I’d be lying if I said I was a fan of the Gothel reveal. I’ve grown to accept it but I still don’t like it.
But the one thing I do like about it is how much more complicated it has made Cassandra’s feelings. And I don’t mean in the sense of how Cass treats Rapunzel as a result of it, I mean in the sense of how Cass views Gothel.
I’ve never been able to tell whether the way I interpreted Cass’s feelings towards Gothel was me projecting or if it was actually a valid interpretation in canon, and after seeing that Cass is wearing Gothel’s cloak in TOTS, I think I finally know the answer.
Here’s the thing about abusive parental relationships, and it’s especially true for daughters with abusive mothers. Even if they know their parent is abusive and toxic, the child will still go out of their way to desperately try and earn the love and validation of said abusive parent.
While I won’t justify the tower comment in Cassandra’s Revenge, I will vouch that this mindset probably played a role in why she felt and said that. Regardless of what her mom did, that’s her mother. Deep down inside, underneath all the anger and hurt, Cass still loves Gothel because that’s her mom.
Cass has been conditioned to think she needs to work for love, because that’s how Gothel raises her. And even when her mind repressed the memories of Gothel, it still left such an imprint on her mind that it carried over into adulthood.
And that plays a direct role in how she interacts with Rapunzel post-HOYT. She feels that if Rapunzel hadn’t been in the picture, she could’ve worked harder and maybe her mom would’ve finally loved and appreciated her like she so desperately wanted.
And while that’s not in any way Rapunzel’s fault and Cass is in the wrong for blaming her for it, that’s how her mind is working. And she can’t back up and see the error of her ways because Zhan Tiri is manipulating her to the point where she isn’t even thinking for herself anymore.
I don’t expect everyone to agree, because to some extent maybe this mindset makes the most sense to those who’ve actually experienced it. But I really hope A Tale of Two Sisters explores this potential mindset and Cass’s overall feelings more. Especially since she’ll have Rapunzel there with her, who understands how she feels, and from the looks of it she won’t have Zhan Tiri there to turn her around anytime she starts thinking in the right direction.
snowghoul
yousharknotpass
amandla
romaincrisis
jacobvanloon
dailybridgerton
titsay
