Blog Entry 11: Ugly draft

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Intro:Jean Ferris has made Christian different from other normal children in her novel Once upon a Marigold. Being a child bought up by a troll made Christian different; in a way he saved the mind-reading Princess from her evil mother. Watching the royal family across the river with his newly invented telescope and sending pigeon mails (P-mails) to the princess was Christian’s only intentions until he crosses the river and decides to get a job in the castle just to see the odd, mind-reading Princess Marigold. Christian’s purpose was innocent until he found out the plot of Queen Olympia to overthrow King Swithbert and kill Marigold. Christian, as a Wanderer Archetype has to save the princess with his unusual hero’s quest in order to reunite several families, and reveal his true and forgotten identity. Christian's accomplishments are symbolic to adolescents in revealing their own true identity through the lonesome journey of adulthood.


Bio: As a natural writer, Jean Ferris kept a diary since the age of seven. Her talent of literature did not occur to her until one of her children's friend try to commit suicide which establish the novel Amen, Moses Gardenia (1983). "I had what I now realize was the perfect childhood for a writer" she says. She kept a diary of what she saw, heard and felt because of constant moving, thus the developing stories she write to herself. She attended Stanford University, got a B.A. and M.A. in Speech Pathology and Audiology but didn't enjoy her field of study. Her interest in English has never fade, as she kept piles of stories in her home until one day her publication began.(see jeanferris.com) According to Wikipedia, her awards includes: American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association Popular Paperbacks for Young Readers, American Library Association Quick Picks for Young Adults, IRA Young Adult Choices, NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and California Young Reader Medal.

Wanderer:  Christian symbolizes great characteristics of a wanderer in the novel. As a boy, he escapes his original home as a Prince (which he later finds out) because of many rules he needs to follow. Wanderers hated rules that bound them from their freedom, but it is also a way to set them into their hero’s quest; to “find a treasure that symbolically represents the gift of their true selves.” (pg.65 Pearson). Also Christian doesn’t seem to be too concern about his family not able to find him, but about running away from the cage he was trapped in. Christian is bought up by a troll named Edric (Ed) in a cave, although he’s not “‘captive’ by a witch, ogre, dragon, or some other fearsome beast” (pg.67 Pearson), the place he lived and the way Ed raised him (very independently) made him a natural wanderer that trigger the start of his destine heroic quest to find “something bigger, something other.” (pg.34 Ferris). When the time comes for Christian to leave Ed, he doubts his decision while hiking up to the castle “whether he was making a horrible mistake, trading the dull-but-comfortable known for the scary, unpredictable unknown.” (pg.82 Ferris). Wanderers are likely to be scared of changes, of never going back, and of the unknown, but his craving for adventure surpasses his doubts and worries of the foreign path.

Belly of the Whale: Wanderers forget they are not alone most of the time, they have friends and support; in this case his family. When Christian was thrown in the dungeon with Ed, Bud and Cate (the two dogs), he exclaim to Marigold in their conversation “Sorry? I’m glad. They’re my family. I’ve missed them terribly.” (pg.167 Ferris). This stage that Christian encounter signifies a treasure that he has been looking for to represent his true self. Not only did he find a piece of belongingness, but also a step towards the inner warrior (adult) he’s developing.

Christian has always looked at Ed as his guardian, constantly taking advice from Ed, even away from Ed he thinks of advice Ed would give to make his decision.

Departure: Christian's call to adventure might not be so clear in the beginning as he already started to run away from his real family to find foreign "treasure" or "land" that he later called home. Christian's departure actually started when the urge to communicate with the Princess across the river grew stronger as he grew older.  According to Campell "This fateful region of both treasure and danger may be variously represented: as a distant land, a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves, or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state" (wiki). Christian's fateful region became the castle across the river which lie his treasure, the heart of his beloved Princess Marigold and danger, the villainess Queen Olympia. At the age of 17, and being raised by a troll might contribute to the fact that he know nothing of love since he had not encounter a woman all his life. Christian's intentions might be just the love of Marigold, but he also possess the desire to achieve something greater, since he thinks “increasingly, the sense that he no longer fit so well where he was.” (pg. 34 Ferris). As a Wanderer archetype, Christian's lonely adventure started as he he cross the threshold without the help of others. The gatekeepers, the cyclops and guard Rollo