Genuinely just busted everywhere, currently using my residue as adhesive to hold together my lesbian shrine Iām building for them. Never kill yourself because lesbian cowgirls are always on the horizon. ļæ¼
I hope this is a safe place to explore this. Iām earnestly dissecting what I think is implied, and in no way am I fetishizing or supporting these behaviors: I feel as if in the Zaun side of Arcaneās plot, there were always incestuous undertones and themes (proshippers dni this aināt for yāall). Iām looking at this purely through an analytical and psychological lens. The level of discomfort the writing forces you to sit in (mainly in s1, s2 isā¦ s2) has always stuck with me. Few pieces of media have made that much of an impact on me. I really really want to share my thoughts on all this, and am open to feedback!
Separated the rest of the essay because not everyone wants to see discourse over incest on their timeline unprompted š§āāļø
Silco & Jinx
On a base level, Jinx and Silcoās dynamic is inherently abusive, as Silco enables a very gross sense of boundaries. He burdens her with his hatred of Vander, and keeps her at baylike a dog by giving her absolute validation. He restricts her from maturing properly by appeasing to her fragile ego, as if sheās perpetually a child. Yet, you can tell he genuinely does love her, albeit VERY manipulatively. Itās a very disturbing mix- he clearly grooms this child for his own selfish gains, but also comes to love her. But his idea of love is centered around projecting his own issues of abandonment and existential disdain onto her. He treats her both like a bratty kid but also a friend.
For any child, but especially as somebody else as mentally ill as her, that dangerously muddies her ability to healthily discern different kinds of relationships. I mean, textbook abuser alert, he tells her her family betrays her, and that heās the only one she can trust. Paired with how he makes her feel equal to him by infantilizing her, she becomes codependent on his love, love which both coddles her but also asks her to be his rock. Parents should never force their children into a place of equal emotional responsibility (Iāll come back to this statement later).
Silco allows Jinx to be far too touchy, even for her unruly self (I donāt think I have to talk about the river sceneā¦) Generally, I donāt think Silco has romantic or sexual intent with Jinx, heās just a very manipulative person, even towards himself. But itās not totally out there to feel like that still might lurk within his mind, as well as herās, consequentially. If anything, he might be aware that heās created that effect on her, and spurs it on, but never pushes it to the max; the tenderness which he views Jinx with is creepy. Part of me thinks he knows what heās doing, feels remorse for it, but continues to do so because sheās: A. Useful to his goals; but more focally, B. Doesnāt want to lose something he now considers so precious, even if it means eroding her confidence.
His death is the nail on the (literal) coffin, as while he was always wholly aware of what he was doing, I think we ought to question how badly his past traumatized him. The fact that his dying words were affirmations of his love is gut-wrenching (even though I cheer every time I rewatch his death). Nothing excuses his actions, but the mind defends itself in awful ways, sometimes.
From my understanding, a lot of emotional incest works in more subtle ways- burdening a child by being far too personal with them, either viewing them as an equal or putting them on so high a pedestal it becomes borderline romantic. I donāt think the writers intended this to be the only lens for their relationship to be viewed through. Itās just that when you push the boundaries of what is healthy in a parent-child dynamic, thereās bound to be questions raised, so I think they approached it very gracefully. A big point in Arcane is to come to your own conclusions, and I think thatās most exemplified through their dynamic. The base toxicity of it is obvious, but the questions of why Silco acts that way towards her, how aware he is of the damage heās inflicting upon her, and to what extents their boundaries cross, all fascinate me. I honestly consider it a masterclass in writing.
Vi & Jinx
Thereās something more Iād like to add that I havenāt seen anyone talk about online (and again, Iām open to respectful criticism). This is what I initially started with in this post, and itās what Iām most afraid to share. Upon her sisterās return, I believe Jinx projected some of the emotional incest she experienced onto Vi.
