#professor hobbes | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hidden-poet · 7 months ago

Text

Professor Snow

1/1

Summary; Coriolanus takes a position at the university teaching military theory where he develops an unhealthy crush on one of his students.

Warnings; unethical behavior, teacher/student relationship, stalker behavior, coercive control, dubish consent, reader is not very smart, obsessive behavior, kidnapping, reader isn't described or named.

Editor: @hotline-to-hell

After studying under Dr. Gaul, he took her place at the University.

She was only looking for a successor, and now that she had found one, she no longer wanted to waste time there. So Coriolanus became the University's military theory professor, in addition to his Gamemaking duties.

He hated the first year. If the pest of the day wasn’t some annoying boy who had never seen war talking about how he single-handedly would have defeated the districts, it was a young girl wanting to single out his attention.

But in his second year, an infatuation started to soften his days to something close to enjoyment.

She always sat alone, at the front, but rarely took any notes. At first, she jotted every word from Professor Snow, but by the end of the first month, her note-taking had stopped and she drew flowers upon the pages instead.

When Coriolanus put up a slide depicting the horrors of war he had witnessed, she winced. She was a delicate flower ready for debasing, and Coriolanus found himself protective of her.

He would catch a young boy staring at her occasionally, innocently or not, and would proceed to make an example out of him.

He would save her homework assignments to the end, eager to see her opinions and problem-solving. They were both terrible, but he passed her anyway. Her analysis lacked any original thought, she only regurgitated what previous men in power thought. Her disinterest in the class was evident, but he still wrote ‘great job’ on her papers only to see her smile.

It occurred to him, however, that if he kept passing her, he would no longer have her in his class. She was set to graduate at the end of the semester, and he might not see her again. So he began to fail her homework assignments and even essays that were worth a pass.

He watched her face as it sagged when she received her first fail. He hated to disappoint her, but it was for her own good. The longer she was in his class, the more she would warm to him.

She was embarrassed, hiding her paper in her book bag.

She began taking notes again in class. Their eyes would meet and Coriolanus could feel himself turn into putty every time she would glance up to look at him.

It happened twice, he would get so lost just staring at her that he forgot where he was going with his sentence or tune out a student asking him a question.

Twice was enough to decide that his little blossom had to come home with him, where he could give her the appreciation she deserved. He hated to see her so stressed out over these assignments. He wanted to kiss her brows as they furrowed trying to understand the content.

“It didn’t matter, darling. Don’t worry about it,” he wanted to say, but instead he put a red line through her work.

One lecture she did nothing but stare at him.

“Professor Snow?” She approached him timidly with her paper in her hands.

“Yes, honey?” It was not an appropriate way to address a student, but she was more than that.

“I was wondering if you could take another look at my paper?”

He took it from her soft hold and pretended to review it. She stood so close, he could smell her perfume.

“What about this deserves a higher grade?”

“I got nearly a zero, sir. I met all the criteria.”

“No. Hobbes and Rousseau met the criteria and you copied them. Philosophers I taught about in this class, so I have very little interest in re-reading them in your poor and clunky paraphrasing.”

Her shoulder dropped and tears welled in her eyes.

“Oh, sweetheart.” He stood up from his chair and took her into his arms, yet another thing that would be disapproved of by the school board.

“I am sorry.” She sobbed. Her tears felt so good upon his shirt. He would have kept her there longer but she pulled away, embarrassed.

“I am sorry. I am being silly. It just seems like no matter how hard I try, I keep failing.” More tears run down her cheeks, making Coriolanus want to pull her back into his arms. He was left with no choice but to cross them over his chest.

“I tried so hard. I spent weeks on this assignment only to get four percent more than a person who never turned it in at all!”

“I understand, blossom, but I asked you what you thought about the constant state of war. Not what Hobbes thought.”

She nods her head looking defeated. Her body shifts to turn back to the door. He couldn’t let her leave upset with him.

He pulls her back by her arm and lifts her head up to his level, tipping up her chin.

“Hey, what do you think? Are people in a constant state of war with each other?”

He doesn’t remove his hands, liking their place.

She shrugs her shoulders, her voice small and meek, giving away how much she wanted to leave him.

“I don’t know. Hobbes said-”

“Forget Hobbes. What do you think would happen if we didn’t have laws governing us?”

