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Sixteen years ago the world was mortified to hear that a baby princess was to die with the pricking of her finger on a spinning wheel. Many would fault me for having searched for the child in order to report her position to Maleficent. No doubt the worn-out story comes to mind; the noble king and queen host a ceremony for their beloved daughter and gasp, horrified, as a dreadful witch curses the harmless youth to an ignominious death out of the cold blackness of her heart. The king, of course, is assumed to have done nothing; he is simply a wronged, benevolent father while Maleficent is assumed to be a some sort of hell spawn, bent on terrorizing the citizens and afflicting the helpless and vulnerable. What never crosses anyone’s mind is the possibility of our having an actual reason. No, we don’t actually have a reason to do anything! We just run around cursing infants to satisfy some satanic lust for the destruction of peace and happiness! Please. What is a kingdom? A monolithic power structure, a self-perpetuating dictatorship where power rests with the whims and caprices of a single man! A man unrestrained by any sort of prudent administrative body, and punishable by no legal means! And what does he do with that power? Exploits the working class! Goblins in particular have found it nearly impossible to secure a living wage. That is why so many have gathered here, where only Maleficent has the compassion to give us something to do and fight for our cause. That is our real identity. We are simply proletarians who have tired of the current system, so people hate us for it. But we will not relent. The king will never be rid of us; he can never turn us into machines. For this his child may necessarily not be spared. It is unfortunate, certainly, but the weakening of the power structure is absolutely critical to the revolution and the greater good. One silly girl cannot outweigh the needs of the masses! That favoritism for certain individuals is what we fight against! And until all are equal, none will have dignity. You may have noticed, probably without a second thought, that the king had all the spinning wheels in the kingdom burned. What vain foolishness is this? Do you see what he cares for? The preservation of himself and his line! To him, the common folk of the kingdom are of no consequence! The can go naked for sixteen years; why should he care? Disgusting. That, you see, is symbolic of why we carry on the struggle.
5/11/05 |