitely gave me a different perspective on the movie.

    		 Gravity: Braving Tragedy
    ADenkyirah
    Dec 28, 2015
    ADenkyirah

    Interesting article! I liked that you went through character background. It has convinced me to start playing her game.

    		 The Metamorphoses of Lara Croft
    ADenkyirah
    Dec 27, 2015
    ADenkyirah

    The show, isn’t for everyone. Just like, I know some comic book friends of mine, didn’t like some parts of Daredevil, although I thought it was brilliant. I did enjoy Alias quite a lot!

    		 Jessica Jones Punches the way for Female Superheroes
    ADenkyirah
    Dec 27, 2015
    ADenkyirah

    Yes, it is great! I’m excited for the new Luke Gage show coming soon.

    		 Jessica Jones Punches the way for Female Superheroes
    ADenkyirah
    Dec 27, 2015
    ADenkyirah

    Very true. I think you can take a lot from the show, concerning manipulation, mental, and emotional abuse.

    		 Jessica Jones Punches the way for Female Superheroes
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