He, for one, knows that he wouldn’t be wasting time asking philosophical questions that went over her head. He would pin her to the floor and have his way until his name was the only one she remembered, and then take her home to safety.

“I think people look for order. We would naturally form some type of governing system that would work for all.”

God, she was foolish.

“All people look for order? You don’t think anyone would hurt you if there were no repercussions?”

He could see he was scaring her so he backed off a bit. Letting his hands fall to his side.

“We live in the Capitol, sir. There’s no guarantee that they would be met with repercussions here.”

It was the first original thought he heard from her, and it wasn’t all the way incorrect. Corruption was prominent within the Capitol.

“I think people are good. Mostly. A few bad apples but…” she shrugs again, finishing her sentence before completion.

“And what should we do with the ‘bad apples’?”

What would she do to him?

Another shrug and her eyes go floating around the room.

“Help them, I guess.”

A grin spread across his face. She would comfort the wolf that ate her.

“Well,” he reaches across his desk for the paper and a pen. Although she was undeserving, he wrote a large A across the top. “I must say I disagree but the assignment is based on your perspective.”

He hands the paper to her who stands shocked, but with a great big smile across her face.

He would do anything to see her smile, even if it derailed his plans.

“Thank you, sir.”

His mind raced with ways to keep her close but the next class needed the room soon.

“You need extra help,” he takes his satchel off the floor and leads her to the door, “Come see me in my office on Tuesdays at 6.”

“I couldn’t sir. I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

Coriolanus felt as though he might die if she didn’t agree to come.

“My measure as a teacher is based upon my worst performing student.”

He knew his words stung her and he hated to do it but soon he would only speak sweet words to her. Coddling her from the world they live in.

“I would be more than happy to have a one-on-one with you.”

—-------------

He dreamt of the upcoming Tuesday. The staff at the University were out for drinks and dinner so the office was always empty. He was completely alone with his girl. It made the long day worth it.

He sat next to her, too close, as he helped her complete his homework on his office desk.

She had asked him a question but it was lost upon his ears.

“Hm?” He hums absentmindedly, before clearing his throat and trying a harder and deeper ‘hm’.

“I am stuck on question 8.”

He leans over her to check the question.

“It’s C.”

“But why is it C?”

The question was simple, and Coriolanus was through with teaching for the day.

“The answer is just C.”

He gets up as she fills in the bubble.

“Are you hungry?” He asks.

“No, sir. Should I leave? I didn’t mean to interfere with your dinner.”

She goes to get up but she had only been there an hour. He wanted more time.

“Sit,” he told her, rushing over to hinder her chance of escape.

She doesn’t fight him, sitting down and dropping her homework back down.

“I’ll order something in. Finish your homework.”

He returns from his phone only to find that she had finished all her work.

Disappointment filled him. It would only take a few seconds to check it and then she would leave. He tries to act indifferent. Essay homework would now be given.

“Right, let's take a look.” With his guidance, the answers were all correct so his brain worked to make a reason to prolong her stay.

“Very good, angel,” he praised and she glowed under him.

“Now, your reading notes. I want to see that you picked up the right ideas.”

He holds his hand out. Praying that she had no notes to give him.

Her reaction told him she had not. Her shoulders shrunk, and her nose reddened.

“You did do your readings, did you not?” He teases.

“I was going to do it tomorrow morning,” she admits quietly.

He fakes disappointment. “Oh no, petal. That won’t do. I need to see that you are understanding the content. Readings are crucial to your learning.”

“I am sorry. I didn’t know you wanted me to have it done.”

He shakes his head although he could laugh giddily.

“Take your book out and begin.”

She looked like a kicked cat as she started her readings.

He remains close, marking other students' work next to her. He takes a break to retrieve the food when it arrives but her eyes never stray from the page.

The food was lukewarm and nothing special but he acted as if it was the best thing he had ever eaten.

He holds his fork out to her, hopeful but she politely declines, stating that she isn’t hungry.

“You’re going to make me eat alone?” He asks, already opening all the containers on the desk.

“I should really finish and go home. My parents are waiting for me.”

“You don’t live in student accommodation?” He knew this already but confessing he did could seem obsessive.

“No. My parents don’t live far so it's easy for me to commute.''

He hands her a plastic fork now that she is distracted from her work and she takes it.

“What are your plans after graduation?”

He imagined her in his home pregnant.

“I am not sure. My father wants me to take over the family business, but I’m not sure it’s for me.”

