!About innocence and choice in ctc!
Disclaimer, this is just my interpretation analysis on a theme I’ve picked up on in the comic, but personal interpretation is different for everyone and what people pick up on will be directly related to their own bias if they’re not speaking from an objective literary standpoint—which I will try to do throughout this, however we must recognize that one person cannot ever be truly objective, or at the very least it is quite difficult. therefore this is a subjective interpretation, and is to be discussed but not necessarily taken as fact, because I am not Velinxi, and I’d not like to override the intended subtext, this is my interpretation and is to be taken as brain food. Thanks! Woah, long preamble aside, let’s go.
I’d like to start this analysis by praising the choice of flora and fauna in this story, because OHHHH MY HEART. as someone who was obsessed for years with Victorian flower language, and still adores stories where hidden meanings are conveyed throughout this medium. 🥹
I’m about to sound REAL CRAZY here, but you know… if you’re curious, so what!
First things first, Let’s have a look at the associations with Iris flowers. In Greek mythology they are associated with the messenger goddess Iris. Therefore; they symbolize the bridge between heaven and earth, a connection! This is beautiful and relevant to the whole story, as Iris can truly be seen as a bridge between those higher up, and the people he protects.
However, what MOST interests me are the meanings of, which like most flowers change with their color. The Iris mainly represents Faith, Hope, Wisdom, Courage, and Love. The sheer detail in countdown to countdown is something I can never get over. Rather than blabbering like a madman, let’s look at this instead. Because, I think I caught something.
White Irises (like most white flowers) Symbolize Purity, and Innocence.
I noticed, over the course of the series—Iris starts slowly shedding his white layers. First with his white shirt being frayed, then later when he adopts a mix of blue and white.
Blue irises actually symbolize the faith, hope and trusting aspect of the meanings above. To have faith in someone or something, the world, a person, yourself, a belief. These are all correct interpretations.
Furthermore, when you’re actually preparing a bouquet with these, their use is interesting. They’re gifts you give to someone you trust deeply, to symbolize a long-standing bond, or to deliver good news to someone who needs it….ill let that simmer.
Iris after he starts shedding his white layers (his symbolic innocence) wears blue a lot from the beginning to the mid-point of the series. In my opinion, He still holds out hope, he has faith that he can live life the way he wants to.
He’s determined to not let anyone get him down, and to stand true to his own convictions.
And actually— even in earlier chapters, no matter what he wears under, his outer layer is ALWAYS blue. (!!!)
Symbolically, faith and trust are blanketing and protecting him. He still believes there is good in everyone, and that he can live a peaceful life.
But as he begins to train, we see that blue slowly fading as well. His trust is… becoming harder to reach and to connect to. (This panel is especially important)
He is being trained as a weapon, his second layer of hopeful optimism is being forced off of him, to shed, but not fully gone UNTIL here, where Iris’s jacket changes. This time, the blue is on the inside. He’s holding the last of his hope close to his chest, unwilling to let it be taken, or unwilling to show it. Either way… it’s here.
Black irises symbolize mystery, rebellion, elegance—and in relation to Buddhist ideology they symbolize a spiritual awakening. Iris is about to realize something. And well…it’s not…..
But at last, he “lives up” to his last name, A Black iris.
In this panel, his shirt is still blue—he can’t have changed, obviously. However, the coloring makes it look almost as black as his jacket, and black is pouring out of his nose and eyes! Which his powers have never done before up until this point.
(Also? Side note, but iris is framed here with a half-quarter moon, which has a very specific meaning. I find this very unlikely to be accidental.)
“The First Quarter Moon phase is often a period where obstacles tend to raise their head and where decisions need to be made. This not a time to hesitate, but a time remove any obstacles and push forward.” (Source)
This panel gets more beautiful the longer i analyse it. 😭
Essentially, and cutting to the chase—he’s losing the last of his hope that he was ever meant to be something other than a weapon, a karmic child born to fix his parent’s mistakes.
Iris picked up the sword.
When he found out about his mother’s betrayal; the eyes in the basement of the tower it was practically by accident.
When he was forced to strip—and his mother cut him up as a spectacle he had no choice either.
