Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
What is Marigold's fundamental character?
IanClark:
Marigold reminds me of driving. Seriously. There's a small town about an hour and a half North of me that I'd never seen until a few months ago, but for some reason it always seemed special whenever I saw the road signs. Finally, I drove there. I walked into a corner store so mesmerized by the surreality of it all that I failed to notice I was treating everyone inside like some kind of fantasy creature. I don't think they noticed, but at that moment I was being obscenely self-involved and kind of insulting in a roundabout way. Oddly enough, it turned out the place held special meaning to me from forgotten memories of my childhood, and that was why it seemed so profoundly mystical.
Marigold is the same way. Hanners made an observatory remark that Marigold was pretty, and Angus seconded it. To Marigold, this is the re-awakening of feelings like self-worth and desire. Suddenly, she wants a boyfriend, she wants a social life, and all these things are actually within her grasp enough to turn them into real goals. Like I was in Kaladar (the town I mentioned above), so is she in her own feelings. She doesn't realize, and in fact for the most part can't realize when she's acting like a tool.
Marigold's shown herself to be altruistic and caring on a number of occasions. She had little reservation about letting a near-stranger borrow at least $200 worth of manga, she's made affectionate jokes about Hannelore on her Twitter (or at least I think it's affectionate, I don't know Mass Effect) and as evidenced by the beginning of this strip, she shows a genuine interest in the social lives of her new friends (When has Faye ever discussed her personal life, sober or drunk, without some kind of prompting?). Here she shows that she cares enough for Hanners' feelings to make sure she's not too shook up by her guild-mates' comments (someone please correct me on the term if it's wrong), and here she seems genuinely sorry she inadvertently insulted Dora, as she does here.
The only two areas in which she's been really selfish are her pursuit of Angus and her somewhat self-absorbed constant self-deprecation, and those both come with the territory. Once she sorts herself out, I think we'll discover that she actually does care.
Prince of Space:
--- Quote from: IanClark on 04 Jun 2010, 01:12 ---l.
The only two areas in which she's been really selfish are her pursuit of Angus and her somewhat self-absorbed constant self-deprecation, and those both come with the territory. Once she sorts herself out, I think we'll discover that she actually does care.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for those links, Ian. It's easy to forget certain strips with other strips leave such a bad taste in my mouth. I look forward to seeing Marigold get more chances to show that side.
Carl-E:
Please remember, Angus says she's great. He's also living with her, and knows her better than any of us.
Hell, people are still arguing about what kind of person Angus is, and we know him about ten times better than we know Marigold at this point!
Although I do somewhat think he's using the "No, you're great" to defuse the wallowing-in-self-pity bomb that's about to go off when she starts in that direction. Sort of the old "I'm OK, you're OK" psychology that led to all the little kids getting end-of-season trophies every year, whether the team ever won or not...
Is it cold in here?:
Angus seems to be Jeph's most complex character. As you said, it's hard to know how to take what he says.
He may just be trying to spare her feelings. I hope eventually she catches on and yells "Damn it, I am a Marigold, not some delicate flower!" and everyone else in the room just looks at each other.
Lost Coastlines:
--- Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 04 Jun 2010, 09:56 ---He may just be trying to spare her feelings. I hope eventually she catches on and yells "Damn it, I am a Marigold, not some delicate flower!" and everyone else in the room just looks at each other.
--- End quote ---
That would be nice, but I think it would be out of character right now. As she said, "That's all I really want, though. Somebody to be nice to me, and pay attention, and, y'know . . ." She's going to take what she can get. If she does press him about why she's so great, I fear it will only be to get some more specific compliments.
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