Spoof: Trinity Blood analysis
Mar. 22nd, 2007 07:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
narcasseNow before I begin, while we all know that Trinity Blood is allegedly a story about some nanomachines and the crazy things they make people do and that that can obviously be taken to be an analogy for the tech-dependent lifestyle of today; I would like to pose another suggestion. Once which really was quite influenced by this analysis of Labyrinth.
Let me spoil Trinity Blood for you entirely by suggesting that it is in fact an allegorical story about sexual liberation.
The story beings with Esther, a girl whom the plotline tells us is orphaned and raised by a Hungarian Bishop. This is clearly allusion to the fact that Esther’s parents are eschewing their duty and leaving standardised faith to raise their child. They probably expect that this is a good idea but unfortunately what it does is leave Esther woefully unequipped to deal with the outside world since she’s not being taught to relate any of her religious learning to everyday interaction. This divide is really quite well illustrated by Gyula’s execution of Bishop Vitéz. Gyula of course represents divorcees who feel that they cannot be reconciled with faith doctrines, in this particular case Catholicism, while Laura Vitéz is almost a stand-in for formalised doctrine herself in the sense of being a person who has followed such teachings without adapting them to outside interactions. Laura Vitéz then is the person that Esther would have grown up to be if not for the intervention of chance which leads her to accept that people (Gyula) can differ without being evil. Interestingly, it’s during this first sequence that Esther has her first brush with BDSM since she initially takes up Dietrich’s offer of committing acts that are outside the accepted normative boundaries of public life.
Leaving István she goes to Rome where she first encounters lesbianism. At first it seems like a godsend to the confused and questioning Esther. Unfortunately what she’s done is run from one set of stereotypes right into another and as she soon discovers; even within seemingly homogonous labels, there are differences as illustrated quite nicely by the vastly different personalities of Caterina and Kate. She also encounters bisexuality (Noélle), militant gay rights activists (Francesco), asexuality (Tres) and drug use (William). Though she’s encountered recreational drug use before with Abel.
While she isn’t directly affected by it, Esther also sees firsthand the results of misogyny as personified by the older man (Isaak) who attempts to ‘convert’ lesbians (Caterina) and bisexuals (Noélle). There is also a clever confrontation between misogyny and a much more liberal attitude (Abel) though Isaak first presumes that Abel is just the same as him simply because they are both male, a statement which Abel vehemently refutes.
There are also side stories focusing on the issues of balancing recreational drug use (Abel) with alcohol consumption (Asta) as well as adult responses (Leon) to the issue of adolescent sexuality (Peter & Wendy), and homophobia (Hugue). Hugue’s case is a particularly nice handling of the ‘us and them’ mentality of many a family member in shock over a relative coming out.
Next Esther goes to Carthago where she encounters male homosexuality; both the flagrantly visible version (Radu) and the closeted (Ion). There’s brief mention of BDSM (Dietrich) again and that detours into differences in, what are termed, deviant lifestyles. Dietrich descending into Radu’s ‘dungeon’ is a nice joke really. Though while BDSM and the gay scene are seemingly linked by so many people it’s clearly illustrated here that while they might be seen to have similar outlooks on life by an outsider, they’re clearly quite different though there can of course be overlaps. Interestingly, BDSM is clearly shown as being connected to just about anything if people want to make inference since Dietrich is shown interacting with Radu while being associated with Isaak too. And it is in Carthago for the first time that Esther encounters the possibility of doing away with labels entirely (Paula) which doesn’t require her to apply terms like homosexuality to herself. She also sees the beginnings of attempts to ‘convert’ homosexuals to a different sexual persuasion (Pedro) which is quite telling since it seems to work on Ion. Esther also discovers the problems of unwise drug use (Abel in Krusnik form).
Travelling to Byzantium she witnesses Ion ‘trying to fit in’ and its effects on the circle of friends he usually associates with. The apparent death of his grandmother is an analogy for close homosexual friends who are appalled by his sudden change in character. Esther then encounters fag hags (Seth) and comes to the realisation that Ion needs to accept himself just the way he is. She also witnesses the effects of discontent among certain members of the gay community with stereotypes that others are applying to them (Süleyman).
Reaching Londinium after having come so far, Esther is finally ready to be reconciled with her parents’ neglect. She even has a sympathetic friend along for support this time (Alessandro). And it is there that she is introduced to gender ambiguity (Mary Spencer & Virgil Walsh). Having resolved her identification issues and having given up her passing dependencies on which she was attempting to base herself (recreational drug use & BDSM) she hasn’t necessarily reached the end of her journey of self-discovery but having found the courage to put on her best frock and walk down the aisle on the arm of a drag king she’s well on her way and now knows that her true friends will always support her.
