A bit of a mindless yap, but I really want to talk about the way Micah is written lol
The main thing i want to adress is how well they implemented the idea of micah’s corrupted moral system and perception of the world being inherited instead of just being created out of convenience (by him). But still, it is implied that he could have grown out of that hereditary circle of violence, like his brother did; making him, while conditioned to follow that moral code, fully concious of the evilness of his actions.
This comes from a conversation you can have with him (chapter 4 I think..?) In which he talks about his family: how his father- and grandfather- were wanted men and how he used to run as an outlaw with his father and brother until the elder died, and how his brother, Amos, left with his wife and moved to california.
In the first place, and as it was mentioned previously, I love how the game hints at the idea of Micah being part of a perpetuating circle of violence rather than just being inherently evil. Sure, if he was raised as evil the line between inherent and conditioned (to be evil) is blurry snd almost imperceptible, but it still leaves room to imagine that, under the right conditions, he could have escaped that predisposition to evilness (I will talk about this later). I also want to mention how this concept is solidified by the naming of the characters. Micah actually being “Micah III” could just be a silly gag, but if he look it from this perception, It’s just incredible storytelling.
On this same note, I want to talk about a line that really impacted me. Back when I was playing thw finale, his “I’m a survivor” really stuck with me. Why would someone who kills for fun consider himself a survivor? It couldnt leave my mind for no reason. It could just be some bullshit excuse for killing, but why tell that to someone who’s dying? As I see it, and contrasting it with the previous paragraph, i think the term “survivor” is subdued to perspective. Micah was raised as an outlaw, presumingly thw only thing he knows, and is fighting a world who just wants to eliminate his kind. “The age of outlaws was coming to an end” goes both ways: for people like Arthur, who wanted to change into civilized people; and people like Micah, who did not want to survive as men, but as outlaws; and, since he was raised to be an “evil” outlaw, his idea of surviving is doing, well, evil stuff.
The second part to analyze is his relationship with his brother. Micah talks about how, after his father’s death, Amos left The outlaw life, found a woman and went to California. He concludes saying that he would never let himself be “controlled” by a woman, and even if he would, the best thing a woman has ever told him is “leave me alone” (It’s not a word for word transcription but you get the idea).
Now, it may seem simple but there is a LOT to unpack here.
First, it makes so much narrative sense, if we think about the name thingy, thst it is Amos who leaves, exiting the circle of violence, and not Micah. just wanted to note that bc rockstar did a great job with the names.
Secondly, and this is more of a personal analysis, Micah says this almost with betrayal, meaning that his brother betrayed him for a woman. This is a clear statement of Micah’s view: outlaw life goes ALWAYS first.
Still, i think he also talks with envy. Maybe its just me who wants to turn him into a redeemable guy (even tho he isnt) but I do think that he wouldnt mind living like his brother, but sees himself unable to. When he says that women despise him, it shows how his lifestyle has made it impossible for him to find redemption. He envies Amos for being able to find it, as much as he resents him for leaving him behind.
Finally, and on the note of redemption, while I think that he could possibly want it deep down, he would actually never admit it. In a way, it just goes against his values: wanting redemption is for the weak, and he CANT be weak, bc if he is, he is not following what his “daddy” told him and , for him, thats unthinkable. I genuinely think he would rather take a bullet to the head than admit a hint of vulnerability.
I’m not going to keep yapping but to conclude, his beef with Arthur is 100% caused by Arthur wish of redemption, and Micah probably sees it both as ridiculous and with secret jealousy
Ok I’m done. I love how Micah is written. Him being a “plot twist villain” doesn’t allow much delopment on his evilness bc it would spoil the player early on the game, but rockstar handled it really well with all the implications
