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sinfullysinatra · 6 years

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While it isn’t until after James kills a man that he definitively states to himself that he is not a psychopath, several small hints are given throughout the show prior to his revelation. The first hint is his own so-called lack of sense of humor(although that his not necessarily indicative of being a psychopath). He smiles in amusement when Alyssa talks back to the waitress in the infamous diner scene. Another glaring example is his supposed “lack of remorse” or “disregard for others’ emotions or property.” He’s slightly hesitant to steal his father’s car, not pay for the food, and break into the house. When James crashes his father’s car, he exclaims, horrified that it is his father’s most expensive possession. Another example is in the first episode when he is sitting next to Alyssa on the couch, considering the angle he should kill her at. He wonders if it would be better to not have to look at her face when killing her. This shows once again James is certainly capable of remorse and emotions even if he wishes to deny it.

One thing I wondered extensively about is that since James is clearly not a psychopath, why did he kill all those animals and plan to kill Alyssa? During the scene where he and Alyssa are forced to put a dog out of its misery James flashes back to when he killed his neighbor’s cat and begins to cry, so he feels quite guilty about his actions. As we get to know James throughout the course of the show it becomes increasingly baffling as to why James, who is revealed to be a kind, caring, sensitive individual would be so cruel to animals. My theory is as follows. I believe that the reason James committed these heinous acts was because he wanted to be a psychopath. He wanted to not feel anything and he wanted to be numb to the world around him because he didn’t want to have to cope with the trauma he experienced as a child. And from what the media has depicted about psychopaths being cruel to animals and later humans James must have decided that was the way to go.

Another key thing is James’ submissiveness and the ongoing theme of consent. From the beginning, James going along with others’ wishes with little to no protest. He doesn't actively engage much with others, offering monosyllabic answers and rarely asking questions and when kissed simply sits there stiffly, allowing it to happen. James recalls his father stating about sex that women just have to lay back and think of England, while men are England. For the better part of the first few episodes, the roles are reversed, with Alyssa being England while James simply goes along with it. The catalyst that shifts this narrative is James being molested in the diner bathroom. Although he is silent and motionless during the ordeal, his eyes are wide and terrified and his thoughts reveal to us that he doesn’t want this to happen but is going along with it for reasons he doesn't know. After this, Alyssa tells him that he doesn’t have to just go along with things. He seems to take her advice twice. First is subtle, in the hotel room when he wakes up. Alyssa’s arm is on his chest and the action reminds him of his mother. This distresses him and he makes an attempt to move her arm. The second, more obvious move is when Alyssa begins to give him oral sex after they dance together. He pales and begins to stammer before telling her to stop. Later on the theme of consent is revisited this time for Alyssa, first when she rejects Topher and again when she is nearly raped. As for James’ journey from being merely an observer in his own life to being an active participant I believe that the reason for his prior disregard for his own needs and desires stems from severe depression. James simply doesn’t care enough about himself to do anything about what is happening to him. That, and once again perhaps he believes that if he simply nods and goes along with things despite the pain that perhaps his problems and inner turmoil will disappear or he will become numb to it. Alyssa’s presences and the events they go through work to change that and bring James out of his shell and essentially revive him. Alyssa at one point states that sometimes she looks at him and thinks “Are you a bit dead?” Figuratively, she isn’t that far off from the truth but over time James begins to lives again.

#meta #teotfw #alyssa #james #consent #analysis #spoilers #mentions of rape #mentions of animal abuse

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