goldtracing

Short stories 'bout Star Wars & Hetalia

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Masterlist

Star Wars

Force technique – Force suggestion

Force technique – Battle meditation

Force technique – Telepathy & Emotion Detection

Force technique – Mind reading

On Padme Amidala’s death

My take on the Gods post

 Hetalia

America’s & England’s Fashion

 Part I – On the fashion attitudes of England and America

 Part II – England: The early years (950 – 1400)

 Part III – America: The early years (1600 – 1700) 

Part IV - England - The Tudors (1400 - 1600)

Part V – America: Independence (1700 – 1800)

Part VI – England: The Stuarts (1600 – 1700)

Part VII – England: The Georgian Era (1700 – 1830)

Part VIII – America: The Civil War & The Gilded Age (1800 – 1900)

Part IX – England: The Victorian Era (1830 – 1901)

Part X – England & America – Edwardian Era to Roaring 20s (1900 – 1929)

Part XI – England & America – Great Depression to post-WWII (1930 – 1949)

Part XII – England & America: Cold War Part I (1950 – 60)

Historical Hetalia Week

Day 4 – Opulence / (1500 – 1800)

Day 5 – Novelty / (1800 – 1945)

Day 7 – Memento / (post-1945)

Hetalia Headcanons

A Brief Contemplation - Russia 

America’s and England’s relationship

APH Austria I

APH Austria II

Charactersation of Hetalia Nations

Hetalia List Challenge

How Humans feel about Nations

Gilbert’s red eyes

The Coffee Club I

The Coffee Club II

The Tea Club TM

Relationship Study I

Singular Posts

Scheinheilig - China

Cupidity - England

Subterfuge – Monaco

Polarized – America

Adaptability - Russia

Cordiality – Japan

America, England - Fashion Make-over

Hetalia as Blackadder quotes

Hetalia as Allo Allo quotes

through the years

    1800s

    1812, Russia

    1810, Vienna

    1870s - Victoria

    1907, St. Petersburg

    1941, Finland

    1941, Moscow

    1943, Calcutta

    1945, Brussels

    1945 - Potsdam

    1950s

    1977 – Santiago

    2010s, London

    2010s, Peking

    2010s, New York

AO3

Masterlist - Works on Ao3

[Art is not mine. Credit goes to the artists. DM for art removal.]

[goldtracing]

After half an eternity, I'm finally sitting down to continue "blood black with sins". Hope the inspiration will last and I'll continue my other Star Wars fanfics as well

[goldtracing]

Nations and Physique

Our beloved Hetalia garbage men and women stand in contrast to how personifications of nations have been imagined throughout history; especially in terms of physique. The former don't really represent the ideal or the stereotype either. Though I do still see them as being able to accurately represent the population on a large part.

Since they always present both rich and poor, healthy and unhealthy, that the sides balance each other out. In the end, you get a nation that isn't too fat or too skinny. And because human appearances change due to evolution and societal changes. These shifts don't occur fast though, since they are very human at the end of the day. Instead, it happens gradually - enough to fool humans that might try to track them through photographs and artwork. Yet it isn't enough for them to not recognise each other.

And since they are not human, they are not so affected by the usual health problems they are afflicted by. Poisons produce strange reactions, wounds heal faster and lost limbs can be either reattached or regrown. A nation can stand in a full hospital of infectious people and still remain healthy, because they can't be infected. Until they do; until sickness becomes epidemic and they tip over into being violently ill. Then they die, only to reanimate and then die again. This cycle would repeat itself until the problem would be eradicated.

Due to their livelihood stemming from the people instead of the pure chemical mechanics of human biology, they can go without food and water, with nutrient deficiencies for the longest time. Oh, it eventually does them in, though they are soon resetted to their default status. Until it doesn't; until their body copies the plight of the people around them in an effort to blend in. And as a twisted form of sympathy for their humans. With the cause of their plight being the agony of their humans, no medical treatment or food or anything that could help a singular person could alleviate their symptoms or cure them. It could be something that would force them to act.

For all their human appearances, the eldritch part would really come to shine after being revived. It would allow them to escape the grave, to retrieve their head or also other body parts if they have been separated. It would allow a cold body to get up and move and act in a way that only a warm-blooded creature can. There is more that comes to mind, but I'll just leave it at that.

[ameliafuckinjones]

Reading this article about how the James Bond films/books embody the 5 stages of grief that British society/a generation (especially the author who lived during the twilight years of the empire) went through after the loss of the empire and how Bond is supposed to represent the British pov and its new role on the world stage as America assumes the role of superpower and engages in a cold war with Russia. It talks about the nostalgia and anger and resentment that the author channeled through his writing at each stage the empire was taken apart (From Indian independence to the Suez Canal crisis). The article suggests that the books/films engage in the fantasy of Britian (or British agents) still being capable and perhaps a bit better than their American counterparts despite America's technological and economic dominance. Also, the constant fantasy of being the only one who can save America and the world. I kind of like it because in a way it fits my own personal head canons about how England came to view his relationship with America, paired with the constant need to give into fantasy/delusions and illusions at odds with reality which kind of goes with his astrology (Neptune in his first house):

I love entertaining the thought that England doesn't start being truly angry with America until AFTER his empire falls and America replaces him. Before that, he viewed America how one might view an aggressive chihuahua: a bit annoying and perplexing, but easy to ignore or placate. That is no longer the case post-WWII, and it pisses him off to no end. He compensates by trying to take a more dominant role in their relationship, though on the social/personal level. He did become a bit more dominant/aggressive on a geopolitical level during the Falklands War, when America under Reagan tried to caution the UK from going to war over the Falklands and England basically said "fuvk OFF" and then America ended up siding with him ANYWAY and he hadn't felt that alive in YEARS.

