There are a lot of parallels between Mana and Allen’s relationship and other relationships in D.Gray-Man, and they are sending me into so much angst.
1. Road and Earl. The Earl is CLEARLY emotionally unstable, and Road often acts as a grounding presence to him, like Allen was implied to for Mana in Lost Fragments of Snow. She seems to genuinely love him, and they often get up to antics - see the Earl doing her homework, for example - that I can often imagine Mana and Allen doing. At the same time, I’m not entirely sure how much the Earl loves her in return, which... is another parallel that makes me cry. Also, the sitting on shoulders thing, Allen/Road’s alternate dimension that they can access through a door they summon, their inner worlds being pretty much equally fucked up and... The doll thing. Allen’s inner-self looked like a doll, and it’s mentioned a lot that he considers himself a weapon to be pointed and fired, an object for other people’s happiness and entertainment. In many ways it feels like he’s Mana’s doll, a toy made in his likeness to do anything to make him happy. The doll thing really gets me.
2. Lala and Gozel. Again, the doll thing. In this case, it’s even more obvious, because Lala isn’t just a doll in appearance. Her sole purpose in life is to make Gozel happy, and she plans to die as soon as that purpose is no longer there, and let Gozel kill her in the process. Anyone whose caught up on the series might see that and be like “Hm, isn’t Allen’s reason for fighting to end the Akumas suffering for Mana’s sake?” and then remember what we learned in recent chapters about who Mana is and go “Oh shit.” Also, can’t forget that Allen’s loneliness and bitterness prior to meeting Mana can be compared to Lala’s hatred for humanity in general before meeting Gozel as a child. At the same time, and I can’t avoid spoilers here, so skip to the next number if you aren’t caught up, the reverse can also be true, which is also worrying. After all, someone who hates humans, who’d kill any who disrespect them, finding a small child, lonely and desperate for any form of affection? If that was the case, wouldn’t the ‘Earl’ as we know him be Lala after her Innocence was removed and returned to her? Just going through the motions, a doll to be pointed and aimed and manipulated, with no memories of the bond they share? Does that mean Mana will wake up when Allen dies, and then die himself??? Because that will hurt. This parallel is made even more obvious by the fact that the first time Allen really saw Mana, Mana was singing.
3. Lvellie and Link. Don’t kill me for this but uhhhh.... yeah.... This one gets to me because Link’s blind devotion to Lvellie, regardless of his own opinions, and the way Link tries to mimic Lvellie in many ways, is just like Allen to Mana. Can’t forget the “street rat picked up off the streets and given a home for the first time” or the fact Link apparently talks just like Lvellie, but has been slipping up lately as he relaxes more, a parallel to Allen himself who has been letting the Mask of Mana slip. Now this one worries me for a different reason than the others. Link is following Lvellie’s orders even if he doesn’t agree with them, even if he feels they are the wrong thing to do, even if it means he has to attack his own friends or abandon people who might as well have been family to him. He still loves them to death, but he’s choosing Lvellie’s side because he’s devoted to him... the same way Allen is to Mana. And, for people caught up to the manga.... Well...
Might add more. Pls reblog with ideas if you have any.
The path that enables but also binds - Interpretation about Allen Walker
In this post I`d like to offer an interpretation about Allen`s character. What kind of person he is, what is the nature of the journey he is on, and how he changes during the course of the story. I will mostly talk about some of the things established in the beginning of the series, but I`ll integrate some of the later revelations that happen in the story.
I will touch upon quite a few things here, but I cannot possibly address all the interesting things, that are crucial in Allen`s character. So I will mostly talk about a selected few topics. The red string which acts as the central theme of this post, will be Allen`s “path”. Into that I will integrate other elements found in Allen`s character.
The path that empowers but also binds
Allen`s introduction and the revelation behind his tragical past is intriguing. The series first establishes how the Akuma are born into the world, and we learn that Allen made this same mistake when he was younger. He made a deal with the Earl to bring back Mana, but as with the other cases, the deal done with the Earl was a shady one. Mana in his Akuma form cursed Allen and gave him a scar on his other eye. This curse made Allen able to see the souls of Akuma. The tragic event with Mana ends as Allen has to destroy his foster parent, while tears flow down his cheeks. He was able to do this, because his Anti-Akuma weapon manifested itself during this time as well.
