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ifyougiveagirlapencil · 7 years

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The next zoe should be adopted and heres why…. an essay

Yall want context lets start from the verryyyyy beginning. (added actor notes are for the characters who are changed by Zoes Race)

Context for the murphys (pre show)

Zoe was adopted from china when she was a baby

Whether or not Cynthia actually adopted her for selfish reasons is up to the viewer but im gonna go with no because I don’t find Cynthia inherently malicious.

They say that most siblings who are super close in age actually are more hostile to each other. (my parents have a 3 year difference on their siblings) but because Zoe grew up in a white household she clings to the one closest to her age (connor)

They live in a mostly white neighborhood and Zoe gets bullied by other kids. Connor, honestly too young to even know about race insists she is his sister and he loves her (ages 8 and 9)

Zoe grows on connor and she will have a special place in his heart. The line “Just because Connors no banging on my door screaming hes going to kill me, doesn’t mean were the fucking brady bunch” is ill placed in anger towards her mother not connor.

When connor grows older he understands race a little more and he tells zoe that she will always be his sister. (hanging out in the orchard practically inseperable)

Because of this different relationship growing up, Zoe has an attachment to connor and is more likely to forgive him for his shit.

When connor starts to act out Zoe is more involved in getting him help, in the end she blames her parents inactions for his death. And beats herself up for not have trying harder.

OK now that that’s out of the way.

Anybody have a Map

While Connor acts hostile Zoe is constantly trying to break the mood, and joke around with her. Like olivia Pucketts performance, she is joking at the breakfast table.

When connor and evan meet in the middle of the stage, Zoe is trailing behind Connor.

Like Olivia Pucketts performace zoe’s “if connor’s not coming im leaving without him” is played as if she wouldn’t actually leave him behind.

Waving through a window.

I think Zoe would recognize evans sadness, from experiencing it with connor.

I think she would give evan extra smiles and waves, to try and connect with him.

Upon her entrance she might enter with a wave.

For Forever (and before)

(I wish we got to see zoes first raw reaction to getting the news about connor)

Im thinking it was a whole lot of shutting down

I also think she collapsed.

Im choosing to Omit “no connor was a bad person” for “like you payed attention to any of his problems!”

“There were no good things” refers to the more recent times where her memories are all breaking her family up from Connor.

The “what were the good things” stem from the fact that zoe for 3 or 4 years was the mediator between Connor and her parents. Shes calling out Cynthia for deluding herself into thinking that connor wasn’t depressed, like he killed himself for no reason.

Requiem

I could quote the entirety of requiem with different notes and feelings for every line. But I may do that in a different post because this thing would become 20 pages. But the main points

In the beginning her tone is level and controlled. Shes thinking as she sings

When larry starts singing she visibly winces, when he says that he gave him so much and that he “threw it away”

She dislikes her mothers attitude, not because shes trying to make connor seem like a good person but because, in cynthias own way, she also didn’t help connor and her delusion that connor was always a good person, misses the entire point that he had a mental issue which his parents didn’t try to understand.

She belts the second chorus in frustration she doesn’t blame connor she blames her parents.

In the bridge specifically “don’t tell me that it wasn’t black or white” is her literally pointing out that her and her parents are different races.

When she sings (or sing/belts) "That you were not the monsterS that I knew." The “monster” origianally for connor is changed to “monsterS” aimed directly at her parents.

Saying in the last chorus when zoe sings “saying that I miss you” she is directly mocking larry for missing connor who didn’t even cry at his funeral and mocking Cynthia for missing a connor who didn’t even really exist.

In the end she shuns herself away and sings a solemn last “ohhhh ohhhhhh”

If I Could tell her (and before)

Bottom line. In this version, evan and zoes relationship isn’t like, that healthy. Its healthy but for the wrong reasons.

In this version Zoe is literally trying to save evan from becoming her brother. And while she loves him, its more as a friendship. (so when he kisses her later at the end of the song, shes still pretty surprised)

zoe is talking to evan about all the fads her mother goes through and she just like casually drops the fact that she thinks that her own adoption in itself was a "fad" based move that her mom pulled just like all the diets she goes on.

She reveals that she feels neglected and hurt that her parents spent more time on their birth son, connor

So during the song I never think that enough happens. And the way that ive experienced witnessing anziety is that most people pick their cuticles. And I totally think that zoe would grab a bandaid. (I also want connor ((with no explination)) to have one or two bandaids on his fingers on during “does anybody have a map)

The reason zoe is asking about connor is that she never got to know him like the last 2 years.

It was like a one sided issue on her part. She would try to help and connor would brush her off.

You will be found

Zoe realizes that Evan is her second chance and can save him.

She chooses to do this by kissing him.

She doesn’t love evan but she doesn’t want to lose another friend.

The scene before to break in a glove.

Zoe is far more hostile to Larry.

She empathizes with her mother far more, and this exchange is less friendly.

Only us (and before)

I think at this point zoe says she doesn’t wanna talk about connor purely because she is tired.

Taking care of people when she feels shes never had anyone take care of her is draining.

She Just wants to spend time not in her house and not talking about connor.

(the bandaid scene could alternitab=vely take place in this song)

Also in this I think Zoe kneels down in front of evan and kisses his hands (I think people tend to gender these types of romantic moves, but as a caretaker I can see Zoe doing it)

"You will be found reprise"

where someone on the recording calls zoe a "stuck up bitch"

they call her some form of an asian slur which larry asks about what it means and Zoe tells him to drop it

Thats based off of a real life experience where i had to explain to my parents what "Ch*nk" ment

Words fail

I think zoe is extremely hurt, because her friendship is built off of connor who she loved. So like I don’t think anything is too different

Finale.

I think this finale is where zoe finally realizes her feelings and gets over connor.

I think she still loves Evan in a more healthy way and she still wants to protect him.

Notes

They never really talk about nail biting or picking in this musical, but I would bring it in. Because I like the idea of hands and like how zoe kissing evans hands like makes him feel better. (whoops) (also we never see Evan super flustered (like romantically) and I would love to see it from Ben, Colton and MLB)

This would actually work with any adopted situation (Olivia call me)

Extra notes in case people want to write this or whatever

She is extra best friends with alana, because growing up in an area of mostly white people POC tend to stick together,

Jared makes a ton of race jokes

not like deliberatly because i believe in jared more then that but like subltle micro agressions where he asks evan if he has "yellow fever"

Evan doesnt care what race she is tho. He’s neutral. He doesn’t fetishize her but hes also like not that political.

I would like to thank @neglectedrainbow for that post on Olivia because thats what started this.

ANd Olivia Puckett if you see this. CALL ME.

#zoe murphy #adoption headcannon #dear evan hansen #cynthia murphy #larry murphy #olivia puckett #evan hansen #Alana beck #jared kleinman #laura dreyfuss

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