Subject: I always thought it was implied...
Author:
Posted on: 2010-11-20 15:30:00 UTC
That any "extra" children in the "Giver" universe were euthanized shortly after birth, e.g. the twin baby who weighed less. So if not enough families apply...down the chute. *shudder*
~Araeph
Let's discuss plot hole theory...
We're discussing the new Harry Potter movie, and someone mentioned that the last one had "plot holes big enough for Harry to fall through." Plenty of published works have plot holes.
The Giver, for example, states that there are fifty people born each year in the Community, and that each family is only allowed two children, but that some families never apply for children. Do the math, and you get extra children. Oops! Plot hole.
So we have natural plot holes in many stories; perhaps most continua have them. What effect do they have on the continuum and its stability?
Me brainstorming:
*Natural plot holes are weak points. If you get the wrong fanfic too close to them, the continuum can be destroyed more easily. However, goodfic can be specifically created to fill a plot hole and strengthen the continuum.
*Natural plot holes can be used to one's benefit, because they are often the places where misplaced and replaced characters and locations show up.
*Natural plot holes interfere with portals, like turbulence for an airplane, and can create problems with navigation by using the portal generator and remote activator.
*It may be possible to use natural plot holes for transportation... but you never know where you'll end up.
Ideas, anyone?
See, in the fic I'm trying to spork, our heroes inject the Mary Sue with deadly nightshade in an attempt to cure a gunshot wound, and for reasons which are never explained it instantly heals up the wound and brings her out of her coma. Even though it was, I repeat, deadly nightshade. However, we're talking about a continuum in which head injuries make your hair turn blue and it's possible to live through having most of your internal organs removed and someone else's put in their place with rusty cutlery for surgical tools and absinthe as anaesthetic. So, you can see, I was unsure whether this counted as a charge. I still think it does, because the canon weirdness seems to run on the Rule of Funny, whereas the nightshade thing was apparently pulled out of nowhere purely for the convenience of the author.
In the way that you deal with them. I.e. in a musical, you never question why or how all these punks suddenly know how to dance together and sing in the same key, and all that. You just sit back, relax, and enjoy.
There is a point where this goes too far, hence the necessity of sporking. But sometimes, if you can read without it constantly bothering you, it's fine. And, like Araeph has demonstrated, sometimes there's a logical explanation.
That any "extra" children in the "Giver" universe were euthanized shortly after birth, e.g. the twin baby who weighed less. So if not enough families apply...down the chute. *shudder*
~Araeph
That's what I got the feel of as well.
Just because the children are born, doesn't mean they're going to be raised...
I have similar problems with Inception - it's fascinating, but there are some internal contradictions that (Trojie and) I have basically decided to handwave becuase there's no reasonable way to fix them. In terms of how they affect the continua and PPC missions, I like your ideas. They could certainly be used for fun and for interest, or even just as warnings or explanations. :)
The second and last ones seem more likely to be badfics plotholes to me, but when I wrote that I was thinking about plotholes in filmverses (I barely remember Hermione giving Harry Regulus'reliquary -I don't know if it's the right word- in a weird way, I think Dumbledore left it for them or something like that, my memory isn't serving me right)
But natural plotholes may cause Agent insanity increase, like a collateral damage or something like that