#and I make jokes

[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!

[anthropologist-on-the-loose]

I'm as grateful for cellphones as the next person, but sometimes I think about how everyone having a phone on them at all times really did cause us to loose some things as a society. I mean - for example, kids these days will never experience their car breaking down and needing to find the nearest place with a phone they can use. They're never going to have the opportunity to tentatively approach a house only to discover that it's full of queer people having a party hosted by a transvestite to celebrate his creation of a sex homunculus, stay the night, and loose their virginity while unintentionally partaking in cannibalism. It's tragic, that kind of gay sexual awakening just doesn't happen these days because of cellphones.

[sopuu]

animation of jimmy getting owned in real life

bonus gif of him celebrating i made for funsies :] oh the oblivious bliss...

[visit-ba-sing-se]

I love ending e-mails with "thank you in advance". Like what are you going to now? Not do the thing I already thanked you for? Bring dishonor on yourself like that? No? I didn't think so. Check mate you have been played by the master of manipulation.

[sealsdaily]

Today's Seal Is: The Third Wheel

[blaithnne]

Live Mel reaction

[spidertroupeart]

the jokes write themselves

[solstinky]

[redstonedust]

symbolism can be whatever you want it to be and now that theres 7 life series we can make the winners deadly sins if we want. heres my proposition:

grian: pride (vibes) scott: sloth (laid back in most seasons) pearl: envy (towards the other soul pairings) martyn: gluttony (time is delicious) scar: greed (seashells on the sea shore) cleo: wrath (die for me) joel: lust (hes gonna fuck that car)

[bereft-of-frogs]

There’s that post that’s like ‘everyone should get into a tiny niche fandom at least once’ fully agree, that was really fun -- but I would like to add that everyone should get into a fandom where their opinions run counter to major fanon because it really teaches you about sticking to your guns and trusting your interpretation of the text without having to rely on peer validation

because WHAT are people talking about sometimes

[ruushes]

sleeping arrangements (not sure tara would ever actually deign to sleep in the same 20ft radius as shovel but who can resist those big shiny insectoid black eyes 🥺)

plus:

[stevefightmerogerss]

[snaxle]

i am not calling twitter fucking x

[spiribia]

once you hit adulthood a day will come when you’re suddenly like VEGETABLES 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 and it never goes away

[spitblaze]

considering how many transmascs were legitimately way angrier BEFORE starting T and have since calmed down significantly have we perhaps considered that maybe the reason so many cis dudes are angry and aggressive isn't because of testosterone but maybe. like. personal issues. unmet needs. a social climate that teaches them that there are only like three acceptable emotional outlets for men max and one of them is being angry and shouting