I keep seeing people posting about what different read dead characters represent and since im on a Dutch tirade I thought I'd clear something up.
Dutch is not a representation of insanity.
Hes a representation of Fear.
Whereas yes, they are very similar, there are fundamental differences and I STRONGLY believe that paranoia is a better description for Dutch than insanity. Dutch cannot be a representation of insanity... because he never goes insane.
We start seeing this from as early as chapter 1; one of the first conversations we see in the game between Javier and Arthur, where Javier mentions that Dutch had killed a woman in "a bad way" during the Blackwater massacre. Now, we dont know exactly what "killed in a bad way" means, but immediately after Javier says this, Arthur responds with "But thats not like him?" Almost in disbelief. This gets further hinted at in a short conversation between Arthur and Hosea around the end of chapter 1, and AGAIN in chapter 2 between Lenny and Hosea.
Point being, we have in-game evidence that Dutch has been changing since before the events of Read Dead 2.
This idea that Dutch is changing (and not necessarily for the better) gets repeatedly reinforced throughout the rest of the game. As the law, O'driscolls, Cornwall, and Pinkertons close in on the VDL gang, Dutch's decision making falters, and he drives the gang further and further east as he leads the gang to flee in terror.
As more and more people in the gang die (Sean, Hosea, Lenny, Kieran...), Dutch's paranoia only grows as he realizes that hes NOT untouchable.
By the time chapter 6 rolls around, hes more than ready to hand some of the decision making to Micah, whose been manipulating his fear since the beginning of the game. Whose manipulation only gets stronger and stronger as Dutch's fear grows.
Dutch would rather betray his gang than be caught by the law.
He is so PARANOID about being caught, he would rather jump to his death than find himself at the hands of the law (rdr1).
Dutch isn't a villain in this game because he goes insane; he's a villain because he gets paranoid and let's that paranoia drive his decisions.
jacobvanloon
gummygunk
blakekathryn
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