English Journals: Howl's Moving Castle

So, basically, my language teacher is awesome. Every quarter we hand in ten journals - three-quarters or more of a page per entry - on outside reading books that we choose for ourselves, and I think that's about 25% of our English grade. I especially appreciate this because a lot of the books I read wouldn't get past the school's radar, if this program didn't give me something to do with them that doesn't necessarily hinge on their content. That's not to say I read dirty books, my school is just verrry cautious. Sometimes we journal on assigned books, but not usually.

It's been in my mind for a while now to post some journals - the good ones, and ones about more popular books - here, kind of like book reviews but without stars. There's a slight possibility for spoilers: insert flashing red WARNING sign. So, since I'm starting today and today is a Sunday, let's just say I'll post one (long) or two (short) every Sunday. I'll start with the ones from last year, since I can't find my journal from the year before, and work my way forward. They may read a bit oddly, since I write them with that specific teacher in mind, almost like letters. It's not quite the same as blog posts aimed at the public in general.

Journal #1: Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones

"Now that's the kind of magic I admire. Taking something that already exists and making a curse out of it." Calcifer, Howl's resident landed-falling-star, says something to this effect in regards to a rather tricky curse spun out of a poem, "Song" by John Donne. I have to say I agree with him.

I generally don't go for fantasy magic: the negative side is a bit too "real" for my tastes, and a little magic goes a long way. But this is the kind of magic I admire. Between spells, seven league boots, and a handful of other unexplained magical elements, there is a magic so pure and simple that the heroine uses it without knowing what she's doing. It is the magic of talking life into things; plain things like hats and strange things like animated scarecrows. All Sophie Hatter has to do is talk to something (she's in rather a habit of doing this) and it takes on what she says, becoming either alive or bespelled.

The thing I like so much about this, though, is that the principle applies to our non-magical words as well; at least, if you truly believe that words have power, which I do. The things we say to people, even after the words are forgotten, brings something up in them that wasn't there before, or strengthens something that was. Whether we're tearing down or building up, the distinct mark of our words affect all we come in contact with.