Last night I decided to watch some Doctor Who to take my mind of some things and who is better at distracting you from life than David Tennent? I decided to watch Human Nature/Family of Blood because I wanted some seriously amazing Tennent acting and I love the tragedy of John Smith. While watching Family of Blood, I noticed a quotation that slipped past me in previous viewings of the episode. The line was spoken by Baines and it is when he is speaking to the Headmaster of the school about the fact that all of the boys were reading to fight. The line is:
"All your little tin soldiers. But tell me, sir, will they thank you?"
I never noticed how powerful and relevant this line is, not only to this moment, to Doctor Who in general, but to real life, as well. Let me slow down a little. The part that struck me initially was "all your little tin soldiers." Immediately, I saw the moment in Journey's End where the Doctor sees all of the people who have died defending him flash before his eyes. His little tin soldiers. They all stood up for the Doctor, determined to save him, even if it meant losing themselves. They are little, yes. There are billions of people on the Earth and even more in the Whovian universe; they are tiny. But they are still his soldiers. To the outsider, the Baines if you will, they are minuscule. To the Doctor? Heroes. They are huge and important and brilliant. I love how understated the term is, but how nicely is sums up who they are to the Doctor in a way.
Now, the next part. "But tell me, sir, will they thank you?" I love how much this relates to a line later in the series, during The Last of the Timelords, said by my darling Martha Jones:
"But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there, the man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times and you never even knew he was there. He never stops, he never stays, he never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him, I know him, I love him. And I know what he can do."
Very few times do people say the words "thank you" to the Doctor. They are quite often implied, whether it be with a characters actions or a look in their eyes, but the words are rarely spoken. When it comes to the Doctor's little tin soldiers, thanks is always implied. They do what they do to thank the Doctor for saving the world time and time again. I think this parallel or theme of thankfulness is really powerful and I'm really surprised I didn't notice it before, seeing as that Martha Jones quotation is one of my favourite Who moments in history.
I think that we all have our little tin soldiers. The people who come in and out of our lives. The people who support us and help us reach certain goals or complete certain tasks. I think that the little tin soldiers are the people who may only be in our lives for the briefest space of time, but they make a difference. Contrastingly, they can be people we spent endless hours with, but have faded out of our lives. The people we meet and remember. Our little tin soldiers are like memories of a time or a place. We line them up in order and they defend our past; they can remind us of who we were.
I don't know. Maybe this is all nonsense and I'll read this next week and wish that I hadn't allowed anyone to read it, but I really like the concept. If I had any skillz at writing music, I think it'd make a pretty cool Trock song. What do you think? Do you believe we all have our little tin soldiers or am I just bored and seeing things that aren't really there? Have a good Monday, guys. xx
"All your little tin soldiers. But tell me, sir, will they thank you?"
I never noticed how powerful and relevant this line is, not only to this moment, to Doctor Who in general, but to real life, as well. Let me slow down a little. The part that struck me initially was "all your little tin soldiers." Immediately, I saw the moment in Journey's End where the Doctor sees all of the people who have died defending him flash before his eyes. His little tin soldiers. They all stood up for the Doctor, determined to save him, even if it meant losing themselves. They are little, yes. There are billions of people on the Earth and even more in the Whovian universe; they are tiny. But they are still his soldiers. To the outsider, the Baines if you will, they are minuscule. To the Doctor? Heroes. They are huge and important and brilliant. I love how understated the term is, but how nicely is sums up who they are to the Doctor in a way.
Now, the next part. "But tell me, sir, will they thank you?" I love how much this relates to a line later in the series, during The Last of the Timelords, said by my darling Martha Jones:
"But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there, the man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times and you never even knew he was there. He never stops, he never stays, he never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him, I know him, I love him. And I know what he can do."
Very few times do people say the words "thank you" to the Doctor. They are quite often implied, whether it be with a characters actions or a look in their eyes, but the words are rarely spoken. When it comes to the Doctor's little tin soldiers, thanks is always implied. They do what they do to thank the Doctor for saving the world time and time again. I think this parallel or theme of thankfulness is really powerful and I'm really surprised I didn't notice it before, seeing as that Martha Jones quotation is one of my favourite Who moments in history.
