RENT theorizing....
Okay, it started innocently enough. I asked aradiachiba what her thoughts on Roger's time in withdrawal was like, and her opinion was so *drastically* different than mine that I asked zoe_chan. Which was similar to mine, but there were some points both brought up that made me go "hmmm..."
So, zoe_chan and I went to the source!
Yes, complete geeks that we are, we have analyzed the libretto of the musical, AND looked into the original New York Theater Workshop version. We are not putting much stock into the movie, because, well, the day I write something "movieverse," Zoe has promised to slap me. ;) Also, nothing tangible for us to cite.
But here is what we have deduced, and decided, for we are writing. Fics. And it seems like this is an expanding thing, so... we figured we should put our reasoning out there as proof that we did not just come up with details frivolously.
Definitely nothing decided in haste, that's for sure.
So, here is what we know. Taking Mark's narration and any song dialogue as being ABSOLUTE TRUTH...
First shot, Roger, tuning the Fender guitar he hasn't played in a year.
May or may not mean anything, but it means he hasn't been playing his quitar for a long period of time. Now, this could be due to April's suicide, or due to his growing drug addiction... hard to say.
He's just coming back from half a year of withdrawal...
Now, ignoring for a moment the "just coming back"... This implies Roger has only been drug free for roughly six months. There's a bit of give there. A bit.
Going back to that "coming back" comment. I have always interpreted that as a figurative return... to his music, to himself... I know I'm overanalyzing, and taking everything as literal facts, but I am still inclined to treat this "coming back" as Mark being tactful? Literary? Poetic? It's better than "He's been in withdrawal and just not himself for six months and he's finally picked up the goddamn guitar..." ;) In any case, I have heard the argument that this is a physical return from "somewhere"-most likely a clinic. We'll discuss the clinic idea later. For now, zoe_chan and I have decided that this is a metaphorical/emotional return from the drugs and the recovery from said addiction and, of course, severe emotional trauma.
Which brings us to another vital piece of information: April.
Close on Roger. His girlfriend, April, left a note, saying "we've got AIDS" before slitting her wrists in the bathroom...
Now. The question becomes, when did April commit suicide? It's hard to pin down. And it comes down to one essential question...
How did Roger react?
Did he fall into a downward spiral with drugs, and at *that* point give up his guitar? Placing her suicide about a year before December 24th, 9pm EST?
Or had he already given up the guitar and her suicide jolted him enough to convince him to give up drugs? Placing it about six months prior?
At the moment, we are trying to find evidence supporting this either way. The New York Theater Workshop version has nothing to support either version, since it places April's suicide possibly 2 years earlier and as a drug overdose. So we disregard that, mostly cause we want to.
Another issue concerning Roger's rehab and April's suicide is Collins.
Oh hi after seven months?!
Meaning Collins has been gone (presumably at MIT) for seven months. Roughly end of May, beginning of June.
And now I go into my argument that Roger did not go away for rehab, or at least, not for half a year. I believe he made a conscious decision not to leave the apartment, and he cut himself off from everyone but the people he couldn't avoid (aka Mark). This is based on the following:
Collins calls. Mark answers. Collins says Hey! Roger picked up the phone?! incredulously. As if it's an unusual act.
Then, later, Collins greets Roger with Still haven't left the house? Somehow he knows Roger hasn't been out much... I have a feeling Mark and Collins have been in touch. I don't think Collins is asking if Roger has left since his phone call, because it's only been a few hours and they were waiting for him to come up.
Also, when Mimi knocks, Roger answers the door expecting Mark, asking What'd you forget? as if this is fairly commonplace.
In any case, it implies that Roger's been holed up in the loft. Which makes sense.
He's recovering from a serious drug addiction, and he's dealing with the emotional aftermath of his girlfriend's suicide. In his *bathroom*. And the fact that he has AIDS, which he believes to be a death sentence.
The boy's got issues. We know this. It's part of why we love him. You know, when we don't want to hit him.
Anyway, the big issue at the moment, for us, is... is Collins in NY when April commits suicide? Because this would help solve the issue, somewhat. It would place her suicide *before* the half year withdrawal period, meaning Roger copes with her death by avoidance via drugs.
If he left first, that would mean Roger was snapped out of his addiction by the death.
Now, I *used* to be of the opinion that April's suicide is what made Roger give up drugs.
