Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT Strips 3816-3820 (27-31 August 2018)
SnailPail:
I’m a little disappointed in Marten here; I kept expecting him to gently correct her about the circumstances surrounding his hiring, but it never happened. Getting defensive wouldn’t have helped anyone and it’s good that he remained attentive, but he shouldn’t have let Claire continue with the assumption that he got the job through nepotism. I realize Claire has a dim view of Tai’s management style already, and maybe that’s what makes this incorrect conclusion easier for her, but allowing her to operate under that false impression is just going to cause problems down the line.
The job was reserved for students; Claire could have applied too. Tai took the chance on a non-student because of previous problems in performance (Nat), and it turned out to be a good choice. In fact, Marten wasn’t completely sure he got the job that day (despite Tai saying “You’re hired!” which I’m sure was partly in jest); when he told Dora the news, he said, “I got the job! Well, I’m not sure, but the front desk person told me to show up tomorrow for training anyway.”
Maybe Tai was still accepting applications thorough the rest of the day and the training session was another step in the interview process? No one else applied/passed the test/met Tai’s or SMIF's requirements, so Marten got the job.
A lot of this could because of her apprehension about job hunting, but she's hurt people before with her projecting and assumption-making. Remember how she behaved when she thought Dora was cheating with Tai? After spending a weekend at Emily's lake house witnessing how chill everyone was with each other? She decided that a poorly formulated conclusion, based on projections of her father, was a good choice to be openly hostile to her BOSS. She can't keep doing it, otherwise I could see it becoming the main source of tension in her and Marten's relationship.
Anyway, sorry for the essay, and hello, nice to meet everyone!
Carl-E:
Welcome! You make some good points, but remember that Claire was working at the library, as an intern, and probably doing more than Marten does.
At least she did for a semester... maybe a year. And probably unpaid, but it's experience which can be more important on your resume/CV.
Nevertheless, such things have nothing to do with the anxiety she's feeling - anxiety is not a rational thought process. In fact, it's exactly the opposite.
She will be fine, and that's really the point of the arc. We've seen her panicking and avoiding the subject, screaming inside. She finally talked about it, and feels better, supported, and loved.
And I think that was the point. Not just of this arc, but of most of the comic's history.
BenRG:
Panel 4 is good for those cynics who need their heart warmed because it reminds us just how totally and cutely Claire and Marten are in love. At some point, someone (I'm hoping Henry and Maurice) will notice in-strip and ask Marten when he's going to pop the question. That is when things will suddenly get interesting for Marten's relationships character arc.
FWIW, I suspect that, when this arises, it will much like when Claire moved in. They'll realise that they've been behaving like a married couple anyway and just decide to formalise it, mostly for the sake of their families who want to go to town with making a ceremony of it!
Meanwhile, panel 5 tells me that Marten is challenging Claire for the strip's 'Adorkable' character position.
brasca:
Wikipedia Jones? Any relation to Encyclopedia Brown?
SnailPail:
--- Quote from: Carl-E on 28 Aug 2018, 22:45 ---Welcome! You make some good points, but remember that Claire was working at the library, as an intern, and probably doing more than Marten does.
At least she did for a semester... maybe a year. And probably unpaid, but it's experience which can be more important on your resume/CV.
Nevertheless, such things have nothing to do with the anxiety she's feeling - anxiety is not a rational thought process. In fact, it's exactly the opposite.
She will be fine, and that's really the point of the arc. We've seen her panicking and avoiding the subject, screaming inside. She finally talked about it, and feels better, supported, and loved.
And I think that was the point. Not just of this arc, but of most of the comic's history.
--- End quote ---
Quote edited for spacing
I understand that Claire is stressed out, upset, and isn't thinking as clearly as she normally would be, but still I’m frustrated with her; Marten apologized twice about not listening and then attempted to empathize. He was partly in her position before— facing graduation with no guarantee of a decent job after school. Claire makes a gentle mockery of that, “What is that like with a music degree? Did you expect to become a rockstar as soon as you were handed your diploma?” Does she expect to become a librarian as soon as she gets hers? Of course not, that's from where a large part of her anxiety is coming.
We know Marten moved across the country for a relationship that didn’t work out, was considerably depressed for a while, and was stuck in an Office Bitch position from which he was eventually laid off. It may be why Marten doesn't have much ambition. He knows what it’s like to fall short of expectations but wanted to assure Claire that things will be okay, even if you’re the last person to believe that. “Look at me!"
Claire responds with an untrue assumption about his hiring at Smif that hurts him, at least a little. Marten lets it go unchallenged, even though those fundamental misunderstandings about his getting the job are making her reluctant to talk to Marten about these job-related stressors. Now, I'm not suggesting Marten should have started a fight because, again, that wouldn't have solved anything, but if it would have been cleared up, maybe Claire would have been more comfortable opening up.
I’m sure airing her concerns helped, but Claire herself made the realization that it was her own expectations she was projecting onto others (probably through Pintsize’s help; “Are those his expectations, or yours?”). Toward the end of their conversation, Marten clarifies his original point, acknowledging her anxiety, and reminding her that she’s doing everything she can, and if it goes the other way, he’ll be right there.
I'm glad she's coping, and finding solace in her boyfriend, but it is not entirely resolved; she made assertions that were not true. I worry about that trend continuing because I think Claire is good for Marten.
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