ERMMM I read a book! Yay! I have many things to say tho because my bbg is misunderstood. also spoilers for remarkably Bright Creatures kinda. also me being angry. also mentions of grief and coping mechanisms.
preface: not saying everyone does this, but I've seen It too often and its annoying, so if this doesn't apply this isn't about you. also maybe this counts as character analysis idk. ALSO I only read the book so this is about just that
I am PISSED at the way some people characterize Cameron from Remarkably Bright Creatures. It's like genuinely infuriating. I just finished the book and wanted to look him up b/c he's my fav character and like all of the shit, or at least a decent portion, is just about him being a lazy slacker and like being an asshole. Like sure he's an asshole and a very negative character, that's why he's great. He portrays grief in the ways it isn't shown typically, angry and spiteful and full of regret and anger towards yourself. Cameron is struggling and grieving JUST LIKE TOVA but like Tova gets all of the things she does understood by the readers just because she's a) old and b) not grieving outwardly, instead in the cute window way that people can write off for the things she does (mind you Cameron also self-isolates just like her but they're treated way differently) The main thing I can think of is Tova wanting to sell all of her life and home away and go to a retirement home, which most people can understand but all of a sudden they don't do that for Cameron. When HE goes to run back to California he's the asshole for abandoning his job and his community like Tova wasn't planning on doing the same. Cameron is not a slacker, he's depressed. Cameron is not an asshole for leaving people, he feels like he has to because HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!!! His WHOLE life was terrible, and he hasn't got anything going for him -- he has a right to hate the world, but apparently people cant understand that point of view because they cant empathize with anger, only pathetic old ladies (even when Cam is MUCH MORE PATHETIC, he is literally mourning both his lack of capability despite being smart, but also the fact both his parents werent there for him.)