The family business sold high-end jewelry. She was always adorned in it.

“Why?” he pushes.

She avoids his eyes again as she speaks.

“I would like to do something that helps people,” she admits.

“But you chose a business major?” Under a normal student/professor relationship he would not have known that without her telling him. But he spent hours going over her academic record. Her grades were not great, but they didn’t need to be. He would look after her.

“My father chose a business major, I just completed it.”

She pushes her food away and brings back her textbook, “Well, almost. This class is the only one I have to complete to graduate.”

“Better get back to studying then.”

He cleans up the food. He had no appetite either.

It was good to know that she was susceptible to influence. If she did what her father wanted, as her husband, she would cause him little trouble.

She yawns and he supposed he had kept her long enough. It was only a full workday before he could see her in class again. He wondered if he could devise a plan to see her on weekends. But for now, he bid her goodnight and saw her off in her car.

They continued their Tuesday nights. Coriolanus even managed to get her to come in some Saturdays before a big test. He helped her not only with his class but all she signed up for. Coriolanus was blessed with an academic mind and found her business major incredibly easy while she struggled with proposals and understanding key learning criteria. It worked well for him seeing her nearly three times a week. He was beginning to think he would be able to pass her after all. The sooner she graduates, the sooner their student/teacher relationship ends and something more could bloom.

When he entered class on Thursday, she was talking to another student. Another male student. It ruined his good mood completely.

He barked at everyone to sit down, and the other student, who Coriolanus never bothered to learn the name of, thankfully went back to his usual seat up in the stands.

He couldn’t help but glare at her during his lecture, along with slamming papers down on the desk too hard and manhandling University equipment.

Did she know of his affections for her, and was now using them against him for a passing grade? Coriolanus Snow would not be made a fool.

He spoke too fast for her to finish taking notes, leaving her to try to absorb information as much as she could. He dismissed the class after handing out the week's homework assignment, stopping by her desk last.

He places a hand up on her desk. “Stay,” he demands.

She leaves her packed bag by her feet as her classmates exit the room. The boy had the gall to wave goodbye but she only smiled back.

He knew he had no reason to be mad. Classmates talk. But he is mad. He is so furious.

He waits until the classroom is cleared before leaning closer with a fierce glare.

“Is my class a joke to you?”

“No, sir.”

“Then perhaps you can tell me why after hours of wasting my time with you, you still manage to hand in something I can barely read, let alone pass?”

“What?” Her voice quivers. The grades were not released yet, so her hope for a pass was still standing.

“Maybe if you spent less time flirting and more time studying I could have my nights back.”

As an only daughter, she was unused to being spoken to harshly. So the words of an authority figure upset with her quickly made her eyes water.

He wanted to pull her up from her seat and kiss her tears away, but she needed to know what she did was wrong.

“You’ll have to redo it.”

There goes her weekend and any plans with any boy, he thought.

She nods her head, “Yes, sir.”

“I want it on my desk by Monday morning.”

She nods again. Thinking it was over, she reached for her bag.

“Well?” He snaps. “Say thank you. I shouldn’t be giving you another chance.”

“Thank you, Professor Snow.” She mutters.

“What? Speak up,” he pushes.

“Thank you, Professor Snow,” she says more loudly.

“Go,” he flicks his hand towards the door and she rushes out.

Coriolanus didn’t want to leave for the week with her still mad at him, he had to make amends. So he waits in the multi-level parking garage. It took him a while to find her car, relieved that it was still there.

He waits for an hour, sitting on the hood of her car. When she does arrive, her eyes are red and puffy from crying. He felt terrible that he had caused her to bawl her eyes out for what was sure to have been an hour and a half.

“Professor Snow?” She questions, making her way to the car.

“Oh, precious. I am sorry.” She stood far enough in front of him that he could reach out and tug her forward into his hold.

“I just want what’s best for you, darling.” And it’s not that boy.

He proves he is stronger than her when she fails to break free from his hold.

With his grasp, he uses his right arm to stretch over her and pull her jaw up to look at him. His left arm wrapped around her shoulders keeping her pressed against his chest. A loose curl fell over his forehead and across his eyes.

“You were doing so well. You need to refocus, angel. We can study more together, you’ll get there.”

“You fail me for no reason”. Well, there was a reason. “I thought you were my friend.”

“I am your friend, honey.” His grip suddenly turns painful, causing her to squirm but he keeps her face still up towards him.