In my mind, modern England as a character is a bitter old man who still holds in his heart an insatiable lust for a "larger than life" existence with no outlet for that lust in the modern world (where he is no longer the Empire) and it is driving him insane. Comparatively (and to a go a bit off tangent) America is being driven insane by anxieties over his pre-eminence as the worlds first superpower -a role he believes he wasn't ready for though he'll never give England or anyone else the satisfaction of knowing that- and his own mortality due to being so young and in his mind in much more danger of seizing to exist in comparison to older nations (though in truth he shouldn't worry so much, after all France is still around and he literally went through a death and rebirth during his Revolution. It takes a lot to completely disappear a nation).

[goldtracing]

All of this here. The American Revolution was not just born out of the tea tax - that was just the straw that broke the camels back. It was over a century in the making, born out of neglect and still high demands and religious zelots and criminals cast out of the old world and slaves that had all the more reason to resent the Empire. While I get the fandom point-of-view of Arthur spoiling Alfred or being particularly irate about the estrangment, it just doesn't jam with me.

I see their relationship as always having been deeply dysfunctional. I mean, the American colonies had the name "New England" before the revolution. Part of the US is still called that and many of the early settlements just have copy-paste British names or just have the "New" slapped to the front. So I see Arthur viewing Alfred as an extension of himself, as a Mini-Me when the latter was a child.

Besides that, Arthur would have been away for years at a time, only to remember he has a son and then play-act at being a father for a few months. The emotions evoked from the revolution wouldn't be heartbreak or sorrow, it would be indignation and wounded pride. Especially because Alfred only made occupation untenable as opposed to outright driving him into the sea. Though those feelings would've waned soon enough, since there were far more important colonies.

Years of frigid relations and interference follow. And when rapprochement happens, it is largely out of political calculus. While there is chemistry and budding rapport between them, one cannot really talk about a wholesome father-son relationship. It is more about the handful of cultural similarities and the other ticking many of the same boxes when it comes to morality that lets them get along well. Of course, there are sweet moments, yet their interests and personalities clash too much for a healthy bond. What Arthur sees in Alfred and approves of, he sees as a product of British culture and his work as Lord Father to a backwards and radical boy.

During the great wars, Alfred is seen akin to a reserve battery pack to Arthur - all Winston Churchill with "in God's good time, the New World will step forward to the rescue and liberation of the Old". It also fits to a certain extent in the beginning of the Wars, with Alfred being a green boy that gets his arse handed back to him in France and North Africa. But he learns fast and has a keen mind. The Second World War ends with America rich and prosperous while the British Empire is in tatters. There is bargining and threatening and cajoling and Arthur is still cut down in size at the end.

Colonialism is traded for the less overt and more complex neo-colonialism. Arthur tries to use America and the Common Wealth Nations as his proxies in global matters (see South African intervention in Angola for example). Through comprimise and promises and argumentation Alfred is involved more in European politics, as a counterweight to the Soviet Union.

[okayophelia]

top 5 narratives!

Sibling narratives, where they are so deeply etched into each other, no matter how divergent their paths, that their entire stories revolve and spiral out around each other.

Godmaking, Godtalking, Godloving, Godkilling: hunting and eating the things we think will make us whole, that will elevate us beyond our flesh and make us transcendent.

Weaponized Objectification, where she will burn down your world from the inside out, using your own power against you.

Woman King vs Queenship: where both are equally fascinating constructions of female power in a traditionally patriarchal world, but the latter is the exploitation of traditionally coded femininity (see above), and the former is carving out of an entirely singular place of conqueror within the system, and is almost godlike in its singularity.

Witch Queen / Witch King: in a similar way, inversely coded roles, where Witch is traditionally female, so to have a Witch King is to have a king who is fey and alien and the abyss staring back in the same way a Witch Queen is, and both are less knowable and more terrifying than any normal-coded ruler.

Messiahs/Prophets and the disciples who love them too much: nothing crueller on Earth than to love and be loved by someone beloved of the Gods. 

