willofthewood - Slug show
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I'm astrid (she/her)Ya can't take this cool critter anywhere!(I'll cry)

154 posts

Latest Posts by willofthewood - Page 5

6 months ago
Another Pixel Fyolai, It's Lazy.

another pixel fyolai, it's lazy.

6 months ago
He’s So Crazzzzzzzy! Love Him!!!
He’s So Crazzzzzzzy! Love Him!!!

He’s so crazzzzzzzy! Love him!!!

6 months ago

One Fyodor please?

One Fyodor Please?

one fyodor and a bonus nikolai for my gnc designs for them

6 months ago
That One Trend.

That one trend.

6 months ago
Yeah

yeah

original idea

6 months ago

Defying God - a parallel between Fyolai and Stavrovensky

The Demons brainrot is taking over, and you know what happens when I acquire a new interest: my brain WILL find a way to connect it to my other interests, whether I like it or not!! And this is essentially what it's about xD I've come here to present a parallel I found between Fyolai (Fyodor & Nikolai from BSD) and Stavrovensky (Verkhovensky & Stavrogin from "Demons" by Dostoevsky). Before I start I want to clarify a few things:

• I don't think these two pairings are similar, I just love picking up any crumbs of connections I can find between my interests, even if it'd count as reaching.

• This interpretation (in either character's case) is in no way "the only true way of looking at it". It's merely one interpretation out of many and I chose to focus on just a few aspects out of the many others there are to explore in these complex characters. 

• Feel free to add onto or disagree with anything I say! I'm interested in your thoughts :D

WARNING: There will be spoilers for Bungou Stray Dogs and Demons.

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

The reason Nikolai wants to kill Fyodor is because he feels affection for him. Emotions are a prison to him, and he basically seeks the opposite of what his emotions make him want to do. Thus, in the face of affection, which makes you want to be closer and wish the best for your friend, he does the opposite and decides to kill said friend, going directly against his feelings in an attempt to prove free will. But here I want to focus more on the "You want to defy God in order to lose sight of yourself" part, specifically the bit about God.

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

One part of my interpretation is that Nikolai associates God with control. If there is a God who controls all, how can there be a free will? He wants to go against Him and His creations (the human mind, morality, etc.) to prove that it's possible. But God is very abstract - the idea of God is influential but varies depending on cultures, etc. For this point, I'll use the example of the biblical God, or, more specifically, some attributes commonly assigned to the idea of God:

• omnipotence (all-powerful)

• omnipresence (all-present)

• omniscience (all-knowing)

What I am leading up to is the fact that these traits can, in one way or another, be applied to Fyodor. Fyodor's character represents everything Nikolai wants to defy. Nikolai hates control; he wants to fight the idea of God and prove the possibility of complete independence. Fyodor (though not in a "direct" way) could be seen as a symbol for God. He knows everything, he is always present (metaphorically and sometimes literally, the way he spawns sometimes I swear-), and he seems to control everything. Only few people actually see him, but he pulls the strings behind the scenes, and his power is felt everywhere. For Nikolai, to kill Fyodor is not just a protest against his feelings of affection, but can also be a symbolic act of defying "God", of killing "God", by killing Fyodor.

This is supposed to be very symbolic and not taken literally. I feel the need to repeat this because I personally dislike the notion of Fyodor as a literal God (and disagree with the idea of him having a God-complex), so this is merely about the God-like traits he possesses, like a "substitute" for the idea of God, and how it interacts with Nikolai's philosophy. (I've also exaggerated some points for the sake of simplification - for example, I don't actually believe Fyodor is in control of absolutely everything, etc.)

Moving onto Demons:

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

Pyotr Verkhovensky grew up religious and (assuming based on Stepan's description) with a fear of God.

Now he's an atheist and very anti-religious. He plans to overthrow society, and destroying religion + everything it preaches is part of that plan. But interestingly enough, he picks not himself as the official future "ruler", but someone else: Nikolai Stavrogin. He chooses Stavrogin to be the role of the leader in Verkhovensky's ideal society. But not exactly the "leader" in the traditional sense, because he wouldn't necessarily give Stavrogin all the power. He would simply use him as a "pawn" (for lack of a better word) while himself pulling the strings behind said society. With that, Verkhovensky puts someone else above himself, in a God-like position, but he wants to do it while still keeping full control over Stavrogin. By doing so, he would overcome his childhood fear of God because instead of being controlled by God, *he* will control God.

(Same case here, not the literal God, but the character who he assigns God-like traits to.)

I am undecided (with both Nikolai's and Verkhovensky's character) whether this could be read as a solely subconscious intention or if it would make sense as a conscious one as well. Given that both have a different "main" goal (Nikolai focuses on emotions and Verkhovensky on the revolution) I lean more towards thinking it's subconscious (if present at all - like I said, just interpretations!)

