#It may not be in the soft way

[hrizantemy]

So firstly, I feel like my post comes off like I hate Mare, and I don’t—she’s actually one of my favorite FMCs. She’s the character that got me into reading in the first place. My criticism isn’t about disliking her; it’s about analyzing her arc, especially in Glass Sword.

Second, I know I skipped a lot of the in-between. That’s because I’m currently doing a reread and I’m only on page 163. So my focus right now is on the early signs of Mare’s hypocrisy—like when she insists she wants to give new bloods a choice, but then immediately denies Cameron that very choice. When you compare that to how she acts later in the book, it becomes even clearer how far she’s slipping.

You’re right that Mare is a flawed FMC who actually faces consequences for her actions, and I love that about her. She’s not glorified, and Aveyard doesn’t shy away from showing her moral decline. But that doesn’t mean I can’t call out specific moments where her actions contradict her own ideals. That’s what makes her such an interesting, complex character—she messes up badly, and then she has to live with it.

Mare’s trauma is one of the defining forces that shape her character, and we see its effects on her constantly throughout the series. She’s not just reacting to what’s happening around her—she’s carrying everything that has already happened to her, and it directly influences her choices, for better or worse.

1. Her Time as a Pawn in the Silver Court – Mare spends months being used as a puppet, forced to lie, to play a role, to watch her every word and movement just to stay alive. She hates how powerless she felt, how easily she was manipulated. That experience fuels her obsession with control—because to her, losing control means being vulnerable again. It’s why she refuses to let herself be a pawn ever again, even if it means making ruthless decisions.

2. Trust Issues & Isolation – Mare struggles with trust from the very beginning, but after the betrayal in Red Queen, it only gets worse. She convinces herself that she has to carry the burden of saving the new bloods alone, pushing away the people who care about her. She thinks detachment will make her stronger, but all it really does is isolate her, making her even more emotionally unstable. We see her grappling with this—she knows she’s alienating herself, but she doesn’t know how to stop.

3. Her View on Power & Responsibility – Mare goes from being a powerless Red to one of the most powerful people in the world overnight. That’s not something she adjusts to easily. She doesn’t want to be like the Silvers, but she also knows that power is the only thing keeping her alive. The more she fights, the more she justifies making harsh, morally gray decisions—because in her mind, if she doesn’t, then she’s as weak as she was before. We constantly see her struggling with where the line is, and how far she’s willing to go before she becomes the very thing she hates.

Mare isn’t just a character who goes through trauma—she’s shaped by it, and we see her struggling under the weight of it every step of the way. That’s what makes her such a compelling protagonist.

Me calling out Mare’s hypocrisy doesn’t take away from the fact that it stems from her trauma. I know exactly why she makes the choices she does—I know she’s acting out of fear, control, and desperation. I know that every mistake she makes is a direct result of everything she’s been through. But understanding why she does something doesn’t mean I can’t still acknowledge what she does.

Her trauma explains her actions, but it doesn’t excuse them—and that’s the whole point of her character arc. She’s flawed, she contradicts herself, and she struggles with the weight of her own decisions. That doesn’t mean she isn’t a great character—it makes her an even better one.

So yes, I criticize her. Yes, I point out when she’s being hypocritical. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love her character or that I don’t recognize why she is the way she is. If anything, it makes me appreciate her arc even more.

Mare isn’t just a soldier or a leader—she’s a symbol, whether she wants to be or not. From the moment she’s exposed as the Lightning Girl, people project their own hopes, fears, and expectations onto her, and it weighs on her constantly.

1. She’s Not Just Mare Barrow Anymore – The moment she reveals her abilities, she stops being just another Red girl from the Stilts. To the Silvers, she’s a threat. To the Scarlet Guard, she’s a weapon. To the new bloods, she’s a savior. But who is she to herself? She barely has time to process what’s happening to her before she’s forced into a role she never chose.

2. People Either Fear Her, Hate Her, or Need Something From Her – Very few people in Mare’s life treat her just as a person. To many, she’s a monster—Silvers hate her for breaking their world order. To others, she’s a beacon of hope—new bloods see her as the one who will lead them to safety. Even within the Scarlet Guard, she’s not fully trusted. Almost everyone around her has an agenda, and she’s caught in the middle.

3. She Feels the Pressure to Be More Than She Is – Mare is 17 years old, but she’s expected to lead, to fight, to win a war. The Scarlet Guard and the new bloods look to her for guidance, even though she has no idea what she’s doing. She’s learning as she goes, making mistakes, and every failure feels like another weight on her back. The pressure to be strong, to be right, is unbearable, and we see it breaking her piece by piece.

