hey everyone! now that we’ve had a day to take in the escapism chapter, i thought i would time contribute my interpretation in the form of this thread (enjoy this shot of birds i took during my second part of my folklore-inspired shoot)

let’s start by defining escapism. according to one of the definitions on http://dictionary.com , escapism is “the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc.”

this chapter title shouldn’t come as a surprise since taylor directly mentions escape in the album letter: “picking up my pen was my way of escaping.” to tie it back to the definition, escape from reality is exactly what we need right now.

here’s my theory on the chapters: https://twitter.com/sw1ftdr3ams/status/1296680839749619713

i would like to connect this to a thought i had regarding the piano transitions while analyzing the cardigan music video. i see it as a transition between her eras- albums and life since they tend to coincide.

here’s a tweet that inspired me to connect my previous observation to this interpretation. now to dive into the songs themselves. https://twitter.com/pommomara/status/1296664586976817152

the lakes: escaping fame, her dark period, her life before joe

we all know how bad 2016 was for her. taking time away from the spotlight has allowed her to realize what makes her truly happy. she enjoys the slower, private life that she’s built.

seven: escaping to childhood, a toxic home

the song begins with scenes from her childhood in pennsylvania. we see the world through her innocent eyes. later, she introduces a complex problem in the form of a toxic home. the solution she provides is reflective of that view.

epiphany: escaping from a horror scape

i’m going to start by defining it. an epiphany is “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.”

we’re looking for a solution out of our current dystopia-like life. the song opens with a war. this is inspired by her grandfather’s time in the war, but could also be connected to our war against covid. the battlefield could actually a hospital.

the escape occurs through a dream: “only twenty minutes to sleep / but you dream of some epiphany.” we tend to temporarily escape our problems through sleep, especially dreams. we create better lives for ourselves and are often saddened when we wake up to reality.

i believe that she suggests an escape from the current situation is through unity: “with you i serve, with you i fall down.” the only way we’re going to beat covid is if we do it together. our different ways of handling it in the us has not been effective in combatting it.

cardigan: escaping to a past relationship

we know that this song is from betty’s perspective (more to come on that later). i believe this that is her reflecting on the growth she had during and possibly after the relationship, demonstrated by the use of past tense in the song.

she is also reminiscing the good times. we constantly escape to see how we’ve grown and changed since then. there are also lessons that come out of these moments. this particular moment focuses on a complicated relationship.

betty acknowledges the good james has done for her by “putting her on and saying she was his favorite.” however, he also tossed her aside and neglects her feelings during his summer fling.

“when you are young, they assume you know nothing”
i think this is an insight we all gain when looking back on our life. our experiences shape our lives and is one of the main ways we learn. it informs our future decisions, and sometimes escaping to them can guide us.

mirrorball: escaping an imbalanced relationship

i see this song being written from the perspective of someone who puts an unreciprocated amount of effort into a relationship. eventually, you grow tired, give up, and escape this type of relationship.

exile: escaping a toxic relationship

this song shows how poor communication can destroy a relationship. both were unhappy and unheard. these feelings usually leads to one party initiating the escape.

now to revisit the earlier note. in this particular section, i will be looking at some of the other songs through the lens of the triangle. based on the theory that james is during epiphany and it coming after cardigan in this chapter: what if cardigan is based on betty thinking

about their relationship after he dies? people tend to dive back into the good moments they shared with the person who has passed. our initial reaction is to bury the bad and focus on the good since it’s usually impolite to speak ill of the dead.

mirrorball following cardigan could then be betty remembering some of the complications in their relationship, specifically how she loved him more than he loved her. if he truly loved her as much, why would he cheat with the summer fling?

sorry for the abrupt end, but that’s all the ideas i have for now on this chapter. i would like to thank @saltyaugustair for letting me bounce ideas off of her as always. i really appreciate you girl. ily you’re a real one

i’m also going to link to cristina’s thread because some of our ideas overlapped. i’m sorry if some of my ideas also overlapped with yours. i tried my best to give credit to those i saw but after deciding to create my own, i logged off to take it in and develop my own ideas. https://twitter.com/thebookoftaylor/status/1296681875298107392