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[series]: Inception (film)
[character]: Ariadne (the Architect)
[character history / background]: The following is a list of links provided as reference to both the plot of the film Inception, as well as more specific information behind the 'science' of dreamshare and the PASIV device. Inception (film) Wiki page, Inception's Inception Wiki page, Ariadne's Inception Wiki page, PASIV Device Technical Manual, Dream-Share: Tactical Employment Procedures
[character abilities]:
Of all the members on Cobb's inception team, Ariadne has the least experience both in the dreamshare as well as with the criminality involved with corporate espionage. This, however, does not mean she's unable to hold her own on Team BAMF. According to Cobb's father-in-law and previous mentor, Ariadne is more promising at building than even Cobb was at that age -- an assertion that Cobb later confirms himself after his first dream session with her. Being the architect on-board means that Ariadne is capable of willfully and masterfully manipulating the physicality of the dreamspace when she is the dreamer. She has the abstract understanding of deeply layered spatial concepts such as maze-building and paradoxical architecture as well as the ability to apply that understanding to the (dream)world around her.
It is important to note that Ariadne's lack of criminal history means she has little to no experience with the handling of weapons or firearms -- something that comes part and parcel with the rest of the inception crew. (The one time she does fire a gun, her expression is decidedly aaaaaaaaaaaaaa -- albeit an aaaaaaaaaaaaaa with conviction.) Since she's acquiring her graduate degree in France, one can assume she speaks French. Beyond all this, however, Ariadne's your run of the mill human who just happens to own a metric ton of patterned neck scarves.
[character personality]:
The Architect. As a classically trained architect-cum-dreambuilder, Ariadne has both the creative sensibilities that come with an artistically-focused background as well as an understanding of the rules by which her creations must abide (gravity, physics, etc etc). Arguably it's this later point that helps her break said rules with a kind of playful finesse once she's within the dreamspace, facilitating her own inherent tendencies to want to break out of the proverbial (and literal, as was the case with her maze test) box. Although part of her job is to focus as much on the granularity of a space as the overall layout, her mind falls on the intuitive end of the spectrum rather than the analytical (though it's important to note, these two halves seem to work in tandem within herself, the way artistry and engineering come together in architecture, as opposed to clash in opposition with one another).
Card-carrying member of Team BAMF. Like the rest of her teammates on the inception crew, Ariadne is superlative at the things that she does (and knows it). True, there is a grace period during which she plays the part of protége -- taking lessons from both Cobb and Arthur -- but even then there is a sense of pushing the ingénue envelope as she feels for the edges of what's capable as opposed to what's expected or appropriate. Although there are times when the reality of the situation, the newness or danger of it, throw her off her game, Ariadne ultimately wrests control of it and looks for an immediate way to overturn whatever obstacle may be in her way. This is most obviously seen when she commanders the comm on the third level when her trust in Cobb is once again foiled by the re-emergence of the Shade and the 'death' of Fischer. Impressive for an architect on her first job (and one who wasn't even supposed to come in the first place), she remains undaunted by the suggestion of dropping into limbo to follow Fischer and even has to convince a veteran like Cobb to come with her.
Both feet on the ground. Despite associations one might have between the creatively-minded and fancifulness, Ariadne has a decidedly down-to-earth personality, one that is (thankfully, to the benefit of the entire inception team) grounded in reality. She is particularly practical and is never once shown to be prone to flights of fancy the way one may assume an 'artiste' would be. Even when she operates within the dreamscape, the way the topography changes around her are matter-of-fact and almost utilitarian despite breaking all conceivable laws of physics (a Parisian street folding at right angles, a bridge's colonnade revealing itself through a series of mirrors). Ariadne finds her practicality an asset, one that she uses to give herself momentum when she barrels through obstacles (see: the bull in a chinashop below); it functions as the foundation and anchoring point to her confidence and certainty, leaving her unflappable in situations where other people would as soon feel out of their depth, overwhelmed, or disoriented.
One can argue that her return to the warehouse (despite the knowledge that she'd be following a man burdened by the weight of his own issues) is an exception to Ariadne's grounded nature, an anomaly in her behavior. Perhaps more accurately it is proof of the counterbalance that the creative half of her mind provides (she's not Arthur, after all, a character who's own practicality can be considered a hindrance at times). Being young and on the cusp of entering the 'real world' after years of consignment to academia, Ariadne is flush with potential while having very little actual to show for it yet, and so the allures of Cobb's offer -- a chance to build, to push the limits of what is possible in a space that presents impossibility -- demand consideration and an ultimate yielding to. It's most likely because Ariadne sees herself as fully grounded that she's able to return without much second-thought to the risks she may be taking, but true inspiration and its value to Ariadne cannot be underestimated.
The bull in someone else's chinashop. If there is one thing that cannot be understated about Ariadne it's that she lacks a certain level of tact. This is partially a symptom of her practicality (see: both feet on the ground above) and partially the result of a lack of context in her own life. Although it is never explicitly stated in canon, one can infer given her personality and interpersonal interactions with her teammates, Ariadne's personal life leaves something to be desired (a point that she herself would probably argue, given the fact that she doesn't actually desire it). One of the few times that Ariadne is left visually shaken by an encounter is when she is confronted by Mal in the hotel room of Cobb's dreams, where she is forced to admit that no, she's never been in love before. This lack of deep emotional investment (which she may equate to a loss of self, something highly impractical in and of itself) in her own life, coupled with her matter-of-fact nature, means that she does not regard other people's emotional attachment to things as sacred. Where someone else might see Cobb hooked up to the PASIV and think twice before joining him, Ariadne doesn't hesitate to hook up and see for herself what kind of 'experiments' he's been up to after hours. Ultimately the team's safety on the Fischer job is ensured by Ariadne's dogged insistence to Cobb that he deal with his issues head-on rather than resorting to readily-available escapism, bulldozing any opportunities to tiptoe around an elephant that's been in the room for years (thanks, Arthur).
It is important to note that Ariadne's inexperience when it comes to personal investment does not mean she's not insightful when it comes to other people's motivations. Even before the extent of Cobb's problems are revealed to her in his dreams, she is already positing to Arthur that Mal is the source of Cobb's issues and his inability or reluctance to build. In fact, after Ariadne's first session in the dreamshare is abruptly ended by her introduction to the Shade, she tells Arthur without hesitation, "I don't know if you can't see what's going on or if you just don't want to, but Cobb has some serious problems that he's trying to bury down there." Leaving Arthur with an expression that clearly reads, you have no idea how right you are. Which is, ultimately, inaccurate. Because Ariadne always knows just how right she is when she says something; she's just waiting for everyone else to catch up.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: A few months post-canon.