Character discussion: Ax

[buffyangellvr23]

I think Ax is my second fave, after Tobias. I love the total difference in human form vs his natural body. He's total warrior in his normal form, but so very funny as a human. He's also interesting because he presents a view of humanity from the outside, a non-human creature observing humans and giving some observations in some books. I really like

Comments

[anijen21]

ugh I have been so bad about doing these comments you guys, but I feel like I should be here for this week and next week (anyone want to get some Carl Orff going to set the mood idk)

Anyway, Ax has always been my favorite and though I certainly picked up on some more ~*~subtlety and nuance~*~ of each of the other characters on this reread, the others always felt more like stock archetypes to me when I was a youngin, while Ax felt more unique. Which is actually pretty stupid, because Ax is really just the good parts of Spock and Worf shoved together, but I hadn't watched Star Trek by that point so I thought he was totally new and special.

So the reason I think I identified with him the most was that there was always this sense of loneliness and alienation he had from the rest of the group, and his angst always felt like this kind of quiet desperation, rather than the really overt and melodramatic ~*~*~MY MOTHER IS VISSER ONE~*~*~ or ~*~*~I HAVE A BAD FAMILY AND AM STUCK AS A HAWK FOREVER~*~*~. I will admit that since it was kind of toned down, he got stuck in this self-reinforcing loop of conflict-->resolution in each of his books, the same thing I feel like happened to Rachel after book 22. Ax figured out how to reconcile his human/Andalite identity after book 8. I would have loved to see something new after that.

On that note, I think Ax is one of the characters with the most missed opportunities. I cannot describe the stomach-clenching AWESOMENESS of having to avenge Elfangor and kill Visser Three that I felt after MM1 or whatever that led ABSOLUTELY NO WHERE, or any number of other things that could have potentially happened to Ax but didn't. I think we all feel that way about our favorite character. I wanted to see his angst from being infested SO BADLY that I had to write it myself, lol. Then he ended up not even hating Yeerks that badly, idk.

I hated how he was demoted to plot device in the last book--the only two insights I remember getting from post-war Ax is that he didn't want to move home and make babies (which seemed like kind of a deep problem or development that was just brushed over) and that he was still sympathetic even though he put on the pretense of cold/ruthless captain or whatever. That was it. Beyond that, he was Princess Peach. I always felt kind of weird about reading so much into his character, because based on the way the text treated him, I felt like I wasn't supposed to care so much. Andalites were allowed to have feelings and empathy in a few REALLY POIGNANT CASES that I feel like the authors didn't realize were so damn effective, but overall, they seemed to be characterized as like, video game NPCs or something. But I did care you know :(

[anijen21]

Um what else...I LOVED the relationship he and Tobias had, and I always felt like that was one of the..."really? there's not more to this?" kind of things, but the fact that they were both kind of overdignified and proper with each other was, I thought, a nice little detail about their relationship. I feel like Ax never totally allowed himself to be vulnerable around Tobias, and Tobias was still kind of shut off from everyone, so even though they were probably closest to each other than anyone else (except Rachel in Tobias' case), they were still kind of distant. I like how Ax sort of grudgingly tolerates Marco but it feels like he just doesn't get it. idk I always kind of felt like Ax was playacting a little around Marco (ie "Oh so your father designs games for children"). Ax and Jake are kind of adorable, but I never really totally bought that Ax was head-over-heels loyal to Jake, because he really wasn't, even though he professed he was. I like Ax and Cassie b/c Ax is the only one who, in his narration at least, really calls Cassie out on her issues (because she does have issues, perfect track record or not). And Ax and Rachel...idk, I kind of like their dynamic. I feel like they reflect each other in a lot of ways, like opposite sides of the same coin. Ax is orderly violence--he's obsessed with the chain of command, he needs to follow an authority and yet he's a ruthlessly efficiently killer, while Rachel is more chaotic violence--lashing out, emotional, bloodthirsty, and incredibly unpredictable. All the same, I think they more than anyone recognize the price and consequences of their actions. Marco too, maybe, but he always seemed a little too wrapped up in his own personal stuff to really recognize what role he played on a grand scale.

Having said all that, he's still my favorite character even though I felt like his ball was dropped more than any other, and I DO NOT like where he ended up at the end of the series. Lots of other characters could have become effective plot devices, or you could have just used a PLOT DEVICE idk. I mean I guess the threat had to be severe enough to get everyone off their ass so a narrating character was needed, but damn, it all just felt so cold and matter-of-fact to me. idk.

are we doing secondary/auxiliary character discussions too? Thinking about Ax made me want to do a long essay about Alloran, lol

[anijen21]

ugh I totally used ie when I meant eg I HATE WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT

[blue_rampion]

Ax seriously got jipped in the last book. And you know, if we'd at least seen more of him, and found out what happened to him I'd have been...well, less miffed about it. But as I've said before, everyone kinda got sidelined in favour of Jake's story in the last book, and some suffered more than others. Ax was definitely in the "suffered more" category.