However, after a lot... and I do mean a lot of hemming and hawing and back-and-forthing with zoe_chan, I have been convinced. I thought, for a long time, that April's suicide would have been the dramatic jolt Roger needed to kick the habit. Now, I rather think not.
As zoe_chan pointed out to me... April died by suicide, and her note makes it fairly obvious that this was in reaction to the news that she had AIDS and therefore, so does her boyfriend. She did not die of an over-dose or in some other drug-related death. Yes, her AIDS is probably a direct result of the drugs, but would Roger make that connection? Would he say to himself, "self? You'd better give up the drugs, they gave us AIDS!" Or would he be more likely to think "hell, already have AIDS anyway..." and proceed to deal with his emotions by escaping them?
I'm voting the latter. Roger runs. He is very good at avoiding when it comes to dealing with his emotions.
Witness Roger's reaction when Angel dies and Mimi is with Benny... he runs away, all the way to New Mexico. He thinks Mimi is cheating on him... he runs away. He pushes her away from him to avoid being hurt.
Roger does not cope. He runs. He is a master of avoidance. Of turning things around...
Witness Goodbye Love and the infamous Mark and Roger fight.
Mark is trying to make Roger see that there is a lot in New York worth staying for, and...
Mark: How could you let her go?
Roger: You just don't know. How could we lose Angel?
Mark: Maybe you'll see why, when you stop escaping your pain. At least now if you try, Angel's death won't be in vain...
Roger: His death IS in vain!
Mark: Are you insane? There's so much to care about-there's me, there's Mimi...
Roger: Mimi's got her baggage too.
Mark: So do you!
and here is where Roger turns it around, and makes it about Mark's issues and problems. Of which there are many. But. Roger avoids. I'm not even going into it, but a good glimpse into Roger's psyche is Another Day. It's exactly his stance on things.
Classic Roger coping is when Benny goads him during Happy New Year:
Does your boyfriend know who your last boyfriend was?
I'm not her boyfriend, I don't care what she does!
He copes by denying, pushing and avoiding. Now, he does return from Sante Fe, and he does apologize to Mimi, but it takes him awhile.
So, I think it's fair that zoe_chan and I have decided, for the sake of our stories, that when April commits suicide, Collins has not yet left for MIT, and Roger reacts by retreating into drugs. Runs away, as best he can. He deals by *not* dealing. Which ultimately, of course, fails. We're working on the how and why of that, but it's not the issue at hand right now.
As for the idea that we have decided on regarding Roger's drug rehab:
I am still researching this. But. Drug programs are expensive. As we all know, our boys have no money. There are out-patient programs offered at hospitals and rehabs. There are free clinics, but I can't seem to discover much about their programs on the web. (Maybe I'm not searching the right thing on google...)
In any case, Mark says I know a place, a clinic which most interpret as a rehab place, most likely because of Roger.
I believe it's likely that he looked into such things. Roger *may* have even gone to such a place, for a short time... but I don't go for that, and I'm not sure why. As zoe_chan pointed out to me, it's highly likely that Mark may have done this research, even contacted the clinic, and introduced the idea to Roger... who was probably not overly enthusiastic about it. In fact, depending on his mood, he may even have been rude and mean about it. Roger is a very forceful personality. If he doesn't want to do something, he's not going to do it. So there's quite a potential there for the idea that Roger may well have said "Screw that" to the idea of going somewhere for rehab.
What zoe_chan and I have decided, for our own sakes, is that Roger stayed in the loft and Mark helped him through this. The how and why of this, we haven't worked out, but the point is that we feel this is fairly validated by the canon.
Part of the evidence for this idea is the fact that Mark *mothers* Roger. Completely.
You have to get out of the house.
Take your AZT.
To Angel and Collins: I'll meet you at the show. I'll try and convince Roger to go.
Angel (about Benny): That boy could use some prozac!
Roger: Or heavy drugs.
Mark (reprimanding): Or group hugs!
Also... Roger: I'm not much company, you'll find.
Mark: Behave!
(Who tells their volatile friends to behave, in *that* tone? Only someone awfully close and not afraid Roger's going to smack them to Jersey. Or doesn't care if he does.)
So, that's that, in as much as I have no more quotes lined up to post. ;)
Suffice it to say that nothing zoe_chan or I write is going to come out of nowhere. If we make a decision, we do so using as much information as we can glean from the canon source... even if this means creating a hell of a headache for ourselves in the process.
This is simply our close analysis, meant to help us rationalize decisions we