“Is he your friend too?”

“What are you talking about?”

The sound of footsteps echoing through the concrete building forced Coriolanus to release his hold. He would have trouble explaining to the school board why he thought this position was appropriate.

Another female student in tall heels makes her way up the slope. She had large headphones on that quieted the awful sound of her heels meeting the concrete floor, but it drowned further conversation between the two.

With Coriolanus off her, she unlocks her car, throwing her bag into the passenger seat.

“I won’t waste any more of your time, Professor Snow. Thank you for your help.”

If the other student had walked any faster, Coriolanus would have thrown open her car door and yanked her out. But even with the students' large headphones if she decided to scream it would be heard. So he steps out of the way, watching the sleek car go. He was left with an empty feeling and a quiet rage.

—---------------

He taps his pen against his desk while his other hand is pressed against his lips, propping him up. He had expected her to make her way to him by now. He had sent her a reminder message that their study session was still on.

He knew she would be here. She told him she hated studying at home. Her parents always distracted her. They loved their daughter and never put too much value on her schooling. Their money would take care of her before her husband came along. Her father would be happy for her to never marry and stay in the home, but he knew that he wouldn’t be around forever, and there would be a need to have someone else to look after her.

Coriolanus knew that they only bothered to send their daughter to University as a hunting ground for eligible bachelors. While not the intended fish, Coriolanus was certain he could win over her parents. But first, he had to win her over. And she was making it very difficult by not keeping their plans.

She was at the library, he was certain. Only 100 yards from his office. She would sit there until her assignment was done. He was sure to fail it again.

His chair scrapes against the floor as he pushes it back. He storms through the University without coming across another soul. It was late Saturday, and students and academics had long started their weekend. It was perfect for him. He wouldn’t mind if everyone else in the world died, so long as it left him and his girl. It was a sunny day, the temperature warm enough to stay outside in it. Once he found her, he would suggest that they lay a blanket on the field.

The library was dead. Capitol students were more interested in the social life of the University rather than the academic. He had expected that it was only her there, head burrowed into a book with her usual perplexed expression.

But through the book stands, he could see her sitting next to the boy from his class. They sat close together with books, coffee, and pens scattered over the table.

“Trust me, he wants you to write more formally. Try this-” she transcribes his words onto her paper and Coriolanus makes himself known.

“This is academic misconduct. You both could be expelled from the University.”

Maybe that’s what she needed. Her family would surely shun her and with no earning potential of her own, it would drive her into his arms.

“I was just helping.”

“You were just completing her assignment for her.”

She shook her head, going to speak, “No-”

“Shut up,” he spat.

He points to the young boy, “I want to speak to her alone. Leave.”

They both wait until the boy is far enough so their conversation won’t be heard.

She looks at Coriolanus with hopeful eyes.

“Sir, I-”

“You fucking slut.”

“Excuse me?” She asks, shocked.

“Whoring yourself out for an assignment. What would your parents think?”

She stands up behind the table, scooping her things into her arms.

“How dare you suggest that. He was helping me because you suck at your job.”

He crosses the table and grabs her by the arm to stop her from leaving.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Home.” She tugged against his hold but she was only a young woman, barely an adult, and he was a full-grown man.

“We are going to the Dean, and you can explain to him that the reason you cheated is because he hired me.”

He doesn’t let go of her arm, using it to lead her to his car. She doesn’t fight him. She was too stupid to realize that the Dean wouldn’t hear concerns of academic misconduct on a Saturday. Or that Coriolanus had darker intentions than penalizing her for colluding with another student.

He drove too fast through the city. Her hands clenched his leather seats but she said nothing to him the entire journey. When they arrive at his skyrise and the gates open to his carport, she sobers to the idea that she might be in danger.

“Where are we?” She asks as he parks the car.

“Get out of the car,” he demands, unclipping his seat belt.

She follows him willingly into the elevator and up to his penthouse.

“Professor Snow, why are we here?”

He slams the door shut behind her and uses the solidified door to push her up against it.

“You are so fucking dumb, you know that? I’ve never seen anymore more undeserving of a place at the University than you.”

He had his hand on her neck to keep her there but added no pressure to hurt her.

“What was your plan with that boy? Use him to graduate and then get knocked up by him? Force him to marry you?”

“No! I didn’t have a plan. We’re just friends.” Her small hands go up around his wrists.

