Two deeper, more general thoughts on Rookie Historian. No spoilers, really; these are more thematic thoughts.
1) The absence of mothers in this show is fascinating in light of the underlying plot of women being in charge of their lives. The Dowager Queen is the closest to a mother, and she is a grandmother, but we don’t see anyone functioning primarily AS a mother. Also, a lot of these characters are without mothers (GHR? Rim? Min? Jae-kyung?). I should say more about this…I feel like I’m just dropping it in here and then walking away…but I don’t have any solid conclusions. Just that it makes me wonder if the writers (unconsciously perhaps) see motherhood as in conflict with a woman’s desire to “choose her own path”? (super speculative I know….as I said…it’s not a solid conclusion. just a funny ommission in the drama that i keep noticing.)
2) This is sort of a spoiler, I guess, but it’s minor (not really related to plot): “The Story of Ho-dam” is technically a novel, but in episode 18 GHR asks how much of it is true; it’s alarmingly close to the truth, we know. In this episode we also find out that those who overthrew the king were hoping to alter the royal historians’ records. So again we come back to this idea of novels and recorded history being not as different as the beginning of the show seemed to want us to think. I like this evolution of ideas very much. I like that we are first asked to consider the contrast between novels and history, and I like that we are gradually led into comparing them more and more.
2b) I like too, the very subtle undercurrent that’s building. We’ve seen how novels aren’t real life, and how history isn’t always real life… but we’re watching A DRAMA. none of this is real life. it’s perfectly reasonable (in fact, i would argue, it’s technically more reasonable than not) for certain things to happen in this show not because they are realistic and might happen in real life…but precisely because they don’t or would not. Those things might not happen in real life; they might happen only in fairy tales…or kdramas…but guess what we’re watching 😉 <3
Yes, I’ve also been thinking about the absence of biological mothers. The show is deeply ambivalent about marriage; it’s the women who sacrifice and suffer. It makes the series feel like a Disney film filled with motherless protagonists. Even the Dowager Queen is not the king’s biological mother and seems to hate him. And the poor crown princess is manipulated into a lonely, loveless union where has no opportunity to make her own family.
At the same time, we have men who stepped up to parent children who needed them. Goo Jae Kyung raised Hae Ryung and Eunuch Heo Sam Bo raised our pretty princeling. But both men have also hidden the truth from their charges.
“Even the Dowager Queen is not the king’s biological mother and seems to hate him. And the poor crown princess is manipulated into a lonely, loveless union where has no opportunity to make her own family. ”
yes to this. the DQ not being his real mom is so interesting in light of this. and then also the crown princess being unable to become a mother is interesting too. whether the writers meant to make a statement about motherhood, it seems like they are doing it after all
i like too what you say about the men who’ve stepped up to fill the maternal role. its interesting. even the DQ acting as the king’s mom all this time.
I felt that notion about mother’s role or lack thereof strongly too but you made it so clear..I wonder how these characters would have ended up if they each had a strong mother figure in their lives. Now when i think of it,they all seem like half orphans..some even full..for a drama that emphasize womens’ intelect it shows many facets of father figures..
right? exactly. a lot of half orphans, and i can’t quite tell how meaningful that is. is it just the writers couldnt be bothered? or is there a message?
I think including mother figures would have complicated the show. If they were going to include them, they must have some kickass mothers lined up going with their theme of strong female characters, with the risk of them outshining GHR and somewhat obscuring what they want to deliver.
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another woodalchi nicole recruit
September 19, 2019 at 9:45 AM
Two deeper, more general thoughts on Rookie Historian. No spoilers, really; these are more thematic thoughts.
1) The absence of mothers in this show is fascinating in light of the underlying plot of women being in charge of their lives. The Dowager Queen is the closest to a mother, and she is a grandmother, but we don’t see anyone functioning primarily AS a mother. Also, a lot of these characters are without mothers (GHR? Rim? Min? Jae-kyung?). I should say more about this…I feel like I’m just dropping it in here and then walking away…but I don’t have any solid conclusions. Just that it makes me wonder if the writers (unconsciously perhaps) see motherhood as in conflict with a woman’s desire to “choose her own path”? (super speculative I know….as I said…it’s not a solid conclusion. just a funny ommission in the drama that i keep noticing.)
2) This is sort of a spoiler, I guess, but it’s minor (not really related to plot): “The Story of Ho-dam” is technically a novel, but in episode 18 GHR asks how much of it is true; it’s alarmingly close to the truth, we know. In this episode we also find out that those who overthrew the king were hoping to alter the royal historians’ records. So again we come back to this idea of novels and recorded history being not as different as the beginning of the show seemed to want us to think. I like this evolution of ideas very much. I like that we are first asked to consider the contrast between novels and history, and I like that we are gradually led into comparing them more and more.
another woodalchi nicole recruit
September 19, 2019 at 10:16 AM
Comment was deleted
another woodalchi nicole recruit
September 19, 2019 at 10:20 AM
2b) I like too, the very subtle undercurrent that’s building. We’ve seen how novels aren’t real life, and how history isn’t always real life… but we’re watching A DRAMA. none of this is real life. it’s perfectly reasonable (in fact, i would argue, it’s technically more reasonable than not) for certain things to happen in this show not because they are realistic and might happen in real life…but precisely because they don’t or would not. Those things might not happen in real life; they might happen only in fairy tales…or kdramas…but guess what we’re watching 😉 <3
anyway, come on out happy ending 😉
tsutsuloo
September 19, 2019 at 4:43 PM
Yes, I’ve also been thinking about the absence of biological mothers. The show is deeply ambivalent about marriage; it’s the women who sacrifice and suffer. It makes the series feel like a Disney film filled with motherless protagonists. Even the Dowager Queen is not the king’s biological mother and seems to hate him. And the poor crown princess is manipulated into a lonely, loveless union where has no opportunity to make her own family.
At the same time, we have men who stepped up to parent children who needed them. Goo Jae Kyung raised Hae Ryung and Eunuch Heo Sam Bo raised our pretty princeling. But both men have also hidden the truth from their charges.
another woodalchi nicole recruit
September 23, 2019 at 8:36 AM
“Even the Dowager Queen is not the king’s biological mother and seems to hate him. And the poor crown princess is manipulated into a lonely, loveless union where has no opportunity to make her own family. ”
yes to this. the DQ not being his real mom is so interesting in light of this. and then also the crown princess being unable to become a mother is interesting too. whether the writers meant to make a statement about motherhood, it seems like they are doing it after all
i like too what you say about the men who’ve stepped up to fill the maternal role. its interesting. even the DQ acting as the king’s mom all this time.
Hasi®
September 21, 2019 at 11:34 AM
I felt that notion about mother’s role or lack thereof strongly too but you made it so clear..I wonder how these characters would have ended up if they each had a strong mother figure in their lives. Now when i think of it,they all seem like half orphans..some even full..for a drama that emphasize womens’ intelect it shows many facets of father figures..
another woodalchi nicole recruit
September 23, 2019 at 8:34 AM
right? exactly. a lot of half orphans, and i can’t quite tell how meaningful that is. is it just the writers couldnt be bothered? or is there a message?
tsutsuloo
September 23, 2019 at 11:11 AM
… asked tsutsuloo to almost every drama ever.😜
Hasi®
September 23, 2019 at 1:03 PM
I think including mother figures would have complicated the show. If they were going to include them, they must have some kickass mothers lined up going with their theme of strong female characters, with the risk of them outshining GHR and somewhat obscuring what they want to deliver.