Bonus: transcendental robots, true OT3s, old as dirt wild/mad immortals, aristocratic sociopathic families, revolutions embodied, see also: exploited, abused or depowered people becoming violently re-powered, trickster archetypes turned mad/deadly, bodies as transcendental vessels/gateways to the universe

[siennalaurensnow]

cries deeply when thinking about Asriel/Coulter

godkilling universe tearing apart otp

horrible selfish people that climb to the top over the laughter and snide comments from others

when was the last time your otp had a woman who took over Religion as an institute and tore it apart from the inside

when was the last time your otp had a 100% selfish man manipulate everyone around him into basically letting him tear apart the universes

CRIES A LOT

[goldtracing]

#RUDE JORDAN#she took the world and clawed her way to the top of the power systems and institutions of the church#and then tore it apart when it no longer served her purposes or power#he went off hunting god because /he thought the church wasn't worthy of being hunted/#together they imploded everything old and destroyed the gods and became the martyrs they never thought they would be to their daughter's cau#cause of rebirth of a world#LIKE#THESE BOOKS HOLY FUCK#his dark materials#you and I could take the universe to pieces and put it together again#death is going to die#(jordan we are going to make that hbo prequel miniseries some day and it will be glorious)

So true!!! The "His Dark Materials" series is wonderful in that it has dozens of characters that break the mould.

Lord Asriel, that wishes to end the Church and kill god that everyone and everything may live in a shared Republic of Heaven. A man that fights against an institution that wants to end all free will and wants to rid humanity of what makes it human. That burns to ensure that the supernatural and supranatural continues to exist and thrives and that humanity and every other society is free from destiny and servitude to higher powers.

Mrs. Coulter, the lady who weaponises every single thing at her disposal to terrifying and beautiful effectivness. A femme fatal that looks splendid even in tatters, that is saved by her love for somebody other than herself. Who is selfless in all her selfishness and discovers that she would burn the world for those she loves. She demontrates why swords and hurricans are named after women.

Lyra Silvertongue, that has both the best and the worst traits of her parents, who is similar to Queen Susan of Narnia that she loses her gifts one she grows up. Who is so good at lying because she has an affinity for the absolute truth. And who learns that you can't lie to those at death's door and thus finds a way to bring peace to the dead.

I really have to read the books again.

[okayophelia]

Archetypes | GODKILLER

With fists like atom bombs, he walks on the thorny warpath to the heavens, masked in blood and bathed in fire. Beware the man who would kill a god, the choir whispers, for he will never know peace, and he will drag the whole universe into war to keep him merry company along the way. He will stand before the throne, look the void in the eye and laugh. He cannot bear to live in a world where he is not sovereign of his own soul. He would rip his teeth into divine flesh and swallow the universe whole. He wants the apocalypse and the wasteland that will follow in the wake of the gods, that humanity might rise and rise again as their own gods, without sin or fate or fear. And so he rises, knife in hand, to make himself holy and unholy. He has nothing but murder in his mind, nothing but desire in his body, and nothing but truth singing from his tongue. The gods are his prey.

He is every child who ever wanted to hold the universe in the palm of their hand, and every man who wanted to take the throne. He is every woman who tore the kingdom of god apart with her body, and every mortal who stared into the sun and wanted to burn down everything that stood between them and that light. There is nothing left to their story but this: to kill to kill to kill. 

[goldtracing]

APH Russia – Headcanons II

While it might not seem like it at first glance, Ivan is actually very well versed in the art of intrigue. He has witnessed palace death after palace death, coup after coup, the backstabbing and crassness of the Court of the Red Czar. Almost his entire life – first under the Mongols and Tatars, then under tsarist rule and then under totalitarian dictatorships – he has had his actions scrutinised and plucked apart, and he in turn has down the same with others. Thus, he learned to read between the lines, to tell what people’s facial expressions mean and how to analyse their behaviour.

This has also made him good at lying and keeping secrets. He has lived too long with being spied on that not being spied on is abnormal to him. To him, it is normal that others have ulterior motives and that all their kind words have to be taken with caution. His paranoia constantly runs high.

Thus, as a proof of loyalty, he demands that others show him their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. In his mind, if they know that he is at the longer end of the lever then they would be less inclined to betray him. After all, if they would rebel then it would be so easy for him to retaliate, and they wouldn’t want that, or not?

He on the other hand, takes a lot to warm up to people and even then he is slow to share secrets and show the more hidden aspects of himself. Sure, he can entertain guests and come up with the craziest group activities, yet that doesn’t mean he is willing to expose himself. Alcohol consumption makes him merrier, yet that doesn’t mean his tongue will loosen.

Generally has a very high alcohol tolerance. Although it is a stereotype, there is a lot of truth to it in its own way. The one nation that can win against him in a drinking contest is, surprisingly, Turkey. Besides the usual vodka or sweet, southern wines, Russia has a huge fondness for tea – tea is preferably drunk after every meal and when he does have guest, he’ll be quick to offer tea.

In dire times and as an alternative to alcohol, he boils his black tea until it is so strong, that it would give mere, ordinary mortals a heart attack. Others take meth or cocaine, he takes chifir.

Cigarettes are also a favourite of him, although he doesn’t smoke as much as he used to during the 50s. Before the 1920s he smoked via pipe. Might become more talkative if he shares tea, alcohol or cigs with somebody.

