Edel is such an interesting character to me because she obviously exists as a narration tool to guide the characters through the story while filling in a role of a mentor/mother figure to Duck. And we know sheās a puppet yet she exhibits moments of emotional intrigue, to the point that Drosselmyer mentions it in episode 11 when he basically deploys her into the story; he tells her not to get too wrapped up in other peopleās feelings again.
Now one of the showās themes touches on character puppetry/manipulation. The concept of how characters are similar to puppets in different ways. Drosselmyer pulling strings (literally and figuratively) and controlling the narrative, characters manipulating one another within the story, Mythos being void of emotion literally like a puppet and being controlled, etc.
And then thereās our big theme about fate and defying it. Dross brings a duck into the story to carry out the tragic ending he wants but she does her own thing instead.
So when it comes to Edel (and later by extension Uzura), how often are Edelās actions her own? Sheās a puppet after all and based on Drosselmyerās comments you can infer that sheās not supposed to care about other charactersā feelings and emotions. But she ends up intrigued anyway and in her last moments she requests to see the princess and tutu dance together. Puppets arenāt supposed to want things??? Did she chose to sacrifice herself in the end, or was that also orchestrated by Drosselmyer? Itās like she was gaining a heart alongside the Prince throughout her time in the story. Because the existence of Uzura being an extension of Edel implies that she DID possess autonomy and some level of emotional capacity. We see Uzura running around freely making her own choices taking liberties and we see her when sheās sad and crying. So doesnāt that mean that Edel possessed those qualities to begin with?
In a way Edelās story is a mini depiction of the whole show. Like Duck, sheās brought into the story to fulfill a certain role but ends up ānot knowing her placeā as Drosselmyer would say when she deviates from the plan. And throughout the story, like Mytho, it seems she too starts gaining emotion. And in the end, like Duck, she makes a sacrifice for the betterment of the story, consequently ending her own... and she does it with a bittersweet smile šš Iād even argue that the existence of Uzura is a parallel of Tutu avoiding her fate of vanishing because she managing to express her love through dance instead. Edel also avoids āvanishingā from the story: she lives on through Uzura, thus, her presence isnāt completely gone! She defied her fate.
But I still wonder how much of what we see of Edel is attributed to Drosselmyerās influence vs her own will.
yessss. i think theres also a lot to be said about authors intent in tutu. look at when tutu gets trapped in drosselmeyers world (ep23 or so); we see her being confronted by simple, two-dimensional puppets; flat, jointed segments literally dropped in to taunt her with no expression of their own. then, tutu gets put on strings, and her body moves of its own accord, leaving her only her face to express herself, and drosselmeyer says "marionettes are at their most free when theyre being manipulated." he makes puppets For roles, out of people and of wood; their feelings on the matter aren't important to him.
which has shrimplications for edel. a puppet that resembles humans more than her own kin, made by the same man. free to exist in the real world, manipulated but present. ascribed emotions and observance of others, until she wishes the falsehood were real. she has little autonomy, but was given mind enough to think, and a mind given by a human will always find a way to feelāit is fundamental to us, and thus fundamental to everythign we make. drosselmeyer didnt intend to make her to carry emotion, only to pretend to, but it bled through.
and THEN she gets rebuilt into uzura. after having witnessed her expression of emotions and desire, fakir takes her body to charon and has him try to rebuild her. and with the limited resource, charon makes a child; the loudest and most emotional stage of humanity. fakir had her rebuilt with the intention of letting her express herself, now that her puppetmaster had tossed her aside. And It Worked. uzura had a real heart. she felt, she laughed, she cried, all of her own volition.
