Animals
Samantha Bilfield
Melissa Toomey
English 112
February 5, 2008
1. “Aha! He might have thought of this weeks ago, months ago! But the night that all the boys would be out celebrating, the night he could be sure he himself wouldn’t be seen from Briscoe Hall: that was tonight, and maybe only tonight. Some fate had insisted he resist Avaric’s invitation out. For now he was mounted on the stable roof, and the wind coursing through the wet leaves of the cranberry and pear trees made a soft fanfare. And there proceeded the girls into their hall—as if they’d been waiting in the corridor until he was properly positioned—as if they’d known he was coming!
Closer up they were not, on the whole, as pretty…
But where was the one?
And pretty or not, they were clear. The fingers they dove into clumps of satin bow, to untie them, the fingers they peeled gloves off with, and worked cunning rows of forty miniature pearl buttons with, the fingers they loaned to each other, at the inside laces and the private places that college boys knew only by mythology! The unexpected tufts of hair—how tender! How marvelously animallike! His hands clenched and unclenched themselves, of their own accord, but hungry for what he hardly knew—and where was she?” (Maquire 123-124)
I want to tell about the experience that Elphaba has at Shiz University, but it will now be Hogwarts University, starting at the point where she meets Boq. I want to use Elphaba’s cat, Malky, and tie that into Elphaba’s experience at Hogwarts.
2. I’m going to start off by having Elphaba meet not only Marty Boqman (Boq), but also Harnick Potter and Rinaldo Weasley. Harnick and Marty are both in love with Galinda, and Rinaldo is in love with Harmony. In the twisted game of love, Elphaba will be in love with Rinaldo and try to compete with Harmony for his affection. When Harmony gets a cat, so will Elphaba, and that is where Malky comes into play. Malky will become one of the main characters of my story, because while Elphaba is fighting for Animal rights, she forgets to respect him with the decency he deserves. Malky will have a group of pets that he becomes close with. The twist to the story is that Malky is an Animal. Infact, all animals are Animals, people are simply too ignorant to realize it.
3. Malky is a thin, black cat with piercing purple eyes. He is an Animal disguised as an animal, like all of the other animals are. Elphaba will remain and lanky, green skinned teenager with a horrible taste for clothes and a sarcastic attitude. Elphaba stands up strongly for Animals and that is why Malky takes a liking to her, but Malky is strong headed and hates the ignorant side of all human beings. Malky believes in equal rights for anything and everything. The only problem with Elphaba is that love is blinding, and her longing for Rinaldo forever blinds her. Marty Boqman is a munchkin, from Munchkinland. Instead of being called Boq, he will be referred to as Marty. He is round in the middle and always smiling from ear to ear. Marty is the one human being who Malky decides to confide in, and Marty is forever faithful by keeping Malky’s secret. Marty’s two best friends are Rinaldo and Harnick. Harnick is a town hero because multiple times he has defeated someone whose name should never be spoken. He has glasses, shaggy brown hair, and a bit of an attitude. Harnick is cocky and a bit annoying. He is very similar to Galinda, who only sees the beauty in herself. Rinaldo always lives in the shadow of Harnick, but never leaves his side. Rinaldo is redheaded, has freckles encompassing his body, and is somewhat of an underdog. That’s why Elphaba takes a liking to him—he is underestimated. The group of Animals disguised as animals that Malky turns to are:
-Rufus, an old and wise golden retriever
-Twin pigs that are called Shimmy and Shammy, (Shimmy the boy and Shammy the girl). The
twins are mischievous and loud,.
-Merrick, a young, male owl that is kind and loveable
-Lollip, a female cow that is unintelligent and negative
4. One rhetorical strategy I will use will be pathos:
Elphaba was angrier than Malky had ever seen her before. She threw a painting straight
at Malky and he had to duck for survival. She stuffed her emerald face into her flat and uncomfortable pillow, screaming louder than he had ever heard before. Galinda awoke and stormed over to Elphaba’s bedside.
“What’s the matter with you Miss Elphie?” Galinda asked, although she did not care.
“I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM.” Elphaba sobbed. Out of her tears came not water, but little drops of fire. Malky never understood why her tears were so ferocious, but if it hadn’t been for Galinda breathing air on her tears, they would set the whole building on fire.
Elphaba told Galinda about her affection for paintings and how that was the one thing that put her above Harmony. It was the one thing she could do better. Elphaba loved to paint. It was her hobby. It was also something that Rinaldo always admired her for. He complimented every piece she had ever created.
Galinda strode over to where Malky was sitting, pat him on the head, and picked up the roll of paper next to him. She unrolled the thick sheet and discovered a portrait of the five friends, all but Elphaba were present. Marty, Harnick, Harmony, Galinda, and Rinaldo were looking away from whatever camera had captured this moment. Marty’s cheeks were a perfect ruby red. Harnick was wiping off his glasses from the tears that laughing had created. Galinda and Harmony’s heads were thrown together, their cheeks smiling ear to ear in unison. Rinaldo’s head was tilted back, his hand slapping his knee from too much laughter. They were on the bench outside in the courtyard. At the bottom there was a single word: HAPPINESS.
“He said that I’m never happy. He said I don’t know what happiness means. He’s an idiot. I wanted to prove him wrong. I took that picture three months ago and that, that is happiness.”
“So why did you draw this if you already head a photograph?” Galinda asked, astonished at her friend’s hidden delightfulness.
“It was a gift for him. I told him I loved him, he said I don’t know what love is. I told Rinaldo I would prove it to him”
“And did you?”
“I was going to give that to him, but then…, then…” said Elphaba, struggling to say the words in fear that speaking them would make them true.
“Yes?” Galinda. Curiosity was killing her. Malky was praying that Elphie would answer soon.
“I saw him kissing Harmony.”