Generally can go from ballroom dancing, fancy dinners and high-end events to clubs and seedy bars. Russia is vast and old and thus multitudes, paradoxes and contradictions reside in Ivan.

Loves to tell stories. Really can be the entertainer in that aspect and rather just keeping it at the toast while drinking vodka, he’ll go on to tell anecdotes. Amongst humans he is careful not to reveal his true nature. Will never the tell the same story twice – he has too much experience with Peter III and later Stalin telling the same stories over and over again.

Also tells anecdotes – the long jokes with a punchline. His humour is very dark, and he isn’t above dragging somebody else through the mud for the sake of laughs. Got arrested multiple times during the Stalinist era and then always begrudgingly let go because he is the nation.

Prone to sarcasm and can be pretty scathing in that aspect. At time can be so subtle with the employment of this that it can take other people hours to realise he insulted them, if they realise it at all.

[goldtracing]

APH Russia – Headcanons I

I would like to point out that I originally wrote this before 24.02.2022 and didn’t publish this until now due to current event. Now I have decided just to go ahead these are low-budget anime characters that I’m talking about and f anybody who links this to ongoing geopolitical events

Is surprisingly proficient in German and French. Both were court languages of his at the one or the other point in history, his German also being spread amongst the wider populace and influencing Russian. Speaks both languages with a bit of an accent, yet if he puts enough effort in it, his accent can be nearly untraceable.

As for other languages – he is also fluent in Tatar and Mongolian, although in the later he is far better with speaking and listening than writing. This is also the case with all the other languages spoken in his territory. This is due to his past under the khans. As for English and Chinese – with both he tends to be on the very formal side, with his speech precise and usually devoid of slang and abbreviations. It is because he learned much of those two languages from literature or also scientific reports.

When it comes to Russian he can be very eloquent, having a preference for puns and other plays of words. Can and will criticise others for their grammar, although if he is public and in a formal setting, he would be more tactful and quiet about remarking it.

Has a penchant for literature and opera and plays. Visits the theatre regularly and knows all the ballets by heart. Personally keeps a small notebook where he critiques and rates books and performances. Sometimes he sends them in to a newspaper or an online site.

Writes poety in his free time and sends some of them to his sisters or humans that are close to him at the time. Can also recite all of Pushkin’s poems in his sleep.

Aside from that, he has a love for fairy tales. Not the sanitised, censored versions that Disney and the Grimm brother’s have made so popular, rather the cautionary tales as they were actually intended, The brutal versions where people suffer and suffer and suffer.

Else has written multiple essays and the human condition, often taking characters for classics to elaborate on his points. These are texts that near nobody has seen. Ivan has split them up and hidden them on his various properties.  

Has taken formal dance lessons in ballet and the classics. Loves to dance at balls and is surprisingly elegant while doing so for somebody his size. However, he really shies away from dancing tango, salsa and other dances where both partners get really close and even handsy with each other. If at all, he would have to be really close to his dance partner to even contemplate to doing the Latin American dances.

Other than that, he is also good when it comes to folk dances and possess enough stamina to dance dances such as the Barynya for hours. Has the appropriate leg muscles and flexibility.

Surprisingly, (or not) his dancing skills translate into his fighting style. Can go on for hours without taking any enhancements or sleeping, all while remaining smooth and precise in his movements, like they been choreographed and practised time and time again. He can make difficult movement seem easy.

For centuries he favoured combat with a sword. One of his favourite ones was a curved sabre – a kilij – that he stole as a war trophy from Turkey when the latter was the Ottoman empire. Later, he evolved to be a crack shot with the pistole – he got caught up in a lot of duels when they came into fashion. During the WWII, he was part of a tank crew. Due to the tight space of the T-34, he often suffered sore joints and cramps in his muscles. Also developed an especially thick skull during this time, both literally and metaphorically.

Ivan has participated in the making of multiple movies as an advisor. He makes sure that historical films are historically accurate. Seeing that Russia is big on war movies, Ivan has a lot to do.

Additionally, he is quite a patron for the arts. He has multiple oil paintings in his old mansion. Personally, he paints either an impressionist art style or in the vividly coloured art styles that are native to Russia, such as Gzhel, Khokhloma and Zhostovo.

Adding on to that – there is nothing in his homes that is really plain. He has a sense for the aesthetically pleasing and even opulence. The woodwork is carved and whittled, the ceramic adorn with paintings and the metal work ornate. His living surroundings might have been a bit plainer during Soviet times, however I think he would have pulled a few strings that would have allowed him to keep his old possessions.

[goldtracing]

Have you read/watched His Dark Materials?

Hello folks, finally coming around to answering the asks in the box after a +1 year hiatus. Will be posting on a semi-regular basis from now on.

I watched "The Golden Compass" as a kid and found it good because I hadn't read the books at that point. However, once I got the trilogy and read the first book, I understood why so many people found the film bad - the book is leagues better than film.

Not to mention all the plot deviations that the script writers and director allowed themselves. Though, adapting such a series of books to the silver screen is no easy task, so hats off to anybody who manage to pull it off.

