Christina Briscoe
7th Period Class
March 19, 2002
The Theme of the Book Dragonsong
In the book Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey, the theme is that another person or a society should not inhibit a person's inborn talents. Some of the major characters included in this theme are Menolly, Yanus, and Mavi. Menolly is a girl that is about 15 turns (years) old. She is very good at playing any instrument and has composed many songs. Yanus is Menolly's very inflexible and hardheaded father, and Mavi is Menolly's mother; she feels that girls should not aspire beyond sewing and cooking. It is a universal theme, intended for all ages and races.
From the beginning of the book, after Petiron (the Harper at the Sea Hold) had died, everyone disliked that Menolly's keen ability with her fingers and musical instruments belonged to a girl. Even though Yanus knew that her tunes had to be good, he not only discouraged her from making them, he eventually beat her for playing a few measures of her own tune. When he gave her the temporary job of teaching, he warned her, "I'll have no more of those finger-twiddling of yours. You bear in mind what I've said!" And Yanus fingered his belt he wore, as if thinking about using it. "No tuning!" Her parents definitely did not encourage her abilities with music. His warnings did not stop her and was one of the many factors that led to Menolly running away from the Sea Hold. Another cause for the fleeing from the hold, was when Menolly slit her hand gutting packtail. Mavi, her mother, purposely let it heal badly, so Menolly would not be able to play anymore. 'Her last conscious thought was of misery, of being cheated of the one thing that made her life bearable.' After her hand became crippled, she barely talked and was always out walking alone. She was continually miserable and cheerless without being able to play. When she was finally ready to sing again, and was feeling better after so much pain from losing music, her parents would not even let her sing. 'Wasn't it bad enough not to be able to play -yet- but not to be allowed to sing? It was her father who didn't want her to sing! It wasn't fair!' It turned out that it was more than unfair. The Masterharper of Pern thought that her 'finger twiddling' were some of the loveliest melodies he'd heard in all his years as a Harper. When the Masterharper asked her if she wanted to be a Harper she responded 'I want music more than anything else in the world.' Her parents had been preventing a natural talent, and therefore, also, Menolly's happiness. Menolly colorfully illustrates the consequences of preventing a natural ability.
I think the author is correct about the theme; another person or a society should not inhibit a person's inborn talents. This is a significant message, because the things a person is good at is usually something they enjoy. To prevent joy in a person's life is a serious crime indeed. Also, a person that is 'prevented' will still have the talent, so it will fester. Eventually the skill will come out, and then the person or society that prevented this very capability in the first place, will have accomplished nothing more than the delay of the development of the talent. For example, if Mark Twain's parents had been against his writing, would that ultimately stopped him from writing? Probably not. Out of doubt that his writing was any good, Twain might not have published his writing, but he still would have written it. I think the readers of Dragonsong could apply the author's message to their lives by not being perturbed by other people's opinions of your gifts. The readers should try to develop their abilities, but they should also not inhibit other's talents either. This theme that can be applied to most people's lives makes Dragonsong an enjoyable and meaningful piece of literature.
7th Period Class
March 19, 2002
The Theme of the Book Dragonsong
In the book Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey, the theme is that another person or a society should not inhibit a person's inborn talents. Some of the major characters included in this theme are Menolly, Yanus, and Mavi. Menolly is a girl that is about 15 turns (years) old. She is very good at playing any instrument and has composed many songs. Yanus is Menolly's very inflexible and hardheaded father, and Mavi is Menolly's mother; she feels that girls should not aspire beyond sewing and cooking. It is a universal theme, intended for all ages and races.
From the beginning of the book, after Petiron (the Harper at the Sea Hold) had died, everyone disliked that Menolly's keen ability with her fingers and musical instruments belonged to a girl. Even though Yanus knew that her tunes had to be good, he not only discouraged her from making them, he eventually beat her for playing a few measures of her own tune. When he gave her the temporary job of teaching, he warned her, "I'll have no more of those finger-twiddling of yours. You bear in mind what I've said!" And Yanus fingered his belt he wore, as if thinking about using it. "No tuning!" Her parents definitely did not encourage her abilities with music. His warnings did not stop her and was one of the many factors that led to Menolly running away from the Sea Hold. Another cause for the fleeing from the hold, was when Menolly slit her hand gutting packtail. Mavi, her mother, purposely let it heal badly, so Menolly would not be able to play anymore. 'Her last conscious thought was of misery, of being cheated of the one thing that made her life bearable.' After her hand became crippled, she barely talked and was always out walking alone. She was continually miserable and cheerless without being able to play. When she was finally ready to sing again, and was feeling better after so much pain from losing music, her parents would not even let her sing. 'Wasn't it bad enough not to be able to play -yet- but not to be allowed to sing? It was her father who didn't want her to sing! It wasn't fair!' It turned out that it was more than unfair. The Masterharper of Pern thought that her 'finger twiddling' were some of the loveliest melodies he'd heard in all his years as a Harper. When the Masterharper asked her if she wanted to be a Harper she responded 'I want music more than anything else in the world.' Her parents had been preventing a natural talent, and therefore, also, Menolly's happiness. Menolly colorfully illustrates the consequences of preventing a natural ability.
I think the author is correct about the theme; another person or a society should not inhibit a person's inborn talents. This is a significant message, because the things a person is good at is usually something they enjoy. To prevent joy in a person's life is a serious crime indeed. Also, a person that is 'prevented' will still have the talent, so it will fester. Eventually the skill will come out, and then the person or society that prevented this very capability in the first place, will have accomplished nothing more than the delay of the development of the talent. For example, if Mark Twain's parents had been against his writing, would that ultimately stopped him from writing? Probably not. Out of doubt that his writing was any good, Twain might not have published his writing, but he still would have written it. I think the readers of Dragonsong could apply the author's message to their lives by not being perturbed by other people's opinions of your gifts. The readers should try to develop their abilities, but they should also not inhibit other's talents either. This theme that can be applied to most people's lives makes Dragonsong an enjoyable and meaningful piece of literature.