Not Dumb, Just Inarticulate

not dumb, just inarticulate

That title basically describes Kamina. There's an episode in Gurren Lagann where he compares his old village chief to Rossiu's village elder. Kamina recognizes that the two are similar but can't describe what they share in common. In fact, their village leader and Rossiu's priest are both close-minded. They harm their followers by stringently adhering to false beliefs and are too frightened to challenge them. Kamina notices they resemble each other, which demonstrates his perceptiveness. However, he can't pinpoint what links the two leaders because he hasn't been taught how to criticize his beliefs. On a more meta level, Kamina's lack of articulation can explain how harmful traditions are perpetuated by a lack of education.

Tenma and Lunge are the same character but with a slight twist. They're both workaholics who let their passion destroy their personal lives. However, Tenma's position as Chief of Surgery strengthens his relationships with others, while Lunge's obsession with detective work only further isolates him. Tenma's rapport with former patients is so strong that when he is jailed for murder, they form an advocacy group and pay for the best defense lawyer they can find. Lunge's relationship with his clients is nonexistent in contrast. He doesn't view his clients as people but as puzzle pieces that must be fitted together.

Matahachi Honiden and Peter Keating

Despite being from two completely different eras and countries, the deuteragonists of the Vagabond manga and The Fountainhead share a lot in common. The Fountainhead has Peter Keating, an aspiring architect who sacrifices others and eventually his own happiness to achieve ephemeral success. In Vagabond, we see Matahachi Honiden bumble through various troubles on his quest to become an esteemed swordsman. Both of these men pursued these paths because of their mothers. Mrs. Keating guided all of Peter's career choices, from attending college to joining a firm and marrying his employer's daughter. Osugi Honiden, Matahachi's adoptive mother wanted him to be a worthy heir of the Honiden name. One of these men falls into disgrace, whereas the other accepts his failings and aspires to be better. Their maternal support is critical to their character arcs.

From the very beginning, Peter and Matahachi are pushed towards divergent endings. Peter mother frequently dismissed Keating's actual desires in favor of fulfilling a shallow version of success. This is epitomized in Keating's rejection of Katie, his true love. One day, a panicked Katie goes to Peter's home and asks to marry him the next day. He agrees, but his mother dissuades him from doing so. Instead, she advises him to marry Dominique Francon, his employer's daughter. Peter ultimately follows his mother's wishes rather than his own. This desperation to live up to his mother's standards drive him to ghastly measures. He frightens his firm's partner into dying of a stroke. Keating also plagiarizes his rival's designs. Despite owing his success to his rival, Peter still resents him Reaching all the hallmarks of traditional success leaves Keating tormented; he knows that he can credit himself for none of it.

By contrast, Osugi supports Matahachi's goal of becoming a skilled swordsman. In her eyes, this ambition makes him a better heir. However, Matahachi doesn't have the discipline to develop his sword skills. His indiscipline leads him to make the same mistakes as Keating. He cheats on his fiancee Otsu and wounds her deeply. Matahachi pretends to be the renowned swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. Admiration also sours into envy for Matahachi. He also resents his friend Musashi for becoming a better swordsman and taking his ex-fiancee.

It's Osugi's support, however, that guides Matahachi on a better path. Before her death, Osugi reveals that she knew about his failings but loved him anyways. She even compares him to Musashi positively. Even though Musashi's single-minded focus is admirable, Osugi believes that Matahachi wandering before finding his path is still beautiful. This validation and love is what gives Matahachi the strength to accept himself and his mistakes. This is the start of his redemption arc. Keating, however, never receives this same love. His mother recognizes that her constant meddling led to Peter's current misery; however, she never openly states that she accepts him for who he is.

Thank you @hozukitofu and everyone who got me to 5 reblogs!

Doll-Tearing = Loss of Innocence

In ASOIAF, doll tearing is often associated with the loss of innocence. When Arya visits a village, the village elder's daughter begs Arya to play with her. Annoyed and frustrated, Arya rips apart the young girl's toy knight, shouting "Now he's like a real knight! Torn apart and bloody!" (i can't remember which book). Arya has seen harrowing sights of violence and death that no normal adult should witness, much less a child. This incident highlights how deeply traumatized Arya is after what she has been through.

A similar scene occurs with her sister Sansa. She's building a snow Winterfell, thinking the snow has the "taste of innocence". Robin Arryn, her cousin, then destroys it with his stuffed toy. She accidentally tears it and Robin storms away, sobbing. Littlefinger then comes and kisses Sansa. This isn't Sansa's first time suffering an unwanted advance, but she truly realizes how little support she has when her aunt tries to punish her. Sansa has relied on the memory of her family for strength and the only relative she's seen after the death of her father threatens to kill her after an incredibly vulnerable moment.

Ursalina Duvianos: Reina's Dark Reflection

A good villian should aways mirror the hero, showing that it's easy to go wrong. Dona Ursalina Duvianos shares Reina's same insecurities and suffered for it. As a young woman, she was obsessed with Feleva Aguila, the ambitious valco leader. Superficially, Ursalina's relationship with Feleva mirrors Reina's relationship with Celeste. Reina and Ursalina both were infatuated with valcos whom they served. There is another interesting facet, however, that I think may have lead to Ursalina becoming the vengeful sorceress we see in the books. Both Reina and Ursalina felt inferior because of their species in the presence of their love interest.

At the beginning of The Sun and the Void, Laurel dismisses rumors about Feleva raging her way to an early death because of Laurel's marriage to Enrique. Even if Feleva's discontent wasn't that intense, it still must have been there for the rumor to exist. What would that have done to Ursalina? Seeing someone whom you love degrade their daughter-in-law because they are the same species as you must have destroyed her. By this point, however, Ursalina grew to accept the disrespect. She had already let Feleva take all the credit for discovering iridio. Ursalina's son, Juan Vicente, was raised to serve Don Enrique even though they were both heirs.

However, Ursalina's attitude towards Reina's mother is hypocritical. Juan Vicente left Dona Ursalina to marry Beatrice Torondoy, a nozariel. Ursalina's disdain for Vicente's wife mirrors Feleva's scorn for Laurel. Even though Ursalina resented Feleva for her speciesm towards humans, she never recognized her own prejudices.

Arya had broken dreams, too

Everyone hones in on how Sansa's dreams were brutally dashed, but I don't think enough people realize how Arya's dreams were broken too. Arya wanted to become a swordfighter and have bold adventures. She never imagined the death and destruction that could result from it. She, too, suffered the loss of her idealism and sunk into a deep depression. She doesn't even believe her mother will love her after seeing what she has become. Becoming what she has wanted is costing her who she was.