On a surface level, she was paranoid and distrustful of Vi, so kidnapping Caitlyn was the easiest way to hurt her. But to me, the fact that she was SO jealous of Caitlyn, to the point of kidnapping her in the nude, teasingly dangling her life in front of Vi, screams something deeper beyond āIām psychoā. Silco warped her perception of how things happened, making her distrustful of everyone around her. Thus, her actions are a trauma response to realizing her abuse. She has to process sisterly love through the mind of someone taught to discard emotional and physical boundaries.
So it unfortunately makes sense she would view Caitlyn as competition. Not just a projection of feeling abandoned, a way to hurt Vi back, but competition. I understand that the shimmer really messed with her mind, but these things were already laid out, waiting to be triggered, unfortunately. Logically, taking Caitlyn when she showered makes sense, as she was in her most vulnerable state. But itās not foolish to think that Jinx got some sicker satisfaction from it, stripping her away of what was supposed to be safe. Iāve seen a couple theories floating around that she mightāve done more to Caitlyn when she kidnapped her- I donāt necessarily think so, but I donāt blame people for pondering on such.
The way she is so invested in having Vi āproveā her love to her makes it feel as if sheās viewing this as a loverās quarrel. At first glance, the details of the dinner scene seem like a crude desire to have a āfamily dinnerā once again, and it is. However, the abundance of candles arranged so meticulously grossly ensue a romantic feeling. Arcane has always been a show which tells 10x more of a story visually, so I donāt think things like this would go unnoticed.
If you asked me, I think the way in which Jinx viewed Vi upon her return- probably up until halfway through s2- fluctuated a lot (their relationship didnāt start out that way, I must clarify). Out of both desperation and anger, she started viewing Vi in a somewhat romantic light (albeit, it becomes so murky after a point that you canāt label it so simply). To her, Vi became a prize she wasnāt sure she was worthy of. This plays into the Powder & Jinx dichotomy, which I havenāt even touched on, because that would be a whole essay of its own. But in short, her reality was being torn apart at the seams. The lie which Silco built his relationship with Jinx off of came crashing down, and so did her mind. She couldnāt decide if she wanted to reject or accept Vi. She could only process familial love in the way Silco taught her.
I have to say how much I love Vi now, as all she wanted to do was protect Jinx, even when she was violated so disturbingly. Harkening back to what I said about how kids should never have to share equal responsibility, there are going to be times when that is needed, sadly. Thatās the entire point of how Vanderās parenting contrasts Silcoās. The kids of Zaun donāt have the luxury to live normally, but Vander tried his best to let such happen regardless. He helped Vi grapple with the weight of leadership, and never imposed his own issues onto the kids, never seeking solace or answers from doing so.
What I can give s2 some praise for is exploring how much healthier Jinx was once freed from Silcoās grasp. I think it all happened far too quickly, as with the rest of the season, but it was nice seeing her and Vi get to act like normal sisters for a (very) brief amount of time. Narratively, it answers the question of how to love healthily again. Thatās why itās so poetic that Vanderās twisted corpse kills Isha- we can grow from our past, but we canāt escape it.
Conclusion
Psychologically, incest is a concept thatās always fascinated me, because it manifests in very subtle ways, more often than it does in direct ones. Itās a very touchy topic to bring up, so I hope if anybodyās read all this, they understand when Iām trying to get at. (Season 1 of) Arcane has so much depth and isnāt afraid to approach themes from painfully real angles that are often sanitized in other media, I really love it. ļæ¼ļæ¼ļæ¼ļæ¼ļæ¼
I hope this is a safe place to explore this. Iām earnestly dissecting what I think is implied, and in no way am I fetishizing or supporting these behaviors: I feel as if in the Zaun side of Arcaneās plot, there were always incestuous undertones and themes (proshippers dni this aināt for yāall). Iām looking at this purely through an analytical and psychological lens. The level of discomfort the writing forces you to sit in (mainly in s1, s2 isā¦ s2) has always stuck with me. Few pieces of media have made that much of an impact on me. I really really want to share my thoughts on all this, and am open to feedback!
