I spent a summer of my youth reading the majority of Mr. Card's published works, and noticed that a dancing bear showed up more than once. I realize it was just a literary device, but i've always wondered how that bear managed to waltz his way into OSC's stories.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
I'm trying to think of ANY story of mine with a dancing bear. Are you sure you're not thinking of John Irving?
There are very dangerous bears in two stories: Enchantment and Grinning Man, plus a song about not getting eaten by a bear in Alvin Journeyman. Apart from that, I'm fresh out of ideas about where I might have used bears. As far as I can recall, none of these bears dance.
Enchantment has a bear because it's in RUSSIA! <grin>
The two bears in the Alvin series are there because they were the most fearsome predators in the American frontier. The American equivalent of dragons. What, I should have used a wolverine? <grin>
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
I do remember several bears, but the only "dancing bear" reference I remember at present was in Memory of Earth, when Issib was telling Nafai "not about lost words, but words that have lost their meaning because the thing they referred to no longer exists." (Only a paraphrase there -- I'd quote exactly, but my copies are all in the bedroom right now, and Mama is taking a nap.)
What other dancing bears were there, airman?
--Pop
Posted by Sm34rZ (Member # 8609) on :
Wasn't one of the characters that Ender could play as in the Mind Game a bear?
... not that it was dancing or anything.
Posted by Catseye1979 (Member # 5560) on :
I'm not sure about the Mind Game but ther was a time Ender was playing a game made for launchies where he was controling a bear, when he died it was a cute death with music I belive, maybe it danced a little while it died.
Posted by LadyDove (Member # 3000) on :
The bear in the Alvin series and in Enchantment were both missing an eye. I still haven't been able to figure out the meaning or connection for these two.
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
No sir, the bear wasn't a character, it was a device used as a simile, describing something that was lumberingly graceful. it isn't a large or stand-out part of any book, but i've wondered why you used it more than once. its very unique and has stuck with me. i'll try to back myself up, and feel kind of foolish telling the author what he wrote.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
It doesn't sound all that unique to me. A dancing bear sounds like the perfect simile to convey lumbering grace. It's positively archetypal. Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:I do remember several bears, but the only "dancing bear" reference I remember at present was in Memory of Earth, when Issib was telling Nafai "not about lost words, but words that have lost their meaning because the thing they referred to no longer exists." (Only a paraphrase there -- I'd quote exactly, but my copies are all in the bedroom right now, and Mama is taking a nap.)
Huh. I could have sworn that this takes place in one of the Foundation stories.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
quote:"You're not researching lost words. You're researching words that have lost their meanings because the thing they refer to doesn't exist anymore."
--The Memory of Earth, chapter six, and yes, they were referring (in part) to a dancing bear.
So I was decently close. I still can't think of another reference to it, though.
*quick Google search*
Ok, chapter two of Alvin Journeyman, apparently. First paragraph.
--Pop
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
and that memory of earth theme seems to travel in the same vein as "the originist".
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)