I've gathered that a series that is more faithful to the books has come out, however watching it isn't a priority for me.

To the books - really wonderful and when it comes to recommending books to friends, it is on the top of my list. The one thing that bugged me is the ending though - it always felt rather lacking to me

[goldtracing]

Do you have hc about how nations born?

On a large part, I share the headcanon of accounts such as stirringwinds, that the hetalia nations are dirt children - like the golums of Israeli mythology. Except that they are not brute muscle.

Though I also have my own stuff to add on to that: nations can cease to exist for centuries at a time or become incorporated into larger nations. As such I see four cases as being possible:

There is such a persistent "national idea" that the personification continues to exist.

The personification exists in form of a "shadow". (I kind of have this idea centring around hearts - you have to have a heart to be considered a full-fledged nation. A personification can exist without a heart but then they are beholden to the other personification that removed their heart).

If the cultural identity of two or more nations because too similar, then the personifications "'fuse" to become a new entity. Or the dominant personification "absorbs" the others.

Or simply, that some personifications can temporarily cease to exist. As in - the dissolve and then one day simply turn up in some office or meeting room with them having abridging knowledge of the time while they were "away" due to the memories of their people.

[goldtracing]

your writing is gorgeous. your views on countries and how you interpret them is what I also view too and I am so glad someone is putting it in such elegant way. i aspire to create art and work like you do thank you for giving me the fuel to create more pieces about these silly countries

Always the pleasure and thank you for the kind words. We all love these low-budget anime men☺️

[goldtracing]

Hey folks! It has been a while (again) so I thought I would show a sign of life just to signal that this account ain’t dormant or abandoned. A few things have been preventing me from posting and writing:

Exams. Yeah, almost three months ago, but yeah. (I somehow managed to ace Organic Chemistry. Just how?)

Drivers licence. After postponing it for half an eternity, I decided to do it. Not like I want to buy or even drive a car anyway. I mean, I can get anywhere I want by train or bus; never have paid more than 250€ annually for transportation either. Yet considering everything, it’s better now than never. Petrol prices are going to skyrocket this winter.

Family and friends. Surprisingly (to me included) I have a rather active social life. Dunno how I got there; seems some people like sarcasm and dark humour.

Work. Or to be more precise, the job I’ll be taking on in September. They sent me some links for online courses for the lab systems and a few text books in pdf format.

Updates will follow. Not making any promises when they will happen because I’ve finally accepted that I have Adam Douglas’ attitude towards deadlines (at least those that are not dictated by strangers). Oh, and I have corona.

[inonibird]

A dumb comic about Grievous’ collection~

[avogado6]

ink

[wingletblackbird]

A Nurturing Environment?

I frequently find myself at a loss when I discover the mindset that the Jedi Council, the Jedi Order, and even Obi-Wan provided a particularly good environment for Anakin to learn/grow up in. By comparing Anakin in TPM to AoTC, I believe it will become quite clear by the change in Anakin that the Temple provided an inadequate place for him to grow. 

In TPM Anakin is a very self-confident boy. He is aware of his capabilities and limitations, expresses his opinion firmly, and, as a rule, doesn’t allow his detractors to get him down, or put him down. To list some examples:

He has the courage to initiate a conversation with Padme

In the novelisation, he even says that he’s going to marry her.

He stands up to Sebulba and confidently imitates a conversation with Qui-Gon

He invites perfect strangers to his home.

He calls Qui-Gon out on being a Jedi

He calls Qui-Gon out on slavery

He insists that he can win a podrace, and defends himself when his abilities are questioned

He ignores the ridicule of the children in his community

He talks back to the Council, not rudely, but forcefully.

He asks Ric Olie about piloting and is told he “catches on quick.”

He says he’s going to “see them all,” when he asks about star systems

He refuses to let people destroy his dreams-hard to do when you’re a slave.

He even talks back to and defends himself to Watto-his owner.

Clearly, Anakin is a very confident, and self-possessed individual. He states his opinions firmly, and defends them with conviction. Let’s compare that to AoTC Anakin:

Is far more nervous around Padme (which can admittedly be chalked up to hormones.)

Is shot down hard by Obi-Wan when he expresses his opinions-He does not ever really try and defend himself 

Obi-Wan actually seems surprised he stands up as much as he does-clearly it is a rare occurrence that Anakin states his mind like that.

Anakin looks scared of what he’s done when he backs down

He looks timid in front of the Council-Far more so than in TPM

He is told “don’t do anything without first discussing it with either” Obi-Wan or the Council.

He just accepts Padme’s harsh criticism when he points out that she should discuss security concerns with him: Despite the fact that she is in the wrong, he does nothing to defend himself.

He expresses the opinions of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and mace, far more than he does his own. He actually seems afraid to give his opinions, as a rule.

