Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Clark Kent, this is your feedback folder, erm, I mean, life -- pt 14

There's a lot of stuff in this. In our universe, I liked the new in-flight service <g> and am curious to see what's up with Dr. Shulz... in the other one... well, still poor Clark, but he is stronger than he thought. And what a change from the beginning of the story, that he's talking about going public!

Oh, and I loved the fumbled marriage proposal

So, Wendy, now we know who to bug... <g>

PJ

Edited:
I hate divorce as much as I hate adultery, however, Lana divorcing Clark is acceptable since it was he that was unfaithful.

Lana is doing the right thing dropping alt-Clark. In the long run, they will both be happier, at least until Clark reveals himself .

I wonder what the reaction of the Daily Planet will be to a super-hero that most of them know as an adulter. Surely they won't do a nod and wink and forget the whole matter! It's a good thing that Lois is on his side, otherwise, she would have roasted him alive.

Now, of course, Alt-Clark and Alt-Lois are going to do the right thing and get married and that will smooth somethings over, but that won't make everyone happy. And it will be several weeks/months before the divorce is final.

This is still a well written story, just not one of my favorite sub-topics.

James

Hi,

Great part. Finally Lana is giving Clark the divorce.

I see the gentle readers are falling into Yvonne's trap. They think that now that Lana is out of the picture, Lois and Clark can move forward and all will be right with the world.

All that 'going public' and becoming Superman stuff... smoke and mirrors. It will never happen.

Trask was/is a fanatic, but he wasn't stupid. He knows that Lana is weak, and had to realize that eventually she would fail him. Like any good commander, he has a back up plan.

Think about it. If his primary means of control is no longer available. How would he ensure that he wouldn't lose the upperhand. He would have to have some means already in place. Someone who could step right in, taking Lana's place in the overall scheme. Someone named... Lois Lane.

Tank (who thinks that Yvonne is particularly evil to have come up with such a diabolical plot twist)

James,
I usually avoid conflict, trying to keep my head in the sand, so to speak, but having read your statement
I feel compelled to speak out.

I don't understand how a person can make such a bold, generalized statement that can be hurtful.

Divorce occurs because two people cannot make a go of their marriage, whether the vows were taken in a place of worship or in a civic arena. I'm sure that most people, when they marry, believe their marriage is for life.

But that life can throw some pretty mean curves at them, or even throw each partner on a different road. There is no compromise, even when they have tried. So why keep those two people together, why make the children grow up in a stressful, perhaps unloving atmosphere?

It makes sense to me that divorce becomes a viable alternative to save the people involved.

Women suffer from physical or mental abuse or controlling husbands, as men suffer from similar wives. One of the couple could be an alcoholic or gambler throwing away the financial foundation that the family needs. Sometimes, the people involved have grown so far apart, they have no relationship other than living on the same premises. I could go on.

Divorce is a solution, not a sin.

Those who are lucky enough to love their partner and stay with them for life should be very grateful that life has handed them a very special gift. They should not throw stones at others.

gerry

First, a search for middle ground -- Gerry, I'm sure you'd agree that people generally don't get married expecting to get divorced. Compared to the ideal marriage, a divorce is a bad ending. Sadly, most marriages aren't ideal, but still -- nobody grows up dreaming of getting divorced.

Are there circumstances where it's justified? Yes (like for instance, in cases of adultery). Does that mean that it's a lovely thing? Not really.

Is it a solution or a sin? It can be one or the other, both or neither. It's also very very hard on kids. In my book, it's something people ought to work really hard to avoid, but I know that sometimes it's the best option.

Yes... and then there are those, like me, who have good and bad years but stick together anyway. It's not strictly a matter of luck.

Honestly, I don't believe James was throwing stones at anyone. Except maybe for alt-Clark But thanks for voicing your concern, Gerry, so we can get some clarification and hopefully avoid offending anyone. I feel really lucky to hang out on a message board with people like you who can discuss this sort of tricky topic in a calm and civil way.