It doesn't help that Verkhovensky describes his vision of Stavrogin's leadership as "hidden": Everyone believes in him and his power, but only very few people are said to actually have laid their eyes upon him. When I first read this part, I was honestly reminded of Big Brother from Orwell's 1984, but eventually realised that similar things can be said about God as well.

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

While these are parallels, they don't come without differences. Nikolai needs Fyodor dead, Verkhovensky needs Stavrogin alive. Nikolai wants to kill Fyodor for a sense of freedom, Verkhovensky wants to keep Stavrogin for a sense of control. Yet both symbolic goals are bound to fail:

Fyodor turns out to be unkillable, and Stavrogin ends up dead.

At the end, "God" stays untouchable.

6 months ago

Defying God - a parallel between Fyolai and Stavrovensky

The Demons brainrot is taking over, and you know what happens when I acquire a new interest: my brain WILL find a way to connect it to my other interests, whether I like it or not!! And this is essentially what it's about xD I've come here to present a parallel I found between Fyolai (Fyodor & Nikolai from BSD) and Stavrovensky (Verkhovensky & Stavrogin from "Demons" by Dostoevsky). Before I start I want to clarify a few things:

• I don't think these two pairings are similar, I just love picking up any crumbs of connections I can find between my interests, even if it'd count as reaching.

• This interpretation (in either character's case) is in no way "the only true way of looking at it". It's merely one interpretation out of many and I chose to focus on just a few aspects out of the many others there are to explore in these complex characters. 

• Feel free to add onto or disagree with anything I say! I'm interested in your thoughts :D

WARNING: There will be spoilers for Bungou Stray Dogs and Demons.

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

The reason Nikolai wants to kill Fyodor is because he feels affection for him. Emotions are a prison to him, and he basically seeks the opposite of what his emotions make him want to do. Thus, in the face of affection, which makes you want to be closer and wish the best for your friend, he does the opposite and decides to kill said friend, going directly against his feelings in an attempt to prove free will. But here I want to focus more on the "You want to defy God in order to lose sight of yourself" part, specifically the bit about God.

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

One part of my interpretation is that Nikolai associates God with control. If there is a God who controls all, how can there be a free will? He wants to go against Him and His creations (the human mind, morality, etc.) to prove that it's possible. But God is very abstract - the idea of God is influential but varies depending on cultures, etc. For this point, I'll use the example of the biblical God, or, more specifically, some attributes commonly assigned to the idea of God:

• omnipotence (all-powerful)

• omnipresence (all-present)

• omniscience (all-knowing)

What I am leading up to is the fact that these traits can, in one way or another, be applied to Fyodor. Fyodor's character represents everything Nikolai wants to defy. Nikolai hates control; he wants to fight the idea of God and prove the possibility of complete independence. Fyodor (though not in a "direct" way) could be seen as a symbol for God. He knows everything, he is always present (metaphorically and sometimes literally, the way he spawns sometimes I swear-), and he seems to control everything. Only few people actually see him, but he pulls the strings behind the scenes, and his power is felt everywhere. For Nikolai, to kill Fyodor is not just a protest against his feelings of affection, but can also be a symbolic act of defying "God", of killing "God", by killing Fyodor.

This is supposed to be very symbolic and not taken literally. I feel the need to repeat this because I personally dislike the notion of Fyodor as a literal God (and disagree with the idea of him having a God-complex), so this is merely about the God-like traits he possesses, like a "substitute" for the idea of God, and how it interacts with Nikolai's philosophy. (I've also exaggerated some points for the sake of simplification - for example, I don't actually believe Fyodor is in control of absolutely everything, etc.)

Moving onto Demons:

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

Pyotr Verkhovensky grew up religious and (assuming based on Stepan's description) with a fear of God.

Now he's an atheist and very anti-religious. He plans to overthrow society, and destroying religion + everything it preaches is part of that plan. But interestingly enough, he picks not himself as the official future "ruler", but someone else: Nikolai Stavrogin. He chooses Stavrogin to be the role of the leader in Verkhovensky's ideal society. But not exactly the "leader" in the traditional sense, because he wouldn't necessarily give Stavrogin all the power. He would simply use him as a "pawn" (for lack of a better word) while himself pulling the strings behind said society. With that, Verkhovensky puts someone else above himself, in a God-like position, but he wants to do it while still keeping full control over Stavrogin. By doing so, he would overcome his childhood fear of God because instead of being controlled by God, *he* will control God.

(Same case here, not the literal God, but the character who he assigns God-like traits to.)

I am undecided (with both Nikolai's and Verkhovensky's character) whether this could be read as a solely subconscious intention or if it would make sense as a conscious one as well. Given that both have a different "main" goal (Nikolai focuses on emotions and Verkhovensky on the revolution) I lean more towards thinking it's subconscious (if present at all - like I said, just interpretations!)