There is a vast difference then between TPM!Anakin and AoTC!Anakin. The former defended his beliefs vehemently. The latter is afraid to even express them. Anakin only rants about Obi-Wan when Padme gives a hint of listening; it’s clear this has been pent-up in him for ages, but he hasn’t been able to let it out. Clearly, no one cares what he thinks or feels. When Padme shoots him down over security, he takes it meekly, but when she expressed doubt with him in TPM over his ability to win the Boonta, he just brushed it off, and told her “he’d win this time.” Before, in TPM, he said what he thought, now he just says “Master so-and-so thinks…” He feels uncomfortable saying what he really thinks. He honestly was more comfortable speaking up as a slave, than as a Jedi. Even just the body language difference can tell you that he’s gone from sure of himself to intensely insecure.

This is Anakin in TPM sticking up to his owner:

This is Anakin in AoTC, free, ostensibly, with his teacher:

It’s like chalk and cheese. One boy is sure of himself, the other looks brow-beaten. What could have caused such a massive shift in self-esteem? Well, a classic cause would be bullying. A child who is different, for whatever reason, gets humiliated, ostracized, beat-up, talked down to, and loses their self-confidence. I don’t doubt the same thing happened to Anakin. He was from the Outer Rim. He began his training late. He was different, unnaturally gifted. I’ve no doubt that was rough, and clearly he wasn’t given any kind of support to help with that, rather he was given the opposite. Hence, he is insecure. 

This is in no way his fault. He’s barely an adult by AoTC, and it is up to the adults responsible for him during his childhood to provide a safe environment, if not a safe haven, for him to grow up in. Clearly, the Jedi have failed to do this. Indeed, as shown when Obi-Wan says “don’t do anything without consulting either myself or the Council,” they clearly had no faith in him whatsoever, (after ten years), so why should he believe in himself? In RoTS, Windu actually says when Anakin tells him about Palpatine, “If what you say is true, you will have earned my trust.” In thirteen years, Anakin who has worked diligently, and loyally as a Jedi, and he’s never earned Windu’s trust or respect! That is cold. What was Anakin suppose to do anyway as a boy? Go back to Tatooine? Anakin really didn’t have much choice but to stay. At least, with the Jedi he would get a good education, and would learn how to use the Force. There was nothing for him on Tatooine. What good would he do? By staying with the Jedi, at least until he was knighted, he might be able to help when he finally goes back to Tatooine. He’ll have the Force, and an education that would serve him well. (Then, of course, the war started so that went out the air-lock…) No, the fault for Anakin’s low self-esteem lies entirely with the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan, and the Jedi Council. You cannot blame Anakin, especially since he was a child at the time. Frankly, the Council should be ashamed of themselves. If you adopt a child, and he wilts that much under your care, you need to take a good hard look at yourselves. 

[wingletblackbird]

i always thought this was bad writing but maybe it is abuse (via @paige-tic0)

I would have thought that it was bad writing too. However, the theme of the apathetic inadequacy of the Jedi is carried from TPM through to RoTS. In TPM, Mace Windu tests Anakin only as a formality, because “he’s too old.” When Qui-Gon insists that Anakin be tested, Windu just waves a hand and says “bring him before us then.” He’s pretty much done with it all. Unsurprisingly, the Council then rejects Anakin, (while talking about Anakin as if he wasn’t even there.) That’s not really the worst bit though, when Qui-Gon points out that Anakin has nowhere to go, they don’t express any concern for his well-being, his education, his future, even though he’s a freed slave with few options, and no money: He’s a child at their mercy. Even when this fact is pointed out to them they just say he’s Qui-Gon’s “ward” now to do with as he pleases, just don’t train him. How callous! I mean, would you do that to a poor boy with no prospects who needed your help desperately? 

By the time TPM ends, Anakin’s behaviour is already beginning to foreshadow what happens in AoTC. He’s picked up on all this and this is how he looks when he finds out Obi-Wan is going to be the one to train him:

This isn’t just grief from Qui-Gon’s death; Anakin’s expression, the above expression, comes as a direct result of Obi-Wan’s promise. Anakin’s grief is enhanced by his insecurity over his future. As I pointed out in my post The Team: Built on Weak Foundations, Anakin knew that Obi-Wan initially didn’t believe he should be trained, and was even jealous of him due to Qui-Gon’s actions in the Council room. Anakin had every reason to be afraid that things weren’t going to go well, and they didn’t. Yes, he and Obi-Wan became friends, which was nice, but he was never allowed to feel safe in his environment at the Temple, because of the Council’s apathy, even antipathy toward him which most of the other Jedi would have picked up on and followed like Lemmings. After all, why wouldn’t they do what the wise and noble Council does?  Hence, we get Anakin’s low self-esteem in AoTC.

