Originally published at: Read this powerful comic about witches and transphobia inspired by the Mountain Goats | Boing Boing
…
6 Likes
That’s an interesting take on Heretic Pride, but it does strip out some of the irony in the song.
My read on Heretic Pride has been the heretic/narrator in the song is just as delusional and hell bent on revenge as the ones burning them at the stake. There’s a sense in the song that the narrator wants to be killed by their sworn enemies as a way to be turned into a divine being. The allusions to Christian martyrdom somewhat implies that’s not going to be the case.
I’m definitely reading the line “And I mark their faces one by one” differently. To me the implication is the narrator is planing for a revenge, that to an outside observer is clearly not going to happen.
5 Likes
Yeah, I think this reading fits right into JD’s general songwriting oeuvre — empathy with outcasts and outsiders (inc. those dismissed as “sick” or “crazy”) without ever actually justifying or apologizing for their actions. That’s kind of his thing, ya know?
2 Likes
As a trans person, I have mixed feelings. I feel so much of the media we are in, is tragic. While this had an act of revenge with her becoming whole at the ending, it’s not easy to read for me.
7 Likes
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
