I’ve gotta say I love how Evan and his lycanthropy is treated in the narrative! Especially in comparison to the likes of Remus Lupin in Harry Potter.
One of the biggest problems I’ve had with HP’s werewolves (aside from it being written by the moldy uber terf) is the case of “good lore/ horrible execution”. HP does have the bones of good lore for its werewolves as victims of a dangerous, life altering curse and discrimination that comes with that. However the execution falls utterly flat to the point of being horribly ableist and having very… disgusting implications! Such as moldy terf stating her version of lycanthropy is a metaphor for HIV… and having a major werewolf villain who loves to purposefully infect children!? Or having our main werewolf character be the only good werewolf in the entire story, with the rest either all joining wizard hitler or having so little screen time they’re basically nonexistent! LG werewolves have a lot of similarities to HP’s werewolves, but does manage to sidestep a lot of these issues in the stories by just… treating lycanthropes as people.
Two big differences I wanna point out as the example between Evan and Remus is how other characters treat their lycanthropy, and their own relationship with their condition.
In HP, a lot of characters focus on how lupin’s lycanthropy affects them, never how it impacts Remus himself. Lupin could be in a completely isolated room and all the other characters would be focusing on “what if he gets out?” Or “ugh why does he have to have this now!” Or having characters using his lycanthropy to put Remus in comprising positions without any care or regard for how it would affect him (such as in a flashback with Sirius trying to lure snape into the abandoned cabin lupin used for his full moon transformations as a “prank”. Fully knowing and not caring how this would ruin lupins life if his werewolf form attacked snape. And the narrative just… never holds Sirius accountable for this!)
Evan meanwhile, both the characters are far more focused on how his lycanthropy affects him. Actually checking in on him and being more scared for him then scared of Big Bad (I love the scene with lukus just sticking his hand in werewolf Evan’s mouth to check his puke, and the crew all helping with the grief after he turns back). It really shows that they actually care for Evan’s wellbeing and realize he’s how his condition affects him.
And also on their personal relationship with their lycanthropy these two characters are also vastly different. Remus is just constantly miserable, the narrative never letting him have any happiness in his condition unless it’s to spite it. A lot of the time almost seeming to apologize for his own existence, a trait that SURE couldn’t mean anything coming from what’s basically a disabled character (what was that about disgusting implications before?). Meanwhile Evan, while his condition does cause him a lot of fear/ stress/ and self loathing, the narrative allowing him to have moments of self acceptance and neutrality with his lycanthropy. That and much of his anxiety and self loathing coming from things outside his lycanthropy (I like Evan but dear fuck is he a mess!)
This is a very interesting comparison, thank you so much for this! I've never read Harry Potter myself, but I have seen lycanthropy (and similar conditions) used as an allegory for different things like illness, sexuality, disability, etc. in other fiction and I think it has to be handled very carefully. I have heard from many people that J.K. Rowling is heavy-handed in her writing and does not do subtlety well, and what you've just told me here confirms that. That sounds...not great. Wow...
Evan is a character with a serious, life-alerting condition. Some of the ways it alters him are beneficial (it's literally the only thing keeping him alive) and some are devastating (the real risk of harming someone under the full moon). I want to highlight both of these facts at the same time throughout the story. It's not a flawless superpower, but it's not constant misery either, because Evan doesn't let it be. He chose this for himself, and he takes responsibility for that decision every day. Doesn't always do a perfect job of it, but his earnestness is what makes him endearing I think.
Connor is sort of meant to be his dark shadow, showing what Evan would be like if he didn't take responsibility, if he shed everything he is and just identified completely with his lycanthropy. The disease rules Connor completely, to the point where Connor is barely Connor anymore, he is just a walking, talking case of lycanthropy. He willingly let this happen to himself because he's convinced that it IS a flawless superpower and sought the disease for greedy, selfish reasons. He did not care how it might affect others.
Evan is a lycanthrope, yes, but above all else he is a person with thoughts, feelings, and impact on the people around him. He is loved by others despite his condition, and sometimes because of it. Not everyone is willing to love him because they fear what he is, and the series doesn't really demonize them for that. The narrative acknowledges that it can be dangerous and the fear is warranted, but also shows that Evan is a pretty good guy who goes to great lengths in order to help people. He has to earn peoples' trust, it isn't just given to him like it's given to most people. He adapts to the position he put himself in.
Connor doesn't get the love and support Evan does, and not just because he's a lycanthrope, but moreso because he's a shitty person who happens to have lycanthropy. Evan is a kind person with lycanthropy, and so his kindness outshines the condition. He remains a multi-faceted human being who does not let one aspect of himself define his whole existence, so he gets treated with more nuance than just "wolf-man scary".
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