By the time RoTS comes around, Anakin is doing a bit better. He has command of his own men. He’s no longer an apprentice. He’s gained confidence now that he’s needed as a General in the GAR, and he’s been acknowledged to be a really good one which also helps: He’s the Hero With no Fear. As a result, he pushes back a bit more, but the underlying timidity he has with the Council doesn’t quite go away:

While, Anakin starts to really express a lot of his deeply rooted anger that stems from way back in his childhood, both with the Jedi and from slaver, in RoTS, and the Council takes a lot of it, (ignoring Operation Knighthood), he still doesn’t get one of the things he desperately needs, and craves: Validation and respect. Anakin honestly just needs them to tell him he did a good job, and that they’re proud of him, but the Council can’t quite seem to manage it. He might get “arrogant.” (Oh, please. He wouldn’t be so keen to prove what he can do, if you’d just say “you did well, kid!) By the time RoTS comes around, Obi-Wan is the only one who ever really tells him he’s doing a good job, and therefore he is placed in the position of fielding between Anakin and the Council, as the relationship continues to break down. 

Nevertheless, despite his slowly regaining confidence, and the increasingly tense dynamic between Anakin and the Council, Anakin still doesn’t feel secure enough to just stand his ground, or even leave. This is a result of years of emotional abuse. Anakin was physically and emotionally abused as a child on Tatooine, and emotionally, and arguably, spiritually abused as a an apprentice to the Jedi. To be honest, I think this behaviour was mostly reserved for Anakin. The Jedi may not have been stellar in raising other members of their Order; they lost sight of what their Code really meant some time prior to the PT. However, they came down cruelly on Anakin, because he was different, and they were scared of what that meant. (Fear leads to the Dark Side, oh yes, but you helped him on his journey through your own fear.)

[swordsoul2000]

to make that funeral scene even worse: Anakin has to ASK what’s going to happen to him.

I mean, think about it. The kid is all alone on a strange planet, surrounded by people he hardly knows, and the ONE GUY who appeared to be in his corner is dead, and no one will tell him what’s going on, or what will happen to him. it’s been at LEAST two weeks - to allow for Padme to consolidate her hold on the planet well enough for the Supreme Chancellor to visit, him to be ELECTED, and to hold talks with  the Gungans as to how to include their voice in Naboo’s government from now on. Likely it’s longer. And in all that time, ALL that TIME, no one says ONE single WORD about what’s going to happen to Anakin going forward. 

He can’t go back to Tattooine. Padme isn’t offering him a place on Naboo, she likely thinks that he’s already part of the Jedi and wouldn’t be receptive to her offer even if she did consider it. 

Obi-wan has his head up his own ass and can’t be bothered to consider any feelings other than his own. He doesn’t get that with his new teaching gig, come responsibilities toward the well being (including emotional well being) of his charge. So he’s off in his own head during the funeral, and Anakin is forced to speak up. 

and Jake Loyd is perfect here. Anakin’s voice is *resigned* as he askes the question. you can tell that the anxieties have already burned themselves out, and there’s nothing left but resigned acceptance. there’s no use fighting what comes next, because there’s nothing left to fight. 

It’s only THEN that Obi-wan turns. Turns and tells Anakin that he has permission to train Anakin as a Jedi. Then he promises Anakin that he WILL be a Jedi, as if that makes it all alright. 

It doesn’t. 

[redrikki]

Okay, so, just up my dash I saw a post by @furiousgoldfish listing signs that your family is abusive and I was just blown away by the sheer number of indicators seen in Anakin’s relationship with Obi-Wan and the Jedi. I’ve highlighted examples from the films and TCW.

signs that your family is abusive:

you feel the urge to hide from them whenever you’re vulnerable

you cannot bear the idea of them seeing you cry

when you’re hurt or in pain, you don’t go to them because you feel they’ll tell you that you deserved it or that it was your fault

After Obi-Wan’s terrible advice about his prophetic dreams in AotC, Anakin doesn’t got to him about them in RotS. The ‘advice’ he receives from Yoda is basically to suck it up because grief and fear are wrong.

you don’t feel like you can confide in them, either because they don’t seem to care, or try to control how you act, or yell at you and punish you, or use the information against you

After Obi-Wan dismisses Anakin’s concerns about his mother, allying with the Hutts, the Jedi’s role in the war, the Jedi’s behavior regarding the Chancellor, etc., Anakin stops coming to him with his problems. He also keeps his marriage a secret out of fear of Obi-Wan and the Jedi’s reaction.

you feel very self-conscious around them and keep expecting criticism and insults

Look at the way he sits in AotC and that tiny flinch when Obi-Wan tears into him.

you can’t tell them about your struggles because you already know they’ll side against you

See my previous comments about Anakin keeping secrets from  Obi-Wan.

you keep things in your life secret from them because you have a feeling they would ridicule, humiliate, and judge you if they knew, or take everything away from you

Same as above

you feel scared of letting them know when they hurt you

After Obi-Wan fakes his death in the Deception Arc of TCW, Anakin is told by both Yoda and Obi-Wan that the pain he feels is his own fault. 

you feel scared and guilty when you so much as think about them in a bad way

Anakin rants against Obi-Wan repeatedly in AotC, often times while crying and immediately denying that he feels what he just said.

you feel the urge to remind yourself of all the things they did for you, whenever something bad comes up, to be sure that you’re seeing them the way they want to be seen by you

See previous comment.

you’re scared of being accused of being a burden to them

Obi-Wan and the Council make it clear in TPM that they don’t actually want Anakin and that his presence is a severe inconvenience to them.  When Obi-Wan complains in AotC that Anakin will be the death of him, Anakin is clearly hurt.