The manner how Allen sees the impact this event had in his life is fascinating. At first the hatred left by Mana was the thing that motivated Allen, and he wanted to become an exorcist to make up his mistake. However as Allen explains in the first volume, his outlook on things changed. So instead of guilt Allen became an exorcist to give some sort of purpose for his life. It is a positive development that Allen managed to process the event, and not see his current role as punishment. However, I think this portion of Allen`s story connects to something he says to Alister later, and is at the core of Allen`s character. When Alister goes trough traumatic events and loses essentially everything, he wishes to die. However Allen stops this from happening, by suggesting that he becomes an exorcist. I think when Allen gained his Anti-Akuma weapon, he harboured a similar mentality. He had essentially lost everything at that point (he even says this to Kanda in vol 2, what he hold dear he has already been lost), and the thing that kept him going forward, was to become an exorcist. This is good, but I think for a fulfilling and complete life this might not be enough. Allen comes across as person who is moving forward, but not really “living” in a certain sense. I suspect that in this point of the story, he did not have any grand goals or wishes on what he wanted from life, and simply marched on this path that was laid down before him.
I think this mentality is also manifested visually in one of the paintings in Allen`s room. There are already quite good interpretations about what this paintings symbolizes, so it is likely that I am just parroting those who have written before, and I am not brining much new stuff in the discussion. However I want to ramble about this nonetheless, since it is a crucial element for this post. In Allen`s room, there is a massive painting that depicts a clownish looking figure.
The figure is smiling but crying at the same time, and on his back there is a coffin. On the background of the image, we see a strange looking spiral structure. I think the clownish figure in the painting is supposed to depict Allen. As I have written in this post, lots of clownish and Jokeresque iconography is tied into Allen`s character, and this further fortifies the link. The smiling but crying clown is a brilliant manifestation about what kind of person Allen is. In my Joker post I talked about how Allen smiles a lot. While I think Allen smile expresses genuine emotions, at times this smile feels very hollow. Allen himself also admits, that he wears the smile at times because of the effect it has towards others. So at times this expression is there because of the effect it has, instead of how Allen actually feels. So Allen`s smile can be read as a mask, that does not express his genuine feelings at times, and hides the great sorrow that lurks under the surface. The tears of the clownish figure symbolize that like Allen, this is a person who is suffered and is still suffering, but keeps smiling nonetheless.
I have seen interpretation that the coffin is supposed to symbolize Mana, the weight of his legacy, his death and all the things he meant for Allen. I agree with this interpretation and I find the image of a coffin rather fitting. While Mana had positive impact on Allen´s life, Mana is also a burden that Allen keeps carrying in his shoulders. The chain connects the most to the part mentioned above. Allen´s curse and tragic past robbed but and also gave him a reason to live. It is because he is an exorcist, is that he still keeps walking. But that`s just about it. He only keeps walking, moving onward and does not really stop anywhere. The chain, the promise to keep on walking and destroy the Akuma, keeps Allen moving, but also binds him to walk this path. The chain becomes even more nefarious, when one thinks of further story revelations, and how Allen might be doomed to be overwritten by Neil from the very beginning. Allen's comment in the painting panel also become rather ironic.
The hill in the painting made me think of the iconic Spiral Hill found in The Nightmare Before Christmas. This is likely me overthinking, but I think one could make an connection between the two. In the movie the hill acts bridge between two areas. So it is a midway point of sorts between point A and point B. I think the idea of a midway point, bridge or transition can also be applied to the painting. In this part of the story Allen is finally becoming an real exorcist, and as he himself says: “I am finally at the starting line”. So as the Spiral Hill transports people to different locations, Allen is ready to move onto the next stage in his life.
Kanda and Lenalee on Allen's path
Allen has taken a step closer into becoming an real exorcist, and in his first mission he teams up with Kanda. I think this teaming up is very interesting, because it highlights further some important points in Allen´s character. In this point of the story, Allen seems to mostly be moved by the path that was laid before him. However Allen can also be impulsive and sometimes things that he comes across during this path, caught his attention. These happen to be the problems experienced by Lala and Guzol. As Allen himself explains the reason why he wants to protect them is not because he feels sorry, or because of some noble cause. As he is only a human, his heart goes to those that are in front of him. He even admits that this overrides the “bigger picture”. This is interesting since Kanda is crafted as the exact opposite to Allen. Kanda is very restraint and almost cold, and does not act on impulse. If Allen cares about those he sees on his journey, Kanda is all about the bigger picture.
As he says, this is war and sometimes sacrifices are necessary in war.
This volume is also the starting point of Allen having to accept the role of a destroyer/killer. Allen has some interesting development here, and I think his answer is an mixture of his own and the views presented by Kanda. Allen sees that they are not “saviours” but people who destroy. But the Allen does not end up letting go of the role of a saviour entirely, and instead he wants to become destroyer who saves others. I think this is what he ends up doing to some degree. By destroying the Akuma, Allen essentially frees the souls that are bind to the machine, and free them from being the Earl`s eternal playthings.
I also think this development is illustrated by the change in Allen`s Anti-Akuma weapon. As he his hate towards the Akuma raises and his weapon reacts to these emotions, the Innocence starts to resemble that of a cannon/barrel of a gun. If I visualize the world “kill” or destroy” in my head, the image that most often pops in my head, is the barrel of a gun. The hand, Allen`s previous form, can be a bit ambiguous while a gun has a very certain implications. It`s job is to shoot, to destroy.
