things i love about heartstopper 48/?
This is such an interesting point! Charlie is actually really brave. He puts himself out there a lot. He was the one who instigated their first kiss. He was the first to say “I love you”. Yeah, you could argue that there were pretty obvious signs that his feelings were reciprocated, but this is a kid who doubts himself so much and he still took that step.
It’s so great to see this verbalised, because people often assume “person who hates/devalues themselves” is the same as “person who isn’t confident” (and also that the opposite is true). People also assume that if they don’t feel a certain way, they lack confidence or courage. But it’s not that simple. I think it’s so important for people who struggle with low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, shame, etc to see this spelled out.
I also think this is an important point because people underrate Charlie’s courage. Yes, he misdirects it sometimes, and he doesn’t recognise it in himself to his own detriment, but this kid is so brave. He’s dealt with so much shit, from school, from his family, and from his own mind, and he keeps getting up and trying again. I love him so much.