PJ

You got to respond before I did and you hit the nail on the head. I was really casting Kryptonite at Alt-Clark!

When I initally wrote my FDK, I was distracted and sort of in a blue mood. I realize now that I had started one thought, didn't finish it, rewrote the beginning, and didn't rewrite the ending. I have edited my previous post to reflect a more accurate representation of my thoughts.

My sister and I are half-siblings. We don't share the same father. My Mother's first husband was a drunk, a wife beater, and not a little bit psycho. Their landlord had to hide my mother for about two weeks after he had come after her with a gun.

Unfaithfulness is an acceptable reason for divorce. It's even biblical, however, I still hate divorce.

It has been more than 40 years since my Mother's first husband divorced her(his reason, she had become pregnant with my sister), and to this day, he still haunts all of our lives. My Mother still believes, even after all the wonderful years my father has given her, that he will someday become like her first husband.

Not as an excuse, but as an explaination, her first husband's mother had been married 11 times, and this was back in the 40's and 50's! That seriously screwed her first husband up.

Ok, I just realized that I am rambling and either need to make sense of all this or shut up.
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The world is imperfect and so we have divorce. As Pam said.

jumping off the soapbox.

I'm sorry for the missunderstanding.

James

Thanks, James.

As I know Yvonne is very well aware, divorce and adultery are two very controversial subjects, and she was also aware that some readers would be uncomfortable with these aspects of the story.

Like Pam, I'm very happy to see that we're capable of having a debate, even a disagreement, on topics about which people have strong feelings and where these feelings can be very personal. So thanks, all, for keeping this friendly! Much appreciated.


Wendy
Boards Administrator

Sometimes context is extremely important.

I see now, James, how when you say, "I hate divorce", it wasn't a blanket generalization. It was much more personal than that.

In this world of fandom, I know it's hard to see Clark in an adulterous situation, with a divorce forthcoming. I know I couldn't write him that way, but I appreciate that Yvonne's has grappled with these difficult issues in her fanfic.

I sometimes think of Clark, more as a human being, fictional but human, rather than the superhero. In that sense, I can accept him in these difficult life situations. And though I also can't condone his affair with Lois, I understand that the woman he married has betrayed him, almost all his life. That's pretty hard to live with when he's been all alone since he was a child...abandonned twice (once by Jor-el and Lara; the second time by Martha and Jonathan) and then betrayed by his childhood confidante and wife. He needs a friend. And that's Lois.

Yvonne has created a very human Clark who is just beginning to understand that the strength and powers he has can lead him to a higher level of living...from being just a strong man to being a hero. alt-Clark probably has a harder road to travel to get to the level of hero than our Clark, who was raised by Martha and Jonathan) has.

Enough rambling. Let Yvonne unravel alt-Clark's journey.

gerry

Thanks, Pam. Yet another of those places where I wasn't sure if it worked or not.

James, I've tried fairly diligently to ensure that at least some moral standards prevail in this fic, as you've noted yourself. Where mortals falter and standards slip, I've tried to reflect society's disapproval by using the reactions of the surrounding characters. I completely agree that altClark will face a tough time as an adulterous Superman - he'll have a much harder job winning the trust of those he serves. On the other hand, many of those will also have gone through divorce or know a friend or family member who has, and whilst divorce and adultery don't necessarily go hand-in-hand, I imagine there will be plenty of people out there who have experienced a similar situation to Clark's. Hopefully, they'll understand his emotional dilemma and therefore not judge him more harshly than they would themselves or their loved ones.

As Wendy says, I know these are difficult and controversial issues. They arouse strong feelings. I'm proud, however, to write a story that can draw out those emotions because, personally, I like a story that challenges me. Hopefully, others feel the same.

Tank, I'm shocked. Lois Lane, a baddie? Next you'll be telling me Jimmy Olsen is the best supporting character of all.

Yvonne