“Well, I don’t like you being ‘just friends’ with him. You’re never to see him again.”

She nodded as much as she could in her position.

“Okay, sir. Just please let me go. My family are expecting me home.”

Now that she was here, he didn’t like the idea of any other place being her home.

“Take your phone out of your pocket and tell your parents that you’re spending the weekend at Sophie's.”

Sophie was her best friend. She spoke of her often but Coriolanus had never met her.

She does as she was told, and Coriolanus leans in closer to watch her type the message on the family group chat. She was an adult and could stay where she pleased, so long as it was a preapproved place by her father, and Sophie’s was.

He takes the phone, pocketing it and releasing her from the door.

Her hand reached back to open it but the lock sprang up.

“Why did I have to tell them that?” She questions.

He knew now, and forever more, he was going to have to spell things out for her.

“We’ve had a terrible fight and now just need time to regather ourselves.”

He walks towards the open kitchen expecting her to follow.

“I am sorry. You can tell the Dean. I’ll be expelled for misconduct.”

“You think I care about academic misconduct? What do you think we were doing these past few weeks? I was doing your homework.”

She followed him to the kitchen now, and he could feel her presence behind him as he reached into the fridge for one of the fizzy drinks she liked. He stocked up in case she ever did decide to come over.

“What are you doing? Let me out then.”

He cracked open the tin and took a sip. It was sweet and too bubbly for his liking.

“Your parents sent you to school to find a husband. I think it’s time you found one.”

“I told you, I wasn't flirting with him!” She protested.

“Me, you dumb girl.”

She looked taken back. She steps back away from him, her eyes wide and frightened.

“You? Professor Snow-”

“I think given everything, you can call me Coriolanus, sweetheart.”

She retreats to the living room to create some distance.

“I am sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

He scoffs at her, placing the can on the kitchen island and following her to where she stood.

“I won’t tell anyone about this,” she offers, “Just open the door.”

He chooses to sit, pulling her down on top of him. Her dress rises up to her thighs and he takes a second to run his hands up and down them. He helps her position her legs around his waist before holding her down by her hips.

“You don’t find me handsome, is that it?” He asks. He saw the way she looked at him when she thought he couldn’t see her. He knew she wasn’t immune to his natural good looks.

“Please, Professor Snow. I just want to go home.”

“Oh, love. You’re going to be staying here now with me, darling.”

“No. No I can't, I have to go home.”

Coriolanus shakes his head. “This is your home now, beautiful.”

He really hated to see her cry.

“Everything’s going to be fine, sweetheart. Don’t cry.” He reaches up and wipes the tears as they fall.

Her jewelry jingles as she runs her hands through her hair. For the first time, it bothered Coriolanus. It felt as though the jewelry was symbolic of her father's hold over her. She was Coriolanus' property now. Her chains belonged to him.

He began by sliding her gold bangles off her wrists and unclipping the delicate bracelets that hid in between them. He let them fall around him, unbothered. She doesn’t stop him as he reaches for her necklace and earrings.

He smiles up at her now that she is bare from her jewelry. He slides his hands up to the back of her shoulders and pushes her to rest on his chest.

—-------------

Coriolanus took the week off work to help her settle. He woke up early this morning next to her and went to get her favorite breakfast sandwich from a nearby café.

The line was long so when he returned home, he knew she would be up.

“Are you hungry, petal? I got us some food,” he calls out.

He places the food on the table, upon hearing no reply.

“Petal?” He calls. “Sweetheart?”

He searches his apartment to find her sitting by the door to the greenhouse, crying. He crouches down next to an expensive marble statue that she had used as a battering ram.

“Well, why did you break it if you didn’t want it broken?” He spoke to her as if he was speaking to a child.

“It wouldn’t break,’’ she sobbed. “I couldn’t get it to crack open.”

He taps against the reinforced glass that has only minor cracks.

“It’s tough,” he consoles. If anyone else would have broken his things, he would have gone berserk, but she had free reign to smash and destroy what she liked.

“Come here,” he picks her up by her arms, forcing her to her feet and back into the bedroom.

“I want to go home to my parents,” she cried.

“I am not keeping you from your parents, petal” he says, placing her back into bed, “We’ll go visit them when you feel better.”

She curls into her side and he places himself behind her, halfway on top of her so he could speak gently into her ear.

“Don’t you want me to take care of you? Make your father proud of the man you’ve chosen? All your parents want is for you to be married. You could give it to them and never have to worry about a single thing again.”

