Wednesday Characters' Hogwarts + Ilvermorny Houses (4/4)
Tyler Galpin || Gryffindor & Thunderbird (The Adventurer) — Combination: The Revolutionary
+a quick analysis of how he could be interpreted as a Hufflepuff
Oh geez, Tyler “White Suburban Barista to Kicked Dog” Galpin gave me GRIEF in figuring out his Hogwarts house. So caveat For Tyler: We barely know who this kid is. He has been manipulated via the Hyde-bond for at least all of S1, and he was subsequently going through an insanely difficult time in S2. Hunter Doohan himself mentioned that we do not know much about who Tyler is without the influence/control of another person. The Ilvermorny house was easy because one of the options tied in directly to his fundamental value: freedom (which I might provide a separate analysis for someday). But for his Hogwarts house, peeling back all the layers of abuse as far as I could, I ultimately decided on Gryffindor OR Hufflepuff (but primarily a Gryffindor). So, I’ll do a brief analysis of both potentials.
One of the reasons I think I am right in this analysis is the fact that he is so hard to place in any Hogwarts house. Allow me to explain.
If we boiled down the core value/trait of Gryffindor, it would be bravery in a strong moral code. Imagine both those were forcibly stripped from a Gryffindor due to external factors (i.e. Thornhill). That Gryffindor would present themselves in a very strange, lost manner—just like Tyler does in S2. Thornhill’s abuse directly targeted these core traits and left him fundamentally unsure of his identity and stripped of the ability to actively pursue a moral code.
I think we see evidence that Tyler is actually someone who does have this brash willingness to stubbornly follow a strong moral code of his choice (in a strange way). We see evidence of this through what we know of his past. Growing up, Tyler was taught by Donovan that Outcasts are immoral, murderers, etc. He grew up with a strong moral code that outcasts were a problem, and consequently he did something really gutsy/rash to follow this moral code: assaulting Xavier. Of course, this moral code isn't right—but it is an example of a moral code.
I also believe this moral code has slowly changed through a MASSIVE effort. It took: learning he is an outcast himself, bootcamp, AND therapy to start to alter his code regarding Outcasts. However, he definitely still holds some reservations. I'm sure he had some immense self-resentment regarding his hyde abilities (we hear a distorted "I'm sorry," from Thornhill during the flashback scene of her revealing his mother's outcast ability/his potential hydism to him which could be perceived as her approaching it like: I'm so sorry, you're an outcast). Additionally, he literally tried to crush Thing with a bat, so man is not fully accepting of Outcasts yet. Thus, strong and stubborn adherence to a moral code (that is changing, but is still slightly present in S1). By S2, he's more willing to accept who he is (via his unwillingness to give up the hyde), which indicates the beginning of adopting a new moral code and reclaiming himself—which is why I think we'll see him act more like a Gryffindor in S3.
Anyways. Moving on. We also see his commitment to other heavily Gryffindor-like traits: chivalry, nerve, compassion, and determination. Chivalry/Nerve: my man is always physically catching Wednesday, making gutsy moves to flirt with her, grand gestures of appreciation, etc. This dude is extremely bold. Compassion: he is always willing to help others out (offering to drive her out of town, making her a cake, etc). Determination: the sheer determination for freedom and to pursue what he wants is intense. Once he gets an idea in his head he’s stubbornly hanging onto it: flirting with Wednesday, fleeing the town, protecting his mom, visiting Wednesday in S2, etc. He is insanely stubborn and that stubbornness is directly linked to his ultimate goal of freedom—which I believe is Gryffindor coded.
Tyler's thematic arc is based on freedom. Personal autonomy, the freedom to be a little rash, to be bold, to make decisions, to love who he wants, etc. To rebel. Tyler, is at his heart, a bit of a rebel. Rebels against his dad, rebels against Thornhill (once it’s possible), is snarky, bantery, etc. etc. The combination of Gryffindor and Thunderbird is ultimately defined as the Revolutionary. Here’s a last little excerpt from the Tumblr post linked below if you don’t believe me yet: “This Gryffindor is the least boastful and glory seeking of Gryffindors, as it cares very little for the outside world. It deeply connects to those who share its beliefs however, and will stick to these long lived friendships through any situation, no matter how thick or thin.” I believe that sounds like Tyler. I rest my case.
I lean heavily toward Gryffindor for Tyler, but I’m determined to give it a fair shot. In all honesty, I think he might seem a little Hufflepuff presenting because of his trauma. Almost like what has happened to him may have pushed him FROM his roots as Gryffindor and has instead toppled him into the territory of an unhealthily adjusted Hufflepuff. For instance, this idea of Hufflepuff loyalty.
Tyler seems a little co-dependent at this point. He latches onto people because he has been abandoned and consequently forcibly tied to people who have lorded over his life (primarily Thornhill, his mother to a small degree). However, instead of valuing loyalty above all and deciding to cooperate and compromise we see him lash out, fight back, and stubbornly fight for the concept of freedom. We definitely see this through how he attacks Fran and Isaac at the end of S2—even though I’m sure Fran had multiple conversations with him about how his Hydism would damage their family dynamic/ties.
Anyways, there still is a genuine argument for Hufflepuff as there are potential bleed-overs between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff traits. For instance, his immensely thoughtful gestures toward Wednesday could be interpreted as the empathetic, uniquely thoughtful characteristics of Hufflepuff—I concede that possibility easily. Still, I think the reason he might portray himself as more Hufflepuffian in the series itself is a direct result of trauma; but when push comes to shove, the more he gains control over himself, the more we will see Gryffindor-like traits manifest more strongly.
Ilvermorny Justification:
The primary value of those in the Thunderbird house is FREEDOM. That should honestly be enough to shoe-in Tyler for this house, but I’ll give further justification. Freedom is clearly Tyler’s core value; his relationships and his character arc are based on this concept of freedom, afterall. Furthermore, this house favors the adventurer and the soul. In terms of adventurer, Tyler clearly demonstrates a desire to explore, break from this monotonous, conventional mold—this ties closely to freedom.
This is also tied to the concept of self-acceptance, which one again ties into Tyler’s arc as a hyde. The idea of self-exploration and exploration outside of the cage that he has been trapped in is fascinating. Lastly, the idea of the soul. This is a little more meta, but in context of Donovans moral guilt/shame placed upon Tyler for the concept of outcast-ism corrupting the soul, having the Thunderbird tied to the soul is really poetic. Once again, Tyler’s progression of self-acceptance is tied to this idea of seeing himself as whole, and his soul as his own (instead of bound to a master) and pure enough to see worth in himself.
Here are two analyses that helped/inspired my own:
EatinApplesauce: https://www.reddit.com/r/harrypotter/comments/d80fz8/in_depth_analysis_of_each_ilvermorny_house/
estj-cant-unmake-my-main: https://www.tumblr.com/thesortinghatinreallife/155912778871/a-complete-guide-to-ilvermorny
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