On a final note when it comes to this volume, I think the first Level 2 Akuma that Allen fights, is an very interesting one. I could be overthinking but I suggest that it can be viewed as some sort of dark counterpart to Allen.
The Level 2 Akuma has an clownish look, something that is tied to Allen. What is more interesting is that its skin is paper mirror, something that can copy and mirror the outlook and powers of other people. I bring this up because it is suspected that Allen`s personality is just an elaborate mask, something that copies and emulates Mana`s traits. So essentially “Allen” copies/mirrors Mana. However the level 2 Akuma takes this on a different level, copying the whole body structure and mannerism of another person. I also think that its utter and horrifying bloodthirst can be seen a dark version of Allen`s impulses. In later volumes Allen mentions how his blood started grow warmer as the Akuma appeared. So maybe Allen as a parasitic type has certain impulses that make him “fire up” as the Akuma are near. The Akuma`s thirst for blood is a more sinister, darker version of this impulse. Of course it could be possible that I am overthinking.
During these couple of volumes Allen also gets to know more about Lenalee. Like Kanda I think Lenalee can be used an mirror to understand better what Allen is about. If Kanda is all about the bigger picture and the slight coldness this view points presents, Lenalee is all about the people who are in you`r life. The road or the mission are not the things that matter the most, it is the people who Lenalee cares about. This affection to them is so strong, that make up Lenalee`s world. As she herself words it, according to Lenalee, when she thinks of the word “world”, she thinks of no map. Instead the faces of the people she cares about appear. This impression is so strong that if people Lenalee cares about die, it is as if you would dismantle and destroy her world piece at a time. Like with Kanda, I think the meeting of Lenalee is crucial for Allen`s development. When Allen finally arrives to the Black Order for the first time, it is Lenalee who introduces the concept of the HQ as “home”.
So now for the first time likely in a real long while, Allen, the person who just keeps moving, has a place where he can return to. A place where he can belong, a place which he can call home.
Thinking about Allen's and Lenalee's character, I think the first encounter with Rhode is very interesting for several reasons. First, Rhode presents an obstacle with Allen's transformation into a person, who destroyes in order to save. Now that Allen's opponent is a human instead of an Akuma, Allen feels conflicted. He said he would destroy the Akuma, so killing a human likely transforms into a conflict between Allen's path and his own personal ethics. I think the reason why Allen is able to destroy the Akuma, is because his eye humanizes some of them to some degree. He sees the soul that is suffering in the Akuma.
In the case of Rhode, the humanity of Allen's opponent makes him unable to act. Of course in the case of Akuma there are also exceptions, and Allen has terminated some because of other reasons. Rhode invoking humanity is also paradoxical in a certain sense, since she herself seems to care very little about the value of human life.
During this part of the story, I also think we see a central conflict in Allen. The path that he is on seems to overwrite the importance of his companions. When Rhode starts the self-destruction sequnce, Allen rushes to save the Akuma. If Lenalee had not stopped him, Allen would have likely been caught by the blast. Allen is angry at Lenalee, since he was unable to save the Akuma, and fulfill his path.
I think it is really fitting that it is Lenalee who stops Allen, since Lenalee cares about the people the most. So here we have conflict between Allen's sworn path, and the people Allen becomes familiar with.
In chapter 83 Allen presents an interesting solution for this conflict. Trough the curse and promises made in the past, Allen was read to solely fight for the Akuma, and to live for the Akuma. That alone “will provide me nourishment for living.” However things were not that simple and as he met other people and came close to them, he went astray from this original goal. However instead of discarding the other and hyper focusing on the other one, Allen decides to blend between the two, in a interesting duality. Allen`s left side, the side with the Anti-Akuma weapon is for the Akuma. Allen`s right side is dedicated for humans. Both are things that define him and are important to him.
Conclusion
I think this solution is an important one. While the tragedy that lurks in the past and the one which lurks in the future are still present, I think the paintings depiction of Allen does not fully apply. Allen is still on the road yes, but I think the chain has been cut off or at least loosened a little bit. While the morph into the 14th Noah is on the horizon, and the path laid by Mana still define Allen, it is not the only thing. Allen can take a stop on this journey, and spend time with the people he cares about. Instead of constantly being on the move, at least for a while Allen had a place where he could belong to. Essentially I think Allen`s positive development is summarized by Fou, with the mouth Rou Fa:
While technically this road was not chosen by Allen and predetermination looms in the horizon, I'd argue that trough the people who Alllen has met, the experinces Allen has had and the viewpoints he has gained, Allen has managed to make the path more of his own, at least to a certain degree.
For someone so invested in the DGM fandom, I really don’t do that much fanart. I’m pretty sure I’ll do it digitally when I get the chance (also Tumblr stretched the image wtf)