you’re scared to hold them responsible for things they did to you, because you know they would argue otherwise, and insist they had full right to do what they did, or that you made it up

See previous statement

you have the inner sense of dread that nothing you ever do or say will be taken seriously by them, and your life will always look like a joke to them

you dream of living far away from them and feel guilty for wanting to cut them from your life

Anakin wants to leave the Jedi, he says as much to Ahsoka, but clearly feels to afraid to actually do it.

you don’t feel like you’re really important in comparison to them, it feels like it’s better to just step aside and let them be important, your life doesn’t matter as much anyway

In RotS, Anakin says that he wants more, but is aware that he shouldn’t. He knows his needs are wrong and selfish and he should feel ashamed.

you’re worried about how your every action might affect their life, their reputation and social standing

you feel that they’re ashamed of you and you’re trying your best not to bring further shame on the family

Anakin apologizes constantly in AotC.

you feel like you’ll owe them for the rest of your life and nothing you ever do will be enough to erase the debt, and this fills you with dread and feeling of being trapped

The Jedi freed Anakin from slavery. The Jedi took him on even when they clearly didn’t want to. Obi-Wan potentially put his career on the line to train Anakin even though he obviously didn’t like him. Anakin can never repay that debt and they make sure he knows it.

you don’t count on their help when you’re in trouble, you’re scared of them finding out and punishing you for being in trouble in the first place

Anakin doesn’t tell Obi-Wan about what happened on Tatooine. He doesn’t tell him about Padme. He deliberately with holds information about his relationship troubles, even when asked about them.

you don’t count on them sharing their resources with you, you know you have to be grateful for how much they’ve given you already and feel like you have no right to ask for anything more, even if you need it

you can’t feel warmth or safety when surrounded by family, instead you wish you didn’t have to be there, and seek a place to hide and protect yourself

holidays spent with family are just painful and something you try to endure instead of enjoy

you can’t imagine a world where you’re free and not defined by these people

Anakin has a wife he could easily choose to be with, but he stays because he can’t imagine not being a Jedi.

Now, I’m not saying that Obi-Wan and the Jedi set out to be abusive, but that was clearly the end result. What they set out to be was in control. Anakin was too old. He was too powerful. He was too dangerous. He needed to be contained. Obi-Wan says as much to Yoda and Mace in AotC. Yoda says as much to Anakin in TCW Deception Arc.

So what did they do? They isolated him from his family and friends. They criticized him constantly. They reminded him how unruly and disobedient and wrong he was. They taught him that he was wrong to ever want anything more.  The end result is that they took a confident, happy boy and turned him into an uncertain and unstable mess. I guess that made him easier to control. Palpatine certainly thought so.

[thendstartsnow]

“They didn’t set out to be abusive, they set out to be in control.”

I believe it’s the same. Setting out to be in control is setting out to be abusive; looking for every way possible to control another person’s life, behaviour, feelings and choices is abusive by design (beyond the normal guiding role caregivers should exercise to teach kids how to deal with the world around them, which, btw, the Jedi clearly didn’t, the only thing they taught him was how to deal with the Jedi restrictive doctrine and how to project a Jedi stance onto the world). Wanting to keep someone under tight control to the point of systematically erasing whatever identity they had beyond the one connected to the abusers is abusive by design, and intentionally so because it’s clearly not for the well-being of the person but for the abusers themselves. Especially when it comes to an ex-slave who has been in a situation of external control over his destiny since he was born.

They set out to be abusive. Not Obi-Wan, I think—little by little, he ended up caring about Anakin and truly believed he was doing what he was doing for Anakin’s own good, and despite all his flaws, he has never been coercitive enough to do it with the intent of breaking him down to pieces in order to make him more controllable. But for what concerns, say, Yoda… oh, I believe he did intentionally choose this approach because he knew it was the fastest way to make Anakin more compliant. I even think it’s the official Jedi Council’s “guidelines” to deal with unorthodox members. Clearly, it’s almost never necessary because the indoctrination-from-birth does all the work and pushes members to identify themselves with the collectivity without struggles and discontent, but in case, well.

[stirringwinds]

more creepy antagonist cold war!hetalia yes-

[stirringwinds]

the idea is that america’s utterly brilliant and ruthless as a superpower, but his youth still shines through: his malice towards russia just has this frighteningly childish and petulant edge.

this is supposed to be in the late 1940s- just after world war 2. The US and the Soviet Union brought their Cold War rivalry right into the newly-formed United Nations- they’d abuse their veto privilege to block resolutions involving their allies and purposely introduce ones that criticised the Soviet/Western bloc. You’d have America criticising the Soviets from cracking down on the Prague Spring, while the CIA propped up anti-communist authoritarian regimes elsewhere.

America’s ascendancy had already begun after the American Civil War, but it was WW2 that really made him a superpower. His economy had not only grown, but was undamaged whereas the old European powers were pretty much all economically ruined and demoralised.