Talk:Totem (short story)

It is a violation of our archiving policy for the archive at right to have been created in the middle of a discussion. But I'm breaking that policy in this case because the multiple violations of T:DISCUSS and T:NPA could be stopped from getting worse by doing so. When this page re-opens for discussion, please talk only about the editing of this article — or you will be blocked. 03:17: Fri 15 Feb 2013
 * This talk page is now reopened to editing 04:10: Fri 15 Feb 2013

Identifying the Doctor

 * This section is open only to Master of Spiders

Master of Spiders, I'm giving you one more shot to make your case. Do not refer to me to other places where you have discussed this subject. What I want is this: a complete list of every single description of the Doctor in this story. That's it. I don't want your commentary. I don't want to hear from any other user. I want a simple list. If any other user responds in this section, they will be blocked. This is Master of Spiders' moment to provide primary evidence of the Doctor's description in this story. 04:09: Fri 15 Feb 2013

Location

 * This section is open to every user

We've established so far that the locations mentioned in the story are clearly indicative of Madeira, but the text never gives that island location. It confusingly gives a Spanish title for the lead character — Señora — when it should have used Senhora, if the author had really intend us to read Madeira into the situation. There is something weird about that use of Señora if we're meant to think Portuguese.

I would love to just say Madeira and walk away, since, frankly, I love Madeira. As a one-time visitor to that island, I would love to just say that it's a part of the DWU, full stop/ But I can't figure out why in the world the author is using Spanish, since Madiera has no significant Spanish population and has always been in Portuguese hands. And I mean always. The first settlers were Portuguese. It was never in Spanish hands, so you can't dismiss the Spanish Señora like you could if this were Morocco. Also, the place names actually do work in Spanish, so it's just as plausible to believe that the author is creating a fictional Spanish-speaking place, where she's just thrown in a few words she picked up on holiday to Madeira.

So, bearing T:NO RW in mind, what do others feel most comfortable with doing?

Should we:


 * Dismiss the Señora thing as a production error and insist that this is most logically Madeira and she is therefore Portuguese.
 * Assert that the lady herself is Spanish but somehow resident on Madeira
 * Call it Madeira, but don't assert that it's part of Portugual. Assume that Spanish is spoken on it because of the lady's title.
 * Apply T:NO RW strictly and go with "an unknown Spanish-speaking country". Assume that the author is deliberately trying to fudge the geography by mixing Spanish with Madeira locations.  (Such fudging happens with regularity in DW fiction. Don't believe me?  I refer you the Great State of Malebolgia,  Or Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Or, heck, Leadworth, England.  Or the fact that Torchwood was supposedly underneath Cardiff.  Or that UNIT has a base under the Tower of London and in Mount Snowdon.)
 * Do something I haven't thought of 04:09: Fri 15 Feb 2013


 * Dismissing it as a production error seems the most logical to me. OS25 (talk to me, baby.) 04:22, February 15, 2013 (UTC)


 * I'm with OS on this one. Production error. The way I see it, "Señora" is the only thing tying her to a Spanish country. For all we know, she originally came from a Spanish country and moved to Portugal. But speculation. Anyways, at least in the real world, "Madeira" is Portugese for "wood." Why would a Spanish country use a Portugese word to name a place? I just think the tiny production error of "señora" is the only thing contradicting this. [[file:SmallerOnTheOutside.png|13px]] SOTO ☎ 04:36, February 15, 2013 (UTC)