Rexsoka and ShippingĀ āChildā Soldiers
Itās hard to remember sometimes that Rex is only 13 at the end of the war. AllĀ āpuberty hit him like a truckā jokes aside, I can see the boy in him for the first time at the end of the Siege of Mandalore arc.
But war matures people quickly, and teaches them to think and act like adults. Coupled with the fact that his growth and education was sped up and he literally has an adult manās body (and all the hormones to go with it), I donāt consider him to be a child. He may be naive about some things that he has little experience with, but heās definitely an adult.
Ahsoka has been fighting in war since she was 14 years old. To our modern Western/American sensibilities, this is far too young to be exposed to the horrors of war. The thing is, war is horrifying no matter what age you are, and it doesnāt matter if youāre 6, 14, 18, 27, or 68 when youāre exposed to it - it changes you. There are a great many cultures, both ancient and contemporary, that train and expose their children and youth to war, for various reasons.
Different cultures also have different thresholds for what constitutes a child. Letās be clear though - NO ONE would consider a 14-year-old to be aĀ āchildā. So letās just throw that term out the window right now, please. Western cultures would put Ahsoka in the category ofĀ āadolescentā, which the WHO defines as someone aged between 10 and 19. An adolescent is a human transitioning from a child to a fully mature adult. Other cultures simply make the delineation between child and adult as the end of puberty - the point in which a child becomes a sexually mature adult - and there is no middle area.Ā
I personally fall somewhere between the two. Adolescent psychology and physiology is a fascinating period of development, but it is very ambiguous and varies tremendously from case to case. I think my [American] culture hampers the development from child to adult by sheltering adolescents for far too long - keeping them dependent on their parents long after what is necessary.Ā
This was not the case even two generations ago in America. My grandmother was 14 when she met my grandfather. He was 19. It was love at first sight. Seriously, they have the most beautiful story. When she was 16 and he was 21, they got married. No one thought that was weird. No one thought that was inappropriate or gross. The purity of their marriage had a profound impact on me. They were in love with each other till the day death separated them. There was a fire in their love for each other than never died outā¦Granny embarrassed us grandkids on more than one occasion for how straight up horny she was for Grandpa - but it was so cute.Ā
I was 16 when I graduated high school and went off to college. I had plans and ambitions and didnāt want to get into a relationship at the time, but I was certainly mature enough to be in that sort of relationship at that age. I had a friend who got married when she was 17, with her parents permission. Believe me, neither of us wereĀ āchildrenā. Young? Yes. Naive to some things? Yes. But hell, Iām 32 and I still act āimmatureā at times. Does that mean that Iām a child? No.
So when I look at Ahsoka and Rex through the lens of my experiences, I donāt see them as too young to beĀ āshippableā and I certainly donāt see them children. There are plenty of characters (or real people) who I would say are probably not mature enough to be in a healthy adult sexual relationship (even if they are sexually mature). Ahsoka and Rex are not in that category. They are mature, independent, young adults - perfectly capable of making those choices.
I know this is a sore topic for some.Ā Iām sure some people will claim Iām shipping pedophilia, because they donāt know the correct term (itās ephebophilia). Of course, that only applies if Rex was exclusively attracted to Ahsoka when she was 15-19 and then lost interest once she was older, so that doesnāt apply either. In any case, antis will be antis. Iām not out here looking to start ship wars or defend people who prey on kids, trust me. All I want to do is dispel this notion that some people seem to have about those who dare to suggest that a young adult can be attracted to an older adult and itās neither abnormal nor necessarily bad. Weigh in with your comments. Express your thoughts. I only ask that you do it in a mature and thoughtful way. She says as she posts a hot take on shipping young adults on Tumblr of all placesā¦
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