4. She Falls Under the Weight of It – Mare knows she’s not invincible, but she forces herself to act like she is because everyone expects it. She isolates herself, believing she has to carry the burden alone. But the more she tries to be the perfect leader, the more she crumbles. She loses sight of herself in the process, becoming colder, more ruthless, and more willing to justify things she never would have before—because if she isn’t the Lightning Girl, if she isn’t strong enough, then what’s left of her?

Mare’s struggle isn’t just about fighting a war—it’s about holding up the expectations of everyone around her while trying not to lose herself in the process. And for a long time, she fails.

I think Mare is so much stronger than I was at 17—I could never go through what she did. The sheer amount of pressure, trauma, and responsibility she carries is insane, and the fact that she keeps going, even when she’s breaking, is honestly admirable.

And just to be clear, I actually agree with a lot of what you’re saying @imjulia-andilikecats. I love Mare as a character, and I don’t want my criticism to come across as me hating her or dismissing her struggles. Pointing out things I don’t like or moments that frustrate me doesn’t mean I think she’s a bad character—if anything, it’s because I care about her arc that I even bother analyzing it. So I don’t want what I’m saying to be taken the wrong way or for it to seem like I’m trying to start anything. I just love discussing her complexity!

[hinamie]

もう一回、もう一回

[unriding]

me n moze say good morning to the world !!! ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ

art by @rabbbitseason of course <3

[chipper-smol]

So...... Loop and Odile huh?

v THE OTHER RESPONSE I DOODLED v

yeagh

[unrelatedsideblog]

I need to do more stuff where Sanji is absolutely loved and cherished

[wolves-in-the-world]

the thing about eliot spencer as a character, right. the thing about him.

(and as always your mileage may vary on my analyses so if we disagree that's cool actually)

is that he is in fact a somewhat emotionally constipated idiot who is occasionally sensitive about his perceived masculinity and gets defensive about emotional intimacy around other men (largely hardison, who's much more comfortable expressing affection and embracing a softer kind of masculinity), but eliot displays enough emotional awareness and sensitivity and respect for women etc etc that anyone who's been subjected to that era of television will put on rose-tinted glasses without even looking twice.

(and he is, don't get me wrong, incredibly emotionally aware for a professionally punchy guy with enough trauma to sink the titanic. it still startles me to see.)

on top of which we have the layers and the accessories and the excellent hair with the secret braids and the way he barely has an ego and he's good with kids and protective of his team without taking it too far, and some of us never stood a fucking chance.

[basilbots]

I know people are talking all over about this new side of Sun’s personality and I just want to remind everyone that the fandom looked at Moon, who for the longest time their only canon hint of softness was his poster, and still turned him into a softie just suffering from a virus. I don’t think we need to worry about soft Sun not being portrayed anymore

[implied-divinity]

im feeling sappy tonight. shoutout to the baby tboys begging to be forcemasced. one day you will become the man you want to be. within the kink its wonderful when another man grabs you by the shoulders and pushes you headfirst in. its wonderful to share in the joy he felt when he started. in reality know youre afraid. it takes guts to let yourself be who you want. dont take your feelings lightly and let yourself explore. you are not alone but its also up to you. take care. much love.

[fluffyartbl0g]

Listen… ik luffys fruit is a zoan of the SUN god, but I always prefer my gear 5 luffys lookin a bit more on the cloudy side then the firey side! He just looks so cool like that????

[t-u-i-t-c]

"You'll triumph someday, as long as you never yield. I'll take you on any time." "You never fail to piss me off, Geats."

[nowritingonthewall]

I’m sorry 🥺

[bugbugboy]

I recently saw a group of people in the GO fandom who couldn't wrap their heads around how David Tennant sits, while I could only think that I sit exactly the same way in fact, in that moment I was sitting the same way as that image

So I present unto you, the guide to bisexual sitting by @bugbugboy and David Tennant

Thank you for your time :)

[cele-ish]

"Oh you know I suck at captions Uhhh Just say they fell asleep" @twilight-ish

there you go have soft eepy kaejean napping in the office cause Jeanie pulled an allnighter and Kaeya had to physically hold her down to get her to sleep. he may have fallen asleep as well in the process but-

[ingravinoveritas]

New DW video diary from Georgia, and David once again cannot shut up about Michael...

[takadasaiko]

You lack conviction.

[dumb-doll-lips]

Maybe controversial, but on posts about being dumb where girls are like saying ‘but I’m actually smart.’ Like tbh, I don’t really believe them. Like if you’re smart why does feeling dumb feel so good or hot or whatever to you then? I kinda feel like it’s having an excuse to let go of trying as much as you would be when you’re saying your smart. If you’re like really actually smart, I don’t feel like a break from ‘being smart’ would be such a relief or like as appealing.