When he was nearly forced to do so AGAIN the only reason he didn’t was because of Lillium. When his second “friend” tried to kill him and broke his trust, Iris wouldn’t opt out of a fight. When he was training, it was forced upon him by the valley.
Usually, He has no agency.
But this time, Iris takes away his OWN hope, his own innocence.
He confirms and becomes resolute in his conviction that he suggested to himself.
And when Lillium tries to stop him? Criticizes his decisions? He is FURIOUS.
One interpretation of this, considering that we can’t see Iris’ perspective—is Why now? why not when my mother or the valley or the attackers did it? Why are you against it when I make the call.
Sadly, I think Iris wishes for ONCE, to have control in his loss of innocence. Because most times if not EVERY time, It has been wildly out of his control. And trying to grasp at what he can do, what he can control and even becoming obsessive about it is the only way to regain some sense of agency. he doesn’t really want to. But if he felt he was always going to have to, if he’s the one to make the move, it will feel easier. It might hurt less. He would rather choose his own suffering.
This is the kind of person Iris is, as we see quite early.
But it’s NOT that Lillium wants him to be helpless.
He realizes at the same time that Iris does, that he wants him to have a choice.
Lillium at first is annoyed then angry at Iris’ hopefulness, at his perceived naïveté.
Actually, it triggers him BADLY—Because in his eyes, it’s like being stupid and asking to be killed.
He understands that a person like Iris really doesn’t belong in this world. But at first he sees it as a failing on Iris’ part, rather than a failing of the world they live in. throughout the course of the story, he starts to change angles on this issue, and chooses to try and protect this innocence, rather than stamp it down.
But—he never encourages it either.
After the beginning of save file 13 I’d guess that he feels tremendously guilty, because he didn’t stand firm in this, he wasn’t 100% on his side, he was unable to stop Iris from being changed by the world around him, whereas Iris sees this situation as him changing himself.
Lillium WANTED Iris to conform. he did—but now he’s realizing the problem was never with Iris, and now he is determined to be. He wants to bring the kind and gentle Iris back, No matter what comes next. No matter what it costs. This is very applicable to the real world, I stand by this.
Sorry, excuse to insert this panel…GOD… !
Now, what’s almost as beautiful as this is Iris’ last costume change. It’s SO goddamn beautiful that I wanna cry…now I don’t know if any of this was intentional, but my GOSH. If not—that’s some serious luck and amazing intuition.
So, first off—the blue is back! I think this shows us that Iris is not fully gone, he’s still there, However, in this context I think the meaning of “hope” changes a little. He’s ready to be the one making the decisions, he’s GOING to. There is no want or wish in it. He might even be the one giving hope to others, this is established as well.
Or, it could simply remain blue because that’s iris’ main color scheme ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s a “why were the curtains were blue” type situation, hahah!
Last meaning of the Iris flower we’ll see here is the yellow Iris. Symbolizing passion and (like most yellow flowers) friendship. However, you wouldn’t want to give this to just a friend becuause of the “passion” bit. Ehem, it’s passion first, THEN friendship. Or symbolizes something deeper than normal friendship.
Also, interesting that these accents on iris’ outfit appeared the same arc that Laurence—who is constantly associated with yellow—arrives… HMMMMM. Anyway, personally I am not a Lauris shipper, but these are just the facts, and I find it interesting to mention, so here!
But the final nail in the coffin?
The most striking part for me?
You guessed it, the placement of white on his shoulders. let me cry, let me out of here
His white, his innocence will always, truly be a part of him. Of who Iris is as a person. But symbolically? it has become a burden. It’s weighing on his shoulders and his back. Because he cannot afford to be innocent. Lillium wants to awaken this within him, Iris wants to shove it down. And thus is born our main conflict for this arc 😭
(Also, considering that several of these meanings include a deeper meaning upon giving, and the combination of these colors, Iris ever giving this jacket to anyone would be terribly symbolic. This is an interesting possibility should it ever come to be. )
Thank you for your time, Yes! I am crazy to a certain degree, could this be nothing? Yes. Do I think Velinxi is a wonderful writer and artist who could totally put this in on purpose, also yes.
There is truth and there is wonder in this world, and i hope my analysis left you wondering. Thank you!
romaincrisis
areudirty
ellievsbear
dailybridgerton