Hetalia Analysis – Canada’s Personality and Lack of Self-Esteem
Some time ago I was talking in a chat about Canada, and I was asked my thoughts on his personality. Instead of writing random snippets that can get easily lost, I decided to do an entire post about it. (Sorry it took me so long!)
Note: This is my interpretation. Clearly, it comes from an analysis of canon material, but other people could have reached different conclusions, and I’m by no means claiming that my interpretation is the only right one.
This said, let’s start with the basic facts. Canada is America’s (most likely younger) brother, who suffers under the curse of being constantly overlooked in favour of his louder and more visible sibling.
Source: Fly, Mr. Canada, fly! (hetarchive.net)
This strip is actually quite old (this is Canada’s first appearance, if I’m not mistaken) and things have gotten less drastic since then, people don’t completely ignore Canada. He still gets overlooked a bit, but those who notice him immediately take a liking to him.
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 179
Does Canada realize this, however? It doesn’t really seem so. Every clue points towards the fact that Canada doesn’t have a good self-esteem, and while he longs for recognition he also believes that the fact he gets mistaken for America is his own fault.
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 178
I think that this also opens the door for another interesting implication regarding the divide between a personification and his/her country. We know that Canada is proud of his country, and wants it to be recognized. He’s also extremely patriotic, as his room was completely covered in maple-themed items.
Source: Fly, Mr. Canada, fly! (hetarchive.net)
Even here, when Canada points out a positive aspect that should stand out more, he’s talking about his nation – while if you look again at the previous panel, you might notice that he isn’t criticizing his country, he’s criticizing himself. Everything Canada has problems with is about him as person, not his country. This is also why in this analysis I will touch only Canada’s characterization in terms of his personality, without delving into history (which is correlated in some points, I think, but I’m not a historian).
This aspect comes out also in other moments of the manga. Let’s have a look at the time Seychelles remembers about him, for example:
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 176
The first thing one may notice is Canada’s exaggerate reaction to being recognized. He truly doesn’t expect her to, as Himaruya pointed out in other panels, Canada isn’t used to being noticed. He has been forgotten or mistaken for other people numerous times before.
Source: Fly, Mr. Canada, fly! (hetarchive.net)
Canada’s first reaction in these situations is anger – however, it lasts only for a moment, the next one, Canada is already realizing that there are reasons for England mistaking him for America. While he would love to be more recognized and at the centre of attention, he doesn’t blame others for that. True to his lack of self-esteem, he immediately shifts the blame to himself, and instead of carrying on resentment for the times other Nations don’t remember him, he decides to treasure the times they do. He doesn’t behave like it’s something that’s owed to him, and his interaction with Seychelles shows this perfectly, he even feels like he has to repay her for the kindness. And how does he do that?
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 176
In an unnecessary, completely over-the-top showy way that is not like him at all. Basically, Canada feels like he has to change his personality even for a simple ‘thank-you’, he doesn’t believe that his personality is worthy of being recognized by anybody. And if you believe that I’m exaggerating, have a look at the way Canada tried to cheer up England after the Revolutionary War, after India told him that he needed to ‘heal his soul’:
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 196
The first thing that comes to Canada’s mind is to pretend to be America. He doesn’t believe that he can cheer up England on his own, he’s convinced that England would be much better if he saw America instead of him. One may argue that this is because America leaving was what made England sick in the first place, but I don’t think that this is all there is to Canada’s reasoning, especially not after seeing how Canada has been behaving since his childhood.
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 192
When Canada first meets England, the very first thing he does is trying to be helpful. He doesn’t even introduce himself, or tries to get to know England – he just points out to the things England could exploit about his land. If this isn’t the behaviour of a person without any self-esteem at all, I don’t know what it is. This impression is furtherly cemented the following panels.
Canada is painfully surprised by the fact that England was paying attention to him. His words imply that he’s not used to it, and from his following reaction it can be evinced that he doesn’t think it’s something he deserves – he thinks that he has to work hard to deserve somebody taking care of him and considering him his family. (I actually have a theory on where this behaviour may come from, but this post is already getting too long, so it will be for another time.)
Things don’t change much as Canada grows up.
Source: Today’s Hetalia Preparation Course [5/27]
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 180
Every time, Canada puts other people’s needs before his own and is very careful not to disturb them. It’s almost like he doesn’t think his needs are as important as other people’s – and this is typical of somebody with a low self-esteem.
In spite of this, Canada doesn’t wallow in his self-deprecating attitude, nor does he have a negative outlook. He’s a hard worker and generally approaches everything with a positive attitude, promising himself to do his best and trying to put remedy to his flaws.
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 204
He’s also generally quite patient with people, as it is shown in the way he deals with both Cuba and Australia, easily forgiving their behaviour and never getting angry.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Canada is perfect. He’s still a bit of a doormat (which can be easily linked to his lack of self-esteem) and his passive-aggressive attitude brings him to snapping instead of solving issues in a healthy way, like he does with America at least twice. This is also something typical of a person with a low self-esteem: they don’t want to cause trouble and always try to excuse people, but there’s only so much one can stand, which leads to snapping at one point.
I also find interesting that the only person Canada is ever shown getting truly angry at is America, his brother: the person he can feel more comfortable with, so the only one he can show his less-than-perfect personality to.
Another interesting note from that panel is that Canada manages to reduce America to tears: he can read him so well that he knows all his weakest points – as Himaruya said, he’s clearly observant and a good tactician, but he doesn’t seem to employ these skills unless he truly needs to.
In spite of this, Canada cares a lot for his family.
He takes care of England when he’s at his weakest…
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 195 (and look, another proof of his lack of self-esteem!)
…doesn’t want to choose between America and England…
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 181
…and in spite of his quarrels with America, he’s overjoyed when America starts warming up again to England, no matter the fact that this means he’s going to get less attention.
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 204
In modern days, Canada goes out his way to keep up-to-date with America’s interests and be able to have a conversation with him.
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 179
This is also a behaviour typical of somebody with a low self-esteem. It’s almost like Canada thinks that America paying any attention to him is linked to Canada talking about the right things, not that America might be interested in Canada himself.
Or maybe I’m just over-reaching and Canada is just trying to be nice. However, everything about Canada points to him severely lacking of self-esteem, and his generally positive disposition can definitely be linked with this: people with low self-esteem rarely try to draw attention to their issues, because they don’t feel worthy of bothering others over them. Canada complains with Kumajiro, but when he’s with other Nations he tries his hardest to accommodate to their needs and in general is overly nice.
Of course, Canada isn’t only that. His self-deprecating attitude isn’t his only personality trait – his kindness is probably genuine, and he’s also a dork who knows how to have fun.
Source: Bamboo Thicket Nov 2, 2013
Source: Hetalia World ☆ Stars – Chapter 267
We shouldn’t also forget that, in spite of his dislike for conflicts, Canada has been stated to be a strong fighter.
In the end, I don’t think that Canada is only a weak person who can’t take care of himself, and he definitely doesn’t spend all his time crying over himself. However, I still feel like his lack of self-esteem plays an important role in his interactions with other Nations, holding him back from both being noticed and asserting himself when he would need to in addition to leading him to be a bit socially awkward because he over-thinks too much how to behave to make the best impression.