Disclaimer: As if it’s really needed. Narsus will accept no liability for lost of sanity, liver function or enjoyment of Trinity Blood as a result of reading this spoof. Wailing and gnashing of teeth on the other hand will be accepted as fair due.
Let me spoil Trinity Blood for you entirely by suggesting that it is in fact an allegorical story about sexual liberation.
The story beings with Esther, a girl whom the plotline tells us is orphaned and raised by a Hungarian Bishop. This is clearly allusion to the fact that Esther’s parents are eschewing their duty and leaving standardised faith to raise their child. They probably expect that this is a good idea but unfortunately what it does is leave Esther woefully unequipped to deal with the outside world since she’s not being taught to relate any of her religious learning to everyday interaction. This divide is really quite well illustrated by Gyula’s execution of Bishop Vitéz. Gyula of course represents divorcees who feel that they cannot be reconciled with faith doctrines, in this particular case Catholicism, while Laura Vitéz is almost a stand-in for formalised doctrine herself in the sense of being a person who has followed such teachings without adapting them to outside interactions. Laura Vitéz then is the person that Esther would have grown up to be if not for the intervention of chance which leads her to accept that people (Gyula) can differ without being evil. Interestingly, it’s during this first sequence that Esther has her first brush with BDSM since she initially takes up Dietrich’s offer of committing acts that are outside the accepted normative boundaries of public life.
Leaving István she goes to Rome where she first encounters lesbianism. At first it seems like a godsend to the confused and questioning Esther. Unfortunately what she’s done is run from one set of stereotypes right into another and as she soon discovers; even within seemingly homogonous labels, there are differences as illustrated quite nicely by the vastly different personalities of Caterina and Kate. She also encounters bisexuality (Noélle), militant gay rights activists (Francesco), asexuality (Tres) and drug use (William). Though she’s encountered recreational drug use before with Abel.
While she isn’t directly affected by it, Esther also sees firsthand the results of misogyny as personified by the older man (Isaak) who attempts to ‘convert’ lesbians (Caterina) and bisexuals (Noélle). There is also a clever confrontation between misogyny and a much more liberal attitude (Abel) though Isaak first presumes that Abel is just the same as him simply because they are both male, a statement which Abel vehemently refutes.
There are also side stories focusing on the issues of balancing recreational drug use (Abel) with alcohol consumption (Asta) as well as adult responses (Leon) to the issue of adolescent sexuality (Peter & Wendy), and homophobia (Hugue). Hugue’s case is a particularly nice handling of the ‘us and them’ mentality of many a family member in shock over a relative coming out.
Next Esther goes to Carthago where she encounters male homosexuality; both the flagrantly visible version (Radu) and the closeted (Ion). There’s brief mention of BDSM (Dietrich) again and that detours into differences in, what are termed, deviant lifestyles. Dietrich descending into Radu’s ‘dungeon’ is a nice joke really. Though while BDSM and the gay scene are seemingly linked by so many people it’s clearly illustrated here that while they might be seen to have similar outlooks on life by an outsider, they’re clearly quite different though there can of course be overlaps. Interestingly, BDSM is clearly shown as being connected to just about anything if people want to make inference since Dietrich is shown interacting with Radu while being associated with Isaak too. And it is in Carthago for the first time that Esther encounters the possibility of doing away with labels entirely (Paula) which doesn’t require her to apply terms like homosexuality to herself. She also sees the beginnings of attempts to ‘convert’ homosexuals to a different sexual persuasion (Pedro) which is quite telling since it seems to work on Ion. Esther also discovers the problems of unwise drug use (Abel in Krusnik form).
Travelling to Byzantium she witnesses Ion ‘trying to fit in’ and its effects on the circle of friends he usually associates with. The apparent death of his grandmother is an analogy for close homosexual friends who are appalled by his sudden change in character. Esther then encounters fag hags (Seth) and comes to the realisation that Ion needs to accept himself just the way he is. She also witnesses the effects of discontent among certain members of the gay community with stereotypes that others are applying to them (Süleyman).
Reaching Londinium after having come so far, Esther is finally ready to be reconciled with her parents’ neglect. She even has a sympathetic friend along for support this time (Alessandro). And it is there that she is introduced to gender ambiguity (Mary Spencer & Virgil Walsh). Having resolved her identification issues and having given up her passing dependencies on which she was attempting to base herself (recreational drug use & BDSM) she hasn’t necessarily reached the end of her journey of self-discovery but having found the courage to put on her best frock and walk down the aisle on the arm of a drag king she’s well on her way and now knows that her true friends will always support her.
Disclaimer: As if it’s really needed. Narsus will accept no liability for lost of sanity, liver function or enjoyment of Trinity Blood as a result of reading this spoof. Wailing and gnashing of teeth on the other hand will be accepted as fair due.
