Fiddler On The Roof Character Review: Golde

*Warning: This post contains spoilers in regards to the narrative and characters from the musical Fiddler On The Roof. Read at your own risk if you have not seen the movie or any of the stage adaptations.

There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using the characters from Fiddler On The Roof to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.

Some say that men are the rulers in their homes, the kings of their very own castle. As much as I would like to believe it, that is in fact a lie. The reality is that the woman is in charge of the house and the family.

“The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants”-My Big Fat Greek Wedding

In Fiddler On The Roof, Tevye thinks he is in charge at home. His wife, Golde, knows the truth. Golde is the ying to her husband’s yang. Golde is a realist, not afraid to tell it like it is and occasionally burst Teyve’s fantasy like bubble. Her husband is a dairy man whose income is on the lower end of the economic scale. Considering that they have five daughters to house, cloth, raise and feed, Golde’s position is not an easy one.

Like all couples in that culture, their marriage was not a love match, but an arraigned marriage. While there is no fairy tale like romance between Tevye and Golde, they remain loyal to each other and do the best they can to keep their family afloat.

To sum it: Golde is no one’s fool and no one’s pushover. She is smart, capable and does what she needs to do so her family can survive, even under the most difficult of circumstances. When a writer creates a character like Golde, he or she is walking a writing tightrope: the character must be firmly rooted in the world she lives in, while creating an undercurrent which will shape the destines of future generations. Golde may appear to be just another wife and mother, but it is her strength and courage that will inspire future generations of women to change the world.

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Tainted Moonlight Book Review

The myth of the werewolf has been told by human beings by an untold number of generations. The question is, when a writer decides to use the werewolf myth as a plot device, can he or she create a story that stands out from the hundreds, if not thousands of stories about werewolves?

In the book Tainted Moonlight, Korban Diego is living in Syracuse, NY. By day, he looks as normal as you or I. But when the moon rises, he becomes a werewolf. He lives in an alternate universe where five years ago, there was an outbreak of werewolf attacks due to a virus. Korban was one of those bitten. Instead of dying from his wounds, he has become a werewolf. The city has implemented a series of rules and regulations to protect the lives of the citizens of Syracuse. Unfortunately, those rules and regulations keeps Korban from living a normal life.

One night, while visiting a bar with friends, Korban meets Sophie Bane. It’s love at first sight for Korban, but unfortunately, the feelings must be one-sided as Sophie is married to one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Syracuse. Then Sophie is attacked and bitten at a party by a werewolf.  Korban takes it upon himself to help her heal and learn to live with her new reality as a werewolf. Now Korban must face the beast inside of him, otherwise it will control him and not the other way around.

I’m not a fan of the supernatural genre normally, but the book is well written. Ms. Kelly bring shades of light and dark to a character who in the past, has been immediately labelled as a villain without the audience knowing or understanding anything about the character beyond the 2D title.

I recommend it.

 

Throwback Thursday-Ondine (2009)

Every culture has their own myths regarding creatures that are not quite human. In the Irish culture, the myth of the selkie has been told for generations.

In the 2009 movie, Ondine, Syracuse (Colin Farrell) is a single divorced father who has finally stopped drinking. Earning his living as a fisherman, he is taking care of his daughter, Annie (Alison Barry), who is living with kidney failure. While on the job one day, Syracuse catches a woman in his net. She calls herself Ondine (Alicja Bachleda) and begs Syracuse not to divulge her location. While Ondine is staying in an isolated cottage that belonged to Syracuse’s late mother, Annie learns about her father’s visitors and is convinced that she is a selkie. The question is, is Ondine really a selkie and how much hope can she bring before reality bursts this bubble?

I’m not a huge Colin Farrell fan. But I do like this movie. I like it because it is small in scope, focusing on only a few main characters. But, it also has a message about hope, even with our human foibles and our physical failures.

I recommend it.