Emma + Baelfire = Swanfire

[Slurpeez]

I also read another delightful essay earlier today on Tumblr about seeing Once through a Jane Austen lens (which I often do anyway)!

Jane Austen meets OUAT
Sometimes it seems to me that the story of Swanfire is a less-polite version of a Jane Austen novel.

If you believe what Neal did to Emma is unforgiveable, and that he should forever suffer for it, then it’s Sense and Sensibility. Neal is Willoughby and Emma is the ward of Colonel Brandon, 15-year-old Eliza Williams, whom Neal/Willoughby abandons to romance Marianne Dashwood, while Emma/Eliza gives birth to his bastard off-screen (so to speak, actually, off-page). This seems to make Marianne representative of Neal’s prison-free life after leaving Emma, and makes the aunt August, and the woman he ultimately engages himself to Tamara.

In this scenario, Neal is a charming cad, a man without scruples who experiences love with Marianne, but is forced to leave her also, and engage himself to someone else at his aunt’s (who holds the purse strings) wishes. He spends the rest of his days regretting his life choices, finding his only redemption in the fact that he does seems to understand what he has lost.

If, as a viewer, you see not only the good in Neal, but the possibility that what he did to Emma was not for entirely selfish reasons (or you see the possibility for redemption from his actions), then it’s an update of Persuasion, with Neal as Captain Wentworth, and Emma as Anne Elliot; young, true loves parted by circumstance and one busybody of a Lady Russell (August/Pinocchio). Neal/Wentworth abandons Emma/Anne to prison and pregnancy/her horrid family—a life unloved and unappreciated. Later in life, when his situation has altered, they find themselves again in the same circle of acquaintance.

Neal/Wentworth becomes engaged to Tamara/Louisa Musgrove, which proves to be an ill-fated and wholly unsuitable-to-him match, as Tamara/Louisa behaves rashly, and ultimately becomes involved with another suitor. [Depending on how you view the character of Hook] Emma/Anne, on the other hand is (scenario #1) pursued by the calculating opportunist Hook/Mr. William Elliot, who has his mind set on possessing Anne for reasons quite different than those based in love, while at the same time (scenario #2) Emma/Anne develops a friendship based on mutual interest and understanding of heartbreak with Hook/Captain Benwick who is still in mourning for the death of his fiancée.

Neal/Wentworth thinks Emma/Anne is into both Hook/Mr. Elliot, Hook/Captain Benwick. Emma/Anne knows Neal/Wentworth has publically engaged himself to Tamara/Louisa Musgrove. Angst ensues.

In the end, after many stops and starts, Wentworth and Anne find each other again, once both are free of other romantic attachments. Anne forgives Lady Russell for being the mechanism of their hurtful separation, Wentworth forgives Anne for following the advice of Lady Russell, causing their original separation (okay, so that is admittedly a little muddled there by inverting the Neal-August dynamic into one of Emma-August). They reconcile and live “happily ever after” on Wentworth’s ship (until the next Napoleonic War).

It will be interesting to see how this plays out on Once.

[lunatiger]

People who said Neal isn’t hot (namely MRJ isn’t hot) needs to get their eyes checked…

Source Tumblr

 

Yowza! 🙂

[RumplesGirl]

I just hope the writers are done with this triangle thing sooner rather than later. I feel like they aren’t really getting good mileage out of it, as inevitably some fans will storm off, like Screwball talked about. Triangles can just ruin the characters of everyone involved, make them unlikeable. All triangles come with a price!

The sad fact is that people are going to be hurt. Adam keeps saying to have hope but at some point it’s going to be false hope and one of these ships is going to be sad. I really don’t want this to drag out forever.

LOVE that Jane Austen essay!

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[Ranisha Pitts]

I have been lurking  here for a few days and imagine my surprise when I noticed my Swanfire Family, A New Kind of Fairytale posted in here. I just like to say THANK YOU all ^_^. You words have been very warm and Kind. I am also happy to find another safe haven to discuss both Swanfire and Nealfire without reproach. Its hard out there in Facebook land for a Neal and Swanfire lover!!

"I will be kind but I will speak my mind."

[Josephine]

Oh, my, Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen book besides Pride and Prejudice. I just love the story of Frederick and Anne. Definitely Swanfire is them and not Sense and Sensibility. 😛

Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.

[RumplesGirl]

I have been lurking here for a few days and imagine my surprise when I noticed my Swanfire Family, A New Kind of Fairytale posted in here. I just like to say THANK YOU all ^_^. You words have been very warm and Kind. I am also happy to find another safe have to discuss both Swanfire and Nealfire without reproach. Its hard out their in Facebook land for a Neal and Swanfire lover!!

Welcome!!! Your essay was fantastic!! Really well done. This is safe haven for all Swanfire shippers. Feel free to stick around and talk  🙂

 

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[molly]

In the cave scene, I found that Neal gave Emma emotional safety.  He gave her the freedom (choice?) to say anything to him without fear of rejection by him.  Outside the cave, Neal repeated that he held no grudge.  In fact, knowing her secret, he is still willing to fight for her.

I’m an Emma fan first and I really want someone to just adore her.  She’s earned it.  Has anyone thanked her for breaking the curse?  If there is a fan campaign for Emma getting a long nap (or a spa week), I’m in.  I like the playfulness that Neal brings out in Emma, which is echoed in the way Henry brings out Emma’s playful side.

I love MRJ’s smile, and also his voice.

Belief in SwanFire

[Slurpeez]

I have been lurking here for a few days and imagine my surprise when I noticed my Swanfire Family, A New Kind of Fairytale posted in here. I just like to say THANK YOU all ^_^. You words have been very warm and Kind. I am also happy to find another safe have to discuss both Swanfire and Nealfire without reproach. Its hard out their in Facebook land for a Neal and Swanfire lover!!

Welcome, Ranisha! This indeed a safe haven for fellow SF enthusiasts! I loved that essay so much. Great stuff! We’ll really value your future posts, should you choose to write more here. 😀

Oh, my, Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen book besides Pride and Prejudice. I just love the story of Frederick and Anne. Definitely Swanfire is them and not Sense and Sensibility.

Persuasion has been my favorite Jane Austen novel for over a decade.  No wonder I favor SF, since they are certainly comparable to Anne and Captain Wentworth! 🙂

"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy

[RumplesGirl]

Well since we are sharing pics of Mr. Michael Raymond-James

DAT SMILE

 

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[Ranisha Pitts]

Aww thanks and hugs ( I like hugs)

I don’t typically do many parallels because I like to think Swanfire is unique in its on right but that was a nice touch with the Jane Austen novel.  I was actually thinking about Jane Eyre (Emma) and her Mr. Rochester (Neal). It was one of my favorite romance novels (okay its the only favorite romance novel). But the love story is just as real as Swanfire with just as much angst, heartbreak, sorrow, betrayal, hurt, pain, but just as much  love, joy, happiness, understanding, redemption, forgiveness, and hope.

I guess that’s why I can see the deep love and bond beyond the hurt and pain that they share with each other. Or A&E did an awesome job at sucking us Swanfire fans in, LOL.

"I will be kind but I will speak my mind."

[Author]

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