I think that we all have our little tin soldiers. The people who come in and out of our lives. The people who support us and help us reach certain goals or complete certain tasks. I think that the little tin soldiers are the people who may only be in our lives for the briefest space of time, but they make a difference. Contrastingly, they can be people we spent endless hours with, but have faded out of our lives. The people we meet and remember. Our little tin soldiers are like memories of a time or a place. We line them up in order and they defend our past; they can remind us of who we were.
I don't know. Maybe this is all nonsense and I'll read this next week and wish that I hadn't allowed anyone to read it, but I really like the concept. If I had any skillz at writing music, I think it'd make a pretty cool Trock song. What do you think? Do you believe we all have our little tin soldiers or am I just bored and seeing things that aren't really there? Have a good Monday, guys. xx
12 comments:
I think 'little tin soldiers' is a good metaphor. I mean in my own life there are people who looking back were very significant, if just for a fleeting little bit, who I don't even know anymore. Like my Best Friend from elementary and middle school who I've spoken to maybe 5 times since the end of middle school and not in 4 years.
Looking back and memories, places and people that are now out of our lives can be a little like looking at tin soldier. There fixed. They don't ever really change in our minds even if they are influential on who you have become.
wow, i love what you can draw on another level from doctor who and harry potter. i'd never have seen that without reading through this, and so many other things you've pointed out about both franchises, tbh.
also you linking to that flashback scene has just sent me on a massive phase of remembering the entirity doctor who, particularly series 2, which i think must be my favourite, although i absolutely adored them all. i want to rewatch it all now :p
i really hope we get martha back though, either in torchwood (shes not been in any of the series descriptions, but i'm still hoping mickey and martha will join torchwood america :p), or in doctor who. I was kind of dissapointed by her trip in series 4, when she was supposed to make a five episode stint, i just expected them to be five in a row - i'm kind of glad donna got to shine, but I wish we'd had martha longer. instead she only got like, two story archs.
i loved her in the series 4 finale though, in the bits we saw of her.
No need to fear that this post shouldn't have been posted. I love it. Also, yes, tin soldiers is a great way to describe the people who are in our lives only for a moment but truly change our lives.
This was a beautiful post, Kayley! Thanks for sharing your musings with us! :D I really like the concept of the people in our lives of the past and the present being "toy soldiers", defending our perception of ourselves and of the world, and every day reminding us of life :) YAYYY DOCTOR WHO!
Propose the Trock Song idea to Charlie and Alex? ;)
-Aly
Ah well done on the BEDA thing! I have failed! But I've don nearly every day!! (just saw your youtube vid :P)
shtylin.blogspot.com
I was reading this and thinking it felt so much like an English paper, a critical analysis of characters, themes, etc. This probably marks the first time I've read something like that outside of school, and it reminded me of some of John Green's videos (particularly the one on the second half of The Catcher in the Rye, and the one where he visited his old school) which gave off a similar feeling of English class, as he analyzed the importance of storytelling and symbolism.
And out of a school setting, I think it's all the better because everything feels more sincere. The point I'm making is, good post, even though I've never seen Doctor Who and have no idea what it's about.
This may be one of my favourite blog posts ever. I don't really have anything else to add except that I agree 100%.
Your mind is so beautiful. I would have never thought of that episode like that, and how that quote files out into the rest of Tennant's run as the Doctor. And that's one of my favourite episodes.<3
I think you're onto something, although I don't know if I'd use the term Tin Soldiers to define the people in our everyday lives who are important to us. But that's because of the military and violent conotation the word soldier has. But I see your point!
I love how easily you can take a quote that resonates with you and turn it into a fantastic metaphor not just for Dr Who, but for life as well. It makes me realise why we take English classes. :)
i agree with jodi!
this is wonderful, and you have renewed my love for dr.who.
Post a Comment