(And I think we are doing second characters as well? And possibly we could do other discussions as well. After a discussion the other day, I kind of want to have a discussion on ANIMORPHS AND RACISM/SPECIESM)

[natural_blue_26]

WHY NO AX / TOBIAS CLOSURE IN THE LAST BOOK WHYYYYY

[anijen21]

ugh ikrite

my denial-canon is that ax brought tobias home to meet his grandparents and they became a big happy family and tobias got over rachel

:(

[natural_blue_26]

...I am def not opposed to Tobias being (God forbid) happy, but Cassie would had to tranq him long enough for Ax to trussel him aboard the space ship, because I doubt he would have gone of his own violation. :(

Alsooooo what if Ax's parents were totally speciest and didn't want a not!Andalite grandson?! Horrors!

[anijen21]

WELL I'M NOT SAYING THERE WOULDN'T BE A FAIR AMOUNT OF ANGST AND CONFLICT I was just skipping to the happily ever after :'(

plus he got on the space ship to save Ax of his own volition, why does the reason have to be bad :(

[natural_blue_26]

My only thing is Tobias is so scarred by the concept of a "happy family" that I think he would need over the Milky Way and through the astroid field to grandmother's house planet "motivation" (aka tranq gun) even (especially?) if it was for his own good.

Saving Ax is a whole different ball game. :)

[anijen21]

eh idk, I don't think Tobias would have gone full-on survival mode with a sliver of hope. I think the endless hope that Tobias had is what made him so much more tragic. He felt sorry for himself, but he never totally gave up.

[natural_blue_26]

I've always read it as Tobias putting himself emotionally on hold for a few years, instead of moving on through the stages of grief. Tobias always had a (dry) sense of humor as a coping mechanism, and I felt like he misplaced that for awhile post-Rachel. (Your Milage May Vary.)

[lisacharly]

Tobias also likes to angst. That's how he deals, by taking long flights through the muse and having introspective conversations with himself about killing rabbits. He's not like Marco, who distracts himself with TV VIDEOGAMES MUSIC HUMOR OH FUCK EXPLOSIVE MELTDOWN MODE, or Cassie who just turns into a big bitch when angsty, or Jake who kind of just...DENIES he's even angsting. And then goes into explosive meltdown mode. But Tobias kind of finds an identity through his angsting; it always struck me as similar to how some people find depression awful but comfortable at the same time. Tobias has been angsty so long that he's not sure who he is when something besides his circumstances define his personality, so he stays angsty.

I think in a lot of ways he's like both Ax and Rachel in how he angsts. Lots of introspection, lots of "long walks in the woods" sort of thing. We don't see too much of it with Rachel because she usually gets the fluff books (o hai #42, #32 and #12), but the few angsty books we do see of her she just combs the scene over endlessly. There are the fork and "get Rachel" scenes in #22, and the divorce angst in #7. Both she and Tobias actually like to face their problems head on, even if it doesn't solve things, but I think it's for different reasons. Rachel likes a challenge and she likes to push herself to be awesome, which means dealing with the things that are Not Awesome. Tobias likes the familiarity of aaaangst.

[blue_rampion]

AND THUS TOBIAS WAS FOREVER DUBBED EMO-HAAAAAAAAWK

*ahem* okay, getting a little bit more serious now, I have to say I love your descriptions of how they all deal with angst, and they are so spot on. I hadn't even realised that yes, that is when Cassie's bitchiness comes out BUT NOW I SEE! (Also ffff I love your description of Marco's and okay my character bias is showing again here orz)

But it does make sense that angst is familiar and even strangely comforting to Tobias. He's had it his whole life, so continuing to have it isn't really anything new. Tobias probably wouldn't know what to do with being happy.

[lisacharly]

Dude, Cassie in #52? TOTAL BITCH. "Gee, Ax, I already apologized so I shouldn't have to talk to you". "I'll do whatever you guys do *shifts blame around*" "Why are you being mean to meeeee?" I love Cassie dearly, and I love that she's a raging bitch sometimes, but ye gods.

*fist bumps over Marco bias*

Yeah, like, who is Tobias without the angst? How would he know? He can't do ANOTHER journey of self-discovery!

[natural_blue_26]

Yeah, like, who is Tobias without the angst? How would he know? He can't do ANOTHER journey of self-discovery!

Are you trying to say this plot point has been overdone or something? ;) ;)

[blue_rampion]

She does indeed have her epic bitchy moments, but I hadn't realised the connection to angsting before XD (I actually kinda wish that the bitchiness had been given more prominence, because one of the interesting things about Cassie is the fact that she is the 'sweet mothering type' but with this dark manipulative side to her)

*yaaaaaay fist bump!*

fff Tobias without angst is like. NOT TOBIAS. It would be a robot. Or a clone. Or possible an alien OH WAIT HE ALREADY KINDA SORTA IS THAT IN A WEIRD MAYBE KIND OF WAY