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Post by snicketfilepg13 on Dec 5, 2004 3:47:11 GMT -5
This is just a thought, and it is quite bizzare and farfetched. I'm sure most of you know of the four elements: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. Well, my theory is that From Book 10 onwards each book has a link to one of the 4 elements... Book 10 - The Slippery Slope: Earth Book 11 - The Grim Grotto: Water Book 12 - The  : Air (because of the balloon clue) Book 13 - The : Fire (because of all the fires and such) This is quite strange and I doubt this is the case, but I just wanted to share my idea. Any thoughts? |
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Post by Ennui on Dec 5, 2004 4:01:58 GMT -5
This is an original thought, and deserves credit for that; but I don't think it really holds water (pardon my punning).
For a start, the Slippery Slope seems closer to water (or ice, at least) than to earth. But more importantly, this wouldn't really have any purpose in the series.
It's not the kind of allusion I feel Handler would use, either: fantastical rather than literary; particularly as the elements (often with a load of spurious ones such as "life" "death" and "rock" added) are something of a cliche in bad fantasy.
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Post by Dante on Dec 5, 2004 4:13:40 GMT -5
This is an original thought, and deserves credit for that; but I don't think it really holds water (pardon my punning). For a start, the Slippery Slope seems closer to water (or ice, at least) than to earth. But more importantly, this wouldn't really have any purpose in the series. It's not the kind of allusion I feel Handler would use, either: fantastical rather than literary; particularly as the elements (often with a load of spurious ones such as "life" "death" and "rock" added) are something of a cliche in bad fantasy. Exactly. Oh, don't get me started. Don't get me started. Once I start talking about the people who said that Golden Sun 2 would have "Dark" "Light" and "Psy" as new elements, I won't stop. Oh, I hate them so much. |
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Post by PJ on Dec 5, 2004 6:11:04 GMT -5
meh, kinda far-fetched. The Idea is good, but the thing with earth and TSS doesn't really match up. Any possibility it could be fire, since the VFD headquarters burned down?
In the next one, a VFD submarine is in water, the next one features a VFD blimp in the air, and the next features Hotel D and earth. Praps an earthquake or its underground. Also, it is interesting to note that ages ago the pagans and such believed that everything was built by the four elements, earth, air, water and fire. Perhaps it's some kind of allusion. I also find it interesting that in TGG (I think) he mentioned people seeing the shadows in a cave, and then the real thing. That theory was made by Socrates, who lived in the four elements time. Ok then, i'll explain it.
People are forced to sit in a cave their entire lives, and all they can see are the shadows of the outside world. Then one man escapes, and sees that there are not only shadows, but whole things. (kinda like second and third dimensions). He then returns and tells everyone. They refuse to believe him and kill him.
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Antenora
Detriment Deleter 
Fiendish Philologist
Put down that harpoon gun, in the name of these wonderful birds!
Posts: 15,891 
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Post by Antenora on Dec 5, 2004 7:51:54 GMT -5
I thought that was Plato's allegory of the cave. We discussed it briefly in my literature class, in which we studied idealism and realism. If you wish to get elemental about it, the most predominant element in the entire series is fire, this being the force of destruction and mansion-burning. But I agree, the idea is spurious but perhaps fun to think about. The fifth element, by the way, is called Spirit, Akasha, or Ether. Just a random fact for the metaphysical section of your commonplace books. Exactly. Oh, don't get me started. Don't get me started. Once I start talking about the people who said that Golden Sun 2 would have "Dark" "Light" and "Psy" as new elements, I won't stop. Oh, I hate them so much. Sort of like in Pokemon. |
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Post by Dante on Dec 5, 2004 10:29:12 GMT -5
I thought that was Plato's allegory of the cave. We discussed it briefly in my literature class, in which we studied idealism and realism. *snip* The fifth element, by the way, is called Spirit, Akasha, or Ether. Just a random fact for the metaphysical section of your commonplace books. 1. I'm taking Philosophy next year, so hopefully, I'll be doing a lot of stuff like that. 2. Really? I thought Socrates or somebody in that sort of group came up with the idea of the quintessence being the alleged fifth element, and it held the universe together, or something. Speaking of elements, a friend of mine once memorised the entire periodic table. This same friend also memorised the first one hundred decimal places of pi. |
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Post by Ennui on Dec 5, 2004 10:42:09 GMT -5
Have any of you heard the Tom Lehrer song "The Elements?" Hilarious...
I, like Tocuna, think it was Plato who came up with the cave philosophy. However, remember that all we know of Socrates comes to us from Plato, who studied under him, so it could easily be an idea of Socrates recorded by Plato.
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Antenora
Detriment Deleter
Fiendish Philologist
Put down that harpoon gun, in the name of these wonderful birds!
Posts: 15,891
Likes: 113
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Post by Antenora on Dec 5, 2004 11:26:11 GMT -5
Have any of you heard the Tom Lehrer song "The Elements?" Hilarious... There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium.... Tom Lehrer is great. "Quintessence" literally means "fifth element", and it's a similar concept to ether, the intangible substance that holds the universe together. But in magick(at least that which I have studied) it's spirit. That's certainly possible. The last words of Socrates, by the way, were "I drank WHAT??", according to this random boy I ran into last spring. |
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Post by PJ on Dec 5, 2004 23:07:41 GMT -5
Everything we know about Socrates comes from Plato, so we don't know whether Plato made some stuff up, or whether it was all Socrates' and I don't think that last quote is quite correct....
Anyone here read Sophie's World? If not, do it. It's all about philosophie. VERY INTERESTING.
Meh.
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Fudge 1
Bewildered Beginner
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Post by Fudge 1 on Dec 6, 2004 8:32:03 GMT -5
Yo, newcomer here, and one of the books biggest fans. I spend a lot of my time looking for clues. Anyway, here are two of my theories about the next books:
1. Book the twelfth will be the one about fire; Hotel Denoument, the location of the sugar bowl.
2. That the return of characters in each book follows a pattern: Bruce (from the second book), then Phill (The Miserable Mill, 4th), so either Jerome or the Quagmires will be in the next book, and Hal will be in the thirteenth.
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Post by Ennui on Dec 6, 2004 8:40:52 GMT -5
Hello, Fudge. Introduce yourself in Gruesome Greetings if you like, where you can be kidnapped welcomed properly...
Keeping this thread on its fairly limited topic, I would advise you to post your second theory either on a new thread or on our Book 12 speculation thread stickied at the top. Have fun.
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Post by Hooky on Dec 6, 2004 17:15:04 GMT -5
I like the idea of the four elements and such, but I don't think it's going to happen that way.  |
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Post by kjlsnicket29 on Dec 6, 2004 22:35:36 GMT -5
I agree, it's a good, original, though, but just kind of...far-fetched I guess. |
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Post by Violet Baudelaire on Dec 6, 2004 23:43:15 GMT -5
Have any of you heard the Tom Lehrer song "The Elements?" Hilarious... Don't remind me... we had to sing that song in fifth grade and it was cool a first then it just got too annoying. good theory |
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Post by Alchemist on Dec 11, 2004 22:03:35 GMT -5
I think that we can assume that the eternal forms and The Myth of the Cave was Plato's stuff. Socrates was more interested in man and society than nature. And the eternal forms are more nature-y.
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