It doesn't help that Verkhovensky describes his vision of Stavrogin's leadership as "hidden": Everyone believes in him and his power, but only very few people are said to actually have laid their eyes upon him. When I first read this part, I was honestly reminded of Big Brother from Orwell's 1984, but eventually realised that similar things can be said about God as well.

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

Defying God - A Parallel Between Fyolai And Stavrovensky

While these are parallels, they don't come without differences. Nikolai needs Fyodor dead, Verkhovensky needs Stavrogin alive. Nikolai wants to kill Fyodor for a sense of freedom, Verkhovensky wants to keep Stavrogin for a sense of control. Yet both symbolic goals are bound to fail:

Fyodor turns out to be unkillable, and Stavrogin ends up dead.

At the end, "God" stays untouchable.

6 months ago
I’m Sick With A Virus So Poe Is Sick With A Virus, They Both End Up Sick And Staying In Bed TT
I’m Sick With A Virus So Poe Is Sick With A Virus, They Both End Up Sick And Staying In Bed TT
I’m Sick With A Virus So Poe Is Sick With A Virus, They Both End Up Sick And Staying In Bed TT

I’m sick with a Virus so Poe is sick with a Virus, they both end up sick and staying in bed TT

6 months ago
I've Been Thinking About This Panel Ever Since I've Read It And Today I'm Going Absolutely Bonkers About

i've been thinking about this panel ever since i've read it and today i'm going absolutely bonkers about it, sdjhfjkshdfskd bro can you tell what you're saying right there???? do you know how much this tells me about YOU, you pathetically pining man????

6 months ago

Heey :D

Heey :D
6 months ago

Asagiri causally saying skk don't get along while saying Ranpo and Poe have a deeper relationship then them

Asagiri Causally Saying Skk Don't Get Along While Saying Ranpo And Poe Have A Deeper Relationship Then
6 months ago
This Is Literally My First Time Drawing Them, And It's A Meme... Also, Here's The Og Post

this is literally my first time drawing them, and it's a meme... also, here's the og post

6 months ago
The Path To Freedom [early Concept Art]
The Path To Freedom [early Concept Art]

The Path To Freedom [early concept art]

Before I continue with the comic I want to show the very first drawings I made for this AU

Something I’d like to note is that the interior church design looks more Catholic in style than I intended 😭 I was gonna go for full on traditional Russian Orthodox architecture and decor, but since they felt much more complex and detailed it was way out of my league for someone who doesn’t have much background practice oops

(I went to an Orthodox church service with my Fyodor plushie in an attempt to take inspiration from the aesthetics for the comic but it turned out my family chose a modern plain looking church this time arrgg👹👹👹)

6 months ago
Redraw Of The Newest Official Art Because He Has No Right To Be This PRETTY

Redraw of the newest official art because he has no right to be this PRETTY

Redraw Of The Newest Official Art Because He Has No Right To Be This PRETTY
6 months ago
Premarital Feet Holding
Premarital Feet Holding

Premarital feet holding

6 months ago
I Really Like This Design Bc It's Fun To Draw ♡

i really like this design bc it's fun to draw ♡

6 months ago
Doa Trio But Like With All The Animal Stuff
Doa Trio But Like With All The Animal Stuff
Doa Trio But Like With All The Animal Stuff

doa trio but like with all the animal stuff

6 months ago
Something Inspired By Sekai No Hajimari

Something inspired by Sekai no Hajimari

6 months ago

I hate this fandom so much WHY do y'all have to either ship fucking SEBACIEL or shape Alois into the equivalent of a fucking SEXDOLL?? God I wish ever single one of you to get an urinal infection today.

I Hate This Fandom So Much WHY Do Y'all Have To Either Ship Fucking SEBACIEL Or Shape Alois Into The

Love kuro tho xoxo 💋

6 months ago
Throwback (will Be Available As A Mini Print Soon!)

Throwback (will be available as a mini print soon!)

6 months ago
Count Sebastian, Can I Have Phoni

count sebastian, can I have phoni

6 months ago
Based On That Twitter Trend

Based on that twitter trend

6 months ago
Victorian Bugs When You Lift Up The Rock

Victorian bugs when you lift up the rock

6 months ago
My Boywife

my boywife

6 months ago
Boooo

boooo

6 months ago
Bweh

bweh

6 months ago
He Irritating

he irritating

6 months ago
My Boywife

my boywife

6 months ago
Bsd Ship Charms - Credit Me (link Or Tag) If Using!
Bsd Ship Charms - Credit Me (link Or Tag) If Using!
Bsd Ship Charms - Credit Me (link Or Tag) If Using!
Bsd Ship Charms - Credit Me (link Or Tag) If Using!

bsd ship charms - credit me (link or tag) if using!

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