Separated the rest of the essay because not everyone wants to see discourse over incest on their timeline unprompted š§āāļø
Silco & Jinx
On a base level, Jinx and Silcoās dynamic is inherently abusive, as Silco enables a very gross sense of boundaries. He burdens her with his hatred of Vander, and keeps her at baylike a dog by giving her absolute validation. He restricts her from maturing properly by appeasing to her fragile ego, as if sheās perpetually a child. Yet, you can tell he genuinely does love her, albeit VERY manipulatively. Itās a very disturbing mix- he clearly grooms this child for his own selfish gains, but also comes to love her. But his idea of love is centered around projecting his own issues of abandonment and existential disdain onto her. He treats her both like a bratty kid but also a friend.
For any child, but especially as somebody else as mentally ill as her, that dangerously muddies her ability to healthily discern different kinds of relationships. I mean, textbook abuser alert, he tells her her family betrays her, and that heās the only one she can trust. Paired with how he makes her feel equal to him by infantilizing her, she becomes codependent on his love, love which both coddles her but also asks her to be his rock. Parents should never force their children into a place of equal emotional responsibility (Iāll come back to this statement later).
Silco allows Jinx to be far too touchy, even for her unruly self (I donāt think I have to talk about the river sceneā¦) Generally, I donāt think Silco has romantic or sexual intent with Jinx, heās just a very manipulative person, even towards himself. But itās not totally out there to feel like that still might lurk within his mind, as well as herās, consequentially. If anything, he might be aware that heās created that effect on her, and spurs it on, but never pushes it to the max; the tenderness which he views Jinx with is creepy. Part of me thinks he knows what heās doing, feels remorse for it, but continues to do so because sheās: A. Useful to his goals; but more focally, B. Doesnāt want to lose something he now considers so precious, even if it means eroding her confidence.
His death is the nail on the (literal) coffin, as while he was always wholly aware of what he was doing, I think we ought to question how badly his past traumatized him. The fact that his dying words were affirmations of his love is gut-wrenching (even though I cheer every time I rewatch his death). Nothing excuses his actions, but the mind defends itself in awful ways, sometimes.
From my understanding, a lot of emotional incest works in more subtle ways- burdening a child by being far too personal with them, either viewing them as an equal or putting them on so high a pedestal it becomes borderline romantic. I donāt think the writers intended this to be the only lens for their relationship to be viewed through. Itās just that when you push the boundaries of what is healthy in a parent-child dynamic, thereās bound to be questions raised, so I think they approached it very gracefully. A big point in Arcane is to come to your own conclusions, and I think thatās most exemplified through their dynamic. The base toxicity of it is obvious, but the questions of why Silco acts that way towards her, how aware he is of the damage heās inflicting upon her, and to what extents their boundaries cross, all fascinate me. I honestly consider it a masterclass in writing.
Vi & Jinx
Thereās something more Iād like to add that I havenāt seen anyone talk about online (and again, Iām open to respectful criticism). This is what I initially started with in this post, and itās what Iām most afraid to share. Upon her sisterās return, I believe Jinx projected some of the emotional incest she experienced onto Vi.
On a surface level, she was paranoid and distrustful of Vi, so kidnapping Caitlyn was the easiest way to hurt her. But to me, the fact that she was SO jealous of Caitlyn, to the point of kidnapping her in the nude, teasingly dangling her life in front of Vi, screams something deeper beyond āIām psychoā. Silco warped her perception of how things happened, making her distrustful of everyone around her. Thus, her actions are a trauma response to realizing her abuse. She has to process sisterly love through the mind of someone taught to discard emotional and physical boundaries.
So it unfortunately makes sense she would view Caitlyn as competition. Not just a projection of feeling abandoned, a way to hurt Vi back, but competition. I understand that the shimmer really messed with her mind, but these things were already laid out, waiting to be triggered, unfortunately. Logically, taking Caitlyn when she showered makes sense, as she was in her most vulnerable state. But itās not foolish to think that Jinx got some sicker satisfaction from it, stripping her away of what was supposed to be safe. Iāve seen a couple theories floating around that she mightāve done more to Caitlyn when she kidnapped her- I donāt necessarily think so, but I donāt blame people for pondering on such.
