Ophelia wrote:p307, the Elephant says: " When the times are a crucible, when the air is full of crisis, those who are the most themselves are the victims".
The text seems to refer to changing one's physical appearance at will, but one could interpret it as being about the dangers of insisting on being yourself in dangerous or difficult times.
I don't know anybody who can change his physical appearance at will, or turn from a human to an Elephant, but I notice that the people who excell at showing different facets of themselves according to their audience or changing times do very well in the world. They survive, and the really good ones always kep on top of things.
First, GREAT quote, Ophelia!? (I, too, highlighted it in my book as something to bring up with you guys later.) I am so glad you brought it up for discussion, though, because I would have if you hadn't
As far as applying this observation to real life, I don't Maguire was intending it to actually mean shape-shifting. When times are dangerous, it's not that we can disappear; but, in a sense, we can
become something different. Persecuted peoples throughout history have pretended to be something they're not to avoid danger. Homosexuals are one of the first examples that come to mind. Not that being a homosexual is completely acceptable in society today, but before (when the danger of "coming out" was even more real), men (and women) denied their lifestyle --even marrying the opposite sex to maintain that lie. They did so because being openly gay could have cost them their families, livelihood, even their lives.
During the 1800's in America, children who were of mixed race (black and white descent) usually pretended to be "all-white" so that they wouldn't have to endure the stigma and discrimination that went along with being "colored."
I think there are some on this forum who can relate to this next statement: Being atheist in the Bible Belt --although not necessarily dangerous --is quite uncomfortable. During my wild years in college, I owned a beat-up car with tons of bumper stickers on the back (most of them being critiques of religion and politics). Anyway, I can't tell you how many times I came out to my car with some pamphlet or proselytizing material about my soul or damnation. When people would learn through conversation or what have you about my non-belief, they would try to debate with me, invite me to church, give me a bible, etc. to "win" me back. I felt like I was hounded --so much so that I stopped telling people who I was. If they talked about religion, I let them believe my silence was a sign of solidarity.
So, I think Maguire's quote above rings true with every persecuted group throughout history. We do hide when we are being hounded or are in danger. All animals do. It's a defense mechanism --a way to survive.