She uncurls herself slightly, encouraging him to keep going.

“I’ll make sure you pass all your classes. Have the finest things. All you need to do is be my good little girl. So easy, even you could do it.”

He knew she had deep anxiety about the future. He could offer her a world, where all of the if’s were disintegrated. She was interested in it, flipping on her back to look up at him.

“We’ll wait until you graduate to announce our relationship. We’ll tell your parents tonight.” He wanted to strike while she was still in a deluded state. “You’ll move in. Become my personal assistant after graduation. You said you wanted to help people. Help me. Your dad will be so proud of you.”

He clouded her mind. It was an easy way out from everything that troubled her, offered by a man who she had crushed on but never thought she could have.

She nods her head, even before she was aware of it. Only the crushing feeling of his lips against hers brought her head movements to attention.

They both returned to the classroom on Thursday for the final exam. Her mind knew that Coriolanus was not right in the head. That he couldn’t love like a normal person. But it was too late. Her parents approved of the relationship. Her father was glad that it was an older, successful man rather than an immature young boy. And her mother was glad that he was handsome and rich. It would disappoint them, despite the circumstances of the relationship, to break it off. Coriolanus had already promised them a wedding by the end of the following year. Coriolanus acted indifferent to her in class, not even looking at her as he placed the exam paper down in front of her. It was already filled out with the answers. All she had to do was sit there for an hour pretending. Nevertheless, that night they celebrated her achievement. Coriolanus told her how smart she was, and that her grades placed her at the top of his class. And his work ensured that she at least passed the rest of hers. The rest of the school year was spent organizing a graduation party while Coriolanus handed in work with her name on it. This life was easy, but came at a price. Her life was no longer hers. Coriolanus played with it like a doll.

Everything was done together or not at all. He considered her his, and as such, expected everything she did to be run past him first.

“Yes, Professor Snow.” She would tease him when he gave her an outright demand, instead of dressing it up with sweet talk.

He left his position at the University to his successor, much like Dr Gaul did. He had bigger things to focus on. His presidential run and growing family took precedence over teaching military theory and the likes of Hobbes and Rousseau. He laughed at her when she failed to remember the ideas of Hobbes. His dumb, naive little girl never had to worry about the state of warre that plagued mankind. He would protect her from humanity in its entirety.

#coriolanus snow #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tom blyth #coriolanus x reader #dark!coriolanus snow #professor Snow

363 notes · View notes

vroomvroomwee · 1 year ago

Text

I don't know if anyone has pointed this out yet but the entire Midnight episode from Doctor Who is e perfect example of society. I'll go by character because I can't write essays for shit and it's more fun to read this way.

Professor Hobbes: Starting with probably the more obvious one. Professor Hobbes. A white middle-aged man who's defining characteristic is his broad and unwavering knowledge of the world. Or knowledge that he thinks is correct of the world. This is a man who is so blinded by his ego that he can't see what's right in front of him, even so far as using his arrogance to cover up his fear of what is actually happening. This is a man who would rather remain in denial even in a life-threatening situation than accept that his view of the world is potentially wrong. That self-confidence burrows so deep down that it has created a self-defence mechanism for him, it's how he deals with it, how he deals with danger, by reverting back to his brilliance and intelligence and the fact he is all-knowing with a cleverness no one can match. It leads him to demean other people as well, those who dare question him... not even for one moment does he pause to think maybe they're right... something we see churches do more and more every day... The world is aflame and yet they're still in denial and have utter faith that their God (his intelligence) will save them relying on old and washed out world views that hold no water in modern society.

Dee Dee Blasco: And that leads us to Dee Dee, his apprentice. Or should we say the one who actually understands what is happening but is constantly put down by Hobbes. It is proved multiple times in the episode that her knowledge of chemistry and physics is quite vast, and at times even superior to Hobbes'. It is no coincidence that Hobbes is a white middle-aged man and Dee Dee is a young black woman who dares challenge the professors word, kind of like how the younger generations are calling out the hypocrisy of religion more and more, backing it up with solid real scientific evidence, but being repeatedly silenced, ridiculed and embarrassed for it.