The way she is so invested in having Vi āproveā her love to her makes it feel as if sheās viewing this as a loverās quarrel. At first glance, the details of the dinner scene seem like a crude desire to have a āfamily dinnerā once again, and it is. However, the abundance of candles arranged so meticulously grossly ensue a romantic feeling. Arcane has always been a show which tells 10x more of a story visually, so I donāt think things like this would go unnoticed.
If you asked me, I think the way in which Jinx viewed Vi upon her return- probably up until halfway through s2- fluctuated a lot (their relationship didnāt start out that way, I must clarify). Out of both desperation and anger, she started viewing Vi in a somewhat romantic light (albeit, it becomes so murky after a point that you canāt label it so simply). To her, Vi became a prize she wasnāt sure she was worthy of. This plays into the Powder & Jinx dichotomy, which I havenāt even touched on, because that would be a whole essay of its own. But in short, her reality was being torn apart at the seams. The lie which Silco built his relationship with Jinx off of came crashing down, and so did her mind. She couldnāt decide if she wanted to reject or accept Vi. She could only process familial love in the way Silco taught her.
I have to say how much I love Vi now, as all she wanted to do was protect Jinx, even when she was violated so disturbingly. Harkening back to what I said about how kids should never have to share equal responsibility, there are going to be times when that is needed, sadly. Thatās the entire point of how Vanderās parenting contrasts Silcoās. The kids of Zaun donāt have the luxury to live normally, but Vander tried his best to let such happen regardless. He helped Vi grapple with the weight of leadership, and never imposed his own issues onto the kids, never seeking solace or answers from doing so.
What I can give s2 some praise for is exploring how much healthier Jinx was once freed from Silcoās grasp. I think it all happened far too quickly, as with the rest of the season, but it was nice seeing her and Vi get to act like normal sisters for a (very) brief amount of time. Narratively, it answers the question of how to love healthily again. Thatās why itās so poetic that Vanderās twisted corpse kills Isha- we can grow from our past, but we canāt escape it.
Conclusion
Psychologically, incest is a concept thatās always fascinated me, because it manifests in very subtle ways, more often than it does in direct ones. Itās a very touchy topic to bring up, so I hope if anybodyās read all this, they understand when Iām trying to get at. (Season 1 of) Arcane has so much depth and isnāt afraid to approach themes from painfully real angles that are often sanitized in other media, I really love it. ļæ¼ļæ¼ļæ¼ļæ¼ļæ¼
Kid Caitlyn makes me so sad, I read a fic where it really highlighted how lonely she was from being an outspoken girl, since people always undervalued her because of her background. I feel she probably had enough social skills to have surface level friends (and Jayce) but I donāt think anybody until Vi really got her in the way she needed. I think part of the reason sheās always so deeply cared about justice, outside of her momās influence, is because itās her way of feeling validated, that if she can help other people, they wonāt have to feel as displaced as she did (fuck aristocratic snottiness). When she didnāt have friends to truly bond with, she lost herself in her books. Itās definitely also a pride thing, as she doesnāt like being placed into a box of other peopleās expectations, that much is obvious, you go girl.
Sheās very privileged, and that blinds her to a lot of the harm she can inadvertently cause, but I think sheās also always felt guilty for feeling lonely in the first place, because she knows she comes from a very comfortable backgroundā¦ generally speaking, though, she is very sheltered. I love her, whenever I see her stiffen up and shove aside her personal frustrations, I see the lonely little girl who so desperately wants to make the world a better place because people expect her to just standby to injustice. Little did she know that her own ambitions would blind her, the privileges others judged her for would end up being a detriment in the end, just not in the way she expected ļæ¼
How do people act normal about women I jump for glee and delicately caress my carās steering wheel and call it a good girl and cry over the fact that I was born in the wrong body every time I see Caitlyn Kiramman sheās literally perfect
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