I admit, I worry a lot that any time I read a character’s story to be at least partially about self harm, or that they have very strong allegories for it, that I actually don’t know a single thing about understanding what stories are trying to say and am instead purely projecting-
Like. Kris. I was so absolutely 100% certain that part of their deal, and especially their whole yknow. Soul ripping thing. Was about self harm. It’s not normal for teenagers to have bloodstains in their room, to wear bandages, to carry an unsheathed kitchen knife with them on all times, to lock themself in the bathroom WITH said knife for long periods of time, and then there’s the much more on the nose, literally physically ripping your soul out of your body even though it clearly REALLY fucking hurts, just so they can have control. The secrecy behind it too.
Their a queer teenager, the outcast in their small town from being the only human, they (pre story at least) didn’t really have friends because they either moved away, died, or grew distant, their home life is messy and not the best, they’re clearly very guilty and don’t have a good view of themself as a person. All of these things alone wouldn’t feel like much to warrant that reading (ehhh the soul ripping kinda does..) but with everything combined I’m. Like. that’s the intention right? That reading *does* make sense, right??
But I’ve seen a lot of people saying that they don’t think it ‘makes sense’ or something, and I have yet to hear a clear reason why it doesn’t?- so I can’t tell if that’s just. People online ignoring obvious subtext in stories, or maybe they just don’t have experience so they can’t fathom the idea or see the connections, or! Maybe they’re right! Maybe it really doesn’t make sense and isn’t actually intended to be read that way and I just have issues ;-;
Idk </3 I feel like Susie also has some subtle implications with it too, (only ones I can think of right now are mentioning wanting to impale herself on at least two occasions, and knowing how to clean blood out of carpets) but again! Am I just projecting? Or does this actually make sense for this character??
Idk, and I know at the end of the day it doesn’t matter too much, it’s fiction, if I can see myself in a character in ways that weren’t intended, literally who cares. that’s one of the beautiful things about fiction. And if it is 100% projection, again, who cares, we’re playing with dolls. But it does feel important to me to have a game or show or what have you that actually talks about this kind of stuff, I don’t see it often.