Jethro Kane: Speaking of young generations, the other representative is Jethro. A young boy, a teenager, who, despite his appearance, is very highly intuitive. He might appear aloof, unserious, disinterested, and downright unremarkable. But out of everyone, he has the most accurate image of what is happening. He might be young, but he is very intelligent, despite constantly being told to shut up, that he shouldn't be speaking, that his opinion is worthless and unwanted. Treatement very similar to the treatment younger generations get from the older ones, despite more often than not being the voice of reason and getting a grasp on the real picture yet still being constantly bellitled by the older generations. "Don't be stupid, Jethro," said to him by his own mother. The ridicule eventually gets to him as well as the pressure and stress of the whole situation itself, which leads him to contemplate even murder. Eventually, in the end, he succumbs to the panick, he doesn't know what to do, and he breaks down. Not his own fault, but mostly due to the actions and the utter chaos the older generations caused around him. And that sounds awfully familiar...

Val and Biff Kane: The couple. The picture perfect representation of a loving family. Except deep down, they are selfish and rotten. Val only thinking about herself and how the Entity is stealing her voice despite everyone experiencing the same thing, not caring about anyone else and repeatedly making her voice the loudest in the room, not listening to reason and persisting her rants even though it's making the situation worse. Biff being the typical patriarchal male of the house, the first one to resort to violence and even shaming Hobbes for "not being a real man" as if murder is the logical expectation of men, as if homicide is what makes you a real man. These two are the prime example of the nuclear family who follows society's traditions on behaviour and appearance, painting themselves as the perfect example of how every couple should look, buying in all the bullshit the media is selling them, while deep down being terrible and narcissistic people. Val, going so far as to gaslight the man, she and her husband just tried to kill not even 10 seconds ago in an attempt to save her own image.

The Doctor: Now. The Doctor. The scientist. The thinker of the group. He is the spark that lights the flame. The light in a room devoid of it, that illuminates everyone's hidden and dark side. The side everyone tries to keep secret, even from themselves. The one whose kindness brings that side out and causes panick and self-inflicted chaos as they attempt to shove that darkness down and out of sight. Bringing the nastiness out of them as if they were a piece of transparent glass. And it causes absolute chaos.

The Doctor is a symbol of wisdom, common sense, and worst of all... kindness. He is the one speaking logic, speaking the obvious, showing goodness, doing the humane thing... but no one listens. Everyone around him, being in a fit of horrified panick, turns on him because they don't want to deal with their own nastiness under the pressure of potentially facing their own death.

The Entity: I was debating whether to put the Doctor and the Entity as one thesis, but I think the Entity deserves its own consideration.

To start off strongly, it is no coincidence that the show uses he/him for the Entity. He who has sinister and self-benifiting plans for the entire carriage, and he, who hides behind a woman... A queer woman might I add. He who takes the role of a woman and disguises his evil deeds as her deeds. Painting the woman as the true villain of the story. Sounds familiar...

He who first kills the mechanic and the driver, the ones who kept the whole cabin afloat and running, the ones who nobody really considers, the workforce, the ones who saved everyone, and he killed them like they were nothing. Very similar to how the workforce is treated as disposable in real life...

He who steals the scientist's voice. He who listens to what the intellect has to say, who processes it, and he who thinks of the best way he could turn the situation to serve him. He who twists the Doctors words and uses them against him, he who still uses his knowledge but who gets rid of the thinker himself. He who paints that wisdom as blasphemy and insidiousness but who uses it as a tool to serve himself. He behind the scenes. He who turns everyone against each other, provoking them to create ridiculous arguments and to cause chaos amongst themselves that works to his advantage. He who manipulates the entire scene. He who nobody can really see. He, the real villain behind it all...

The Hostess: The Hostess, who's in charge of the carriage and whose efforts to keep the calm, proved time and time again completely fruitless. The one who tried to keep everyone safe.

The one who saw the real villain and exposed him. The one who died doing so. A woman of colour, and the one who saves the day, but whose name is forgotten... the one who history won't remember... which sounds very familiar.

The situation itself brings out the worst in people. It shows what people are really like in life-threatening situations and how easily they turn on each other to save their own neck. Very much what would be the collective reaction in the real world. Neverending conflict, unyielding chaos, created for the most part by the people themselves. Fighting each other, sacrificing each other. All the while, the real villain smiles in the background...

#doctorwho #doctor who #tenthdoctor #tenth doctor #midnight #the midnight entity #midnight entity #analysis #doctor who analysis #doctorehoanalysis #doctorehos4 #doctor who s4

90 notes · View notes