Fanfiction: Analysis and Review

Human Error: Chapter II - Broken Bodies

Summary:

Narrated from the perspective of Emily, first person, and present tense.

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Emily is covering a street shift. She covers the atmosphere in which she currently lives/works within. She is picked up by a client, and, in the process, she spots Sebastian Moran in a back alley, whom with she has a not-so-pleasant track-history with. (They both have an interest in Jim Moriarty.)

Her alcoholism is thoroughly addressed, and so is the setting of the brothel.

Trisha Stewards is introduced as a fellow prostitute - who became addicted to heroine in her adolescence and gave a brief backstory.

Emily temporarily mulled over everything that went wrong in her life when asked how she ended up as a prostitute, and she ends with the line: "I trusted."

This summary does not do the actual chapter justice.

My Interpretation:

Emily hates her life. She already states this, but this abhorrence becomes more clarifying when she presents potentially suicidal thoughts.

The chapter excellently displays the life of a prostitute from both an analytic and an experiential perspective.

Sebastian's presence will not be left unchecked later in the story.

I wonder how long Emily has been a prostitute if she has trained herself to ignore the noise protruding through the thin walls of the brothel as she returns to her room...?

The fact that Emily bought two bottles of vodka has me wondering how deeply plagued her conscience truly is.

Her willingness to talk to Trisha shows the side of Emily that still cares for others and reaches out.

Trisha is a possible friend of Emily's in this world of lewd desires and artificial happiness.

The ending of the chapter proves how affected Emily was by Millie, John, and Sherlock's betrayal.

Quotes:

"'"Do you want it or not?"'" (Around line 214, paragraph 68, page 3 web version.)

"'I, on the other hand, am of the opinion that knives would only slow me down.'" (Aroundline 57, paragraph 22, page 2 web version.)

"'I sense that now is a time to be silent.'" (Around line 277, paragraph 102, page 4 web version.)

Character Analysis:

Emily is miserable undoubtedly. She loathes everything about her life. She used to enjoy spending time with her friends and hacking for a living, but now she is disgusted by herself. She is an actress now, playing the same part day after day after day. She is tired, she views herself as a repulsive product for other people lustful needs, and her self-confidence has crumbled.

Emily Schott is broken and vengeful. She needs alcohol to bury her mistakes and her work. She needs unconsciousness to end the Irish accent that haunts her subconscious thoughts and the pain of betrayal. She is ashamed of her job, her past, and herself.

And yet.

When Trisha Stewards enters the scene, Emily displays pieces of herself that are still intact: Her side that is understanding, passively caring, and sharing.

The chapter ends on a note that leaves readers with an inkling of the old Emily, but also a forecast into who Emily will become.

Plot Furtherance:

Sebastian Moran's appearance is not something to be ignored. Why was he there at that time? Is he working for Moriarty still? Will he tell Jim about having seen Emily working her new employment?

The final line was suspenseful and definitely played at where the direction of the story is headed.

General Description:

Shem's description is something all writers should strive to have. The visualization of the brothel was immaculate. The sheer amount of detail that is put into the writing is impressive and astounding. I love the writing, and I have no more words to describe this.

Just.

Shem's books should be used as textbook examples on imagery.

Tone and Mood:

The tone was melancholic. Emily's hopelessness was made clear in the writing. The message that I observed was sad and furious, but it was more light-hearted and even humorous while Trisha was first speaking.

As the chapter drew to a close, it left on a tone that seemed mysterious, tense, and foreboding, and while Trisha was sharing her story, it was sad and pessimistic.

Overall, the chapter followed a theme of negativity, solemness, and self-loathing. As a result, I have picked My Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance. It matches the intensity of the chapter, but the snippet of finding brief moments of joy in a world of internal anguish.

I believe we can all agree that this was a spectacular second chapter. I enjoyed reading it and analyzing it.

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Thank you for reading.

I have immensely enjoyed reviewing this story, and it's great to be back. It is now summer vacation for me, so I will have more reliable updates. Thank you all for your patience.

On another note, I will still accept other requests to review. I will, at most, post two on update days. I plan to only review three fanfics at a time so that I can update more frequently and finish the reviews faster. It all varies upon the earlier you send in requests, so the sooner, the better.

If you find anything that needs fixing, you agree or disagree with, or interests you, then go ahead and leave a comment.

I apologize for the rushed state of the review; I am at a friend's while writing this, so I acknowledge that the quality is not the best. Thank you regardless.

Happy Saturday, everyone.

See you tomorrow.