Here’s why #Clarkedeservedbetter (and also why she didn’t) (tw)
(trigger warning: brief mention of suicidal thoughts of a fictional character)
While there are many characters from “The 100” that I find really interesting to talk about, none compare to how passionate I get when I’m talking about our very own Clarke Griffin. From the beginning, Clarke has had fans and haters both within the show and out. Somethings I find fascinating about this character are the constant moral conflicts she is faced with, as well as the way other characters viewed her.
On one hand, Clarke can be viewed as someone just trying to save her people. For every “wrong” action she took, she had a justification, even if that justification can be thin. She is just someone who is willing to sacrifice everything and everyone (else) for her friends and family. On the other hand, Clarke can be viewed as a character who is selfish instead of selfless as her catchphrase of saving her people implies. She can be viewed as a person who, instead of being just when she irradiated Mt Weather, did it for revenge. Or as the one who, instead of sacrificing herself by staying on Earth during Praimfaya, just wanted to be the hero.
(also, side note here. I mean selfless in the terms of “I bear it so they don’t have to” and I love that damn quote)
But there’s a flaw within this ideology. Why would Clarke, in an effort to be a hero, leave Bellamy at the fighting pits to save Madi? Yeah she’s her daughter and she wants to protect her, but that didn’t win her any favors. Instead, those who dislike Clarke may view this as a revenge against Spacekru for leaving her there or against Bellamy for putting the flame in Madi’s head (which goes against a lot of what she stands for as a character).
None of this is even taking into consideration Season 6 Episode 2. “Red Sun Rising” depicts Clarke in a suicidal mindset because of the red sun, hearing from her mother on a non-working radio that she is worthless. Would someone who’s only doing what they do for revenge or worship do something like this? Maybe. Maybe the consequences of her actions were worth it for a single moment of being “Wanheda”.
All in all, this isn’t quite what I personally think. But, it’s an interesting perspective to take on one of my favorite characters.
