This binary view of the world gets its greatest test when Eren befriends people like Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart, who he initially considers to be friends that he fights with in the military that is, until he learns that they are both Titan shifters who instigated the attack on the city that killed his mother, albeit for a noble purpose. On the other hand, he can only view his enemies as bloodthirsty monsters, even after getting to know some of these "monsters" as actual people. On the one hand, he views himself and his allies as virtuously on the right side of history, no matter how many people they kill or innocent people they put in harm's way. One of the great flaws of Eren's character is his morally binary view of the world and how hard he tries to force all of his experiences into that binary, as he has difficulty grappling with the idea of their being areas of gray when it comes to human nature. It's a scenario that's impossible to not feel some level of empathy for, and it puts the audience on his side in the early majority of the story, where he's genuinely trying to stop who he thinks are terrible people for the people he considers to be good and worthy. No matter where Eren goes, and no matter how far his sense of morality changes, we will always remember him as this scared young boy crying for his mother. This is an impeccably realized beginning point for Eren's arc, knowing how it will end. This permanently traumatizes him for life, filling him with an insatiable need to kill all Titans and do whatever it takes to ensure the freedom of him and his people. Eren's life changes when the Titans break through the walls and destroy his city, and in the middle of the attack, a Smiling Titan eats Eren's mother. Eren is a stubborn hothead, who will throw himself into any and all conflict, if it means protecting his loved ones or his ideals. Nobody in town ever leaves the walls because of the dangerous Titans that roam the lands, and the town is led to believe that they're the last of humankind. When we first meet Eren, he's a young boy with dreams of seeing the world beyond the walls that surround his hometown of Eldia, getting to see the glorious blue ocean that he's only seen in pictures courtesy of his best friend, Armin Arlet. One of the fundamental truths of storytelling is the importance of how we're introduced to a character, as it can change our relationship with said character and how we're supposed to feel about them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |