One Piece 35

[sara_tanaquil]

I was going to put off posting this a little longer, but since mangaroo might have to take books back to the library soon, I decided to go ahead.

[This will cease to be a spoiler for Volume 35 by the time you hit chapter 2]I was SO excited to start Water 7 in the last volume. And don't get me wrong, Water 7 is awesome, no question. But I forgot one tiny detail, because I practice selective memory for the WIN: doing Water 7 meant I

Comments

[sara_tanaquil]

I'm inclined to agree. Apart from the other things you pointed out, Usopp is characterized by a weird combination of self-doubt and prickly pride (I think this might actually be a somewhat common combination, because the pride is trying to compensate for the constant, nagging doubts). The quitting came mostly from the self-doubt, but the challenge stemmed from the pride.

He originally wanted to be captain of his own ship, he tried repeatedly to claim the title of captain when he first joined (the whole "Captain Usopp" running gag both is and isn't a joke), and I think there's a tiny part of him - maybe part he isn't even really conscious of - that resents Luffy being captain, even if rationally he would acknowledge that Luffy is clearly more qualified. Most of the time those things remain in his subconscious, but they would have easily popped to the surface when a genuine disagreement on how to go forward came up. Most of all when the Merry's life was at stake.

Not a very attractive side of Usopp's personality, maybe, but it makes him human. And (without getting into spoilers) I think this whole episode goes a long way toward helping him to resolve those unspoken, unacknowledged sources of resentment.

[printfogey]

Makes sense to me. I also think a fear of rejection is part of that shaky, prickly pride of his. When he'd made up his mind about leaving home, he was going to set off on his own boat and was ready to take his leave off Luffy, Zoro and Nami. He didn't ask if he could join them as an ordinary crew member (rather than as the captain, which he'd asked about before already). In part I think because he simply assumes they wouldn't accept him - look how stunned he is when Zoro says "Just shut up and hurry aboard" and Luffy adds "You're already one of us, right?" That's his self-doubts. And in part because as long as he doesn't ask, he can't get openly rejected - that's the pride. Fits together when you think about it. He's a complex guy...