Fanfiction issue

[fabrisse]

All right. There are several fandoms where people are bona fide rich.

It is acceptable for you as the author to refer to their houses as mansions. It may even be acceptable for another character to refer to another character's home as "the mansion," but the people who live there don't.

They go home. They say, "want to come over to my house?" (I'll give a pass to the Luthers in the Smallville fandom, as a) they are fairly nouveau riche, and b) they live in a castle in Kansas. They can call it a castle.) It does not matter if the house in question has a couple of acres in Westchester County or if it seems to be a very large townhouse in Manhattan (the Petrellis in Heroes have both), it's their house or home.

The older the money the more likely the house is to be downplayed. Remember the people who lived here called it a cottage.

I feel better now.

Comments

[gileswench.livejournal.com]

(giggles)

I want a cottage like that one.

And you're absolutely right, Twistie. Then again, there's nothing new in that.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

hehe The Petrelli's have both a country home and a townhouse in Manhatten? Cool. :-)

I'll give a pass to the Luthers in the Smallville fandom, as a) they are fairly nouveau riche, and b) they live in a castle in Kansas.

::giggles::

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

*snort* I've always found it pretentious as hell for someone to call their hugely expensive home something less than what it is. While they can do whatever they want, I always found it comes across as demeaning. They have the money, they can call it whatever they want and make it seem like it doesn't mean anything. Alternately, "King/Queen of my Castle" is used a lot by people who're far from rich, or even middle-income, and the meaning is not the same.

But I do know what you're referring to. A rich character would not refer to their house as a mansion. However, they would if they're newly rich, and they'd allow the word "mansion" because having one is a new and marvelous thing.