#terror thoughts

For example Little lacks this kind of association and ends up being a character associate with sentences, situations and actions more than objects. He suffers from the lack of on screen personal belonging and therefore facts about him.

And so on the other hand Irving is tangible and palpable, he has a strong materiality.

- his (beloved) spyglass goes from hands to hands : from Tozer’s, to Hartnell’s and to the Netsilik’s. The very first mention of Irving’s name is related to this object and the fact that he owns it. Its presence on someone else than him at his death has a huge impact (even if at this point of the story I bet they would have shot the group regardless I think it holds a specific role in Hodgson’s actions, he must have known how important the spyglass was to Irving). It’s here at the beginning of his character and at the very end of it. We don’t even know if any of his crewmates get it after his passing, it disappears with him.

- inventories. His strong materiality can also be seen in him taking inventories, he is quite literally in charge of the possession of the men. This is not a huge point of the characters as it’s not enlightened a lot in the show but I really like the fact that it’s here, those objects were here and he knows about it very well. And I love that it’s surely in reference to real life Irving who was into math.

- carnival. He most likely don’t own the angel costume (sadly) but it’s his choice to wear it (personal take but I can only see this decision tinged with humour on his part, some kind of self deprecating one). Again next to the other Terror’s lieutenants he stands out, he's noticable visually speaking to the viewer but he is also clearly (not really but yk) « marked » by the narrative by the song he sings, the one of his death. So here again Irving is given a repeating pattern.

- coat. Irving is not represented giving interest in the questions of ranks but he’s third lieutenant and his coat is a position indicator. So when Hickey takes it it becomes more important (narratively speaking) because it's someone else’s possession, by stealing it Hickey gives it more right to belong to Irving, but Irving isn’t here anymore. So what’s left of him ? A witness of his assassination bearing deep cuts in its fabrics which weigh on Tozer’s mind (and also Hodgson’s if you ask me, the way he cautiously literally never looks at it ??) If the other objects are here to tell us about John Irving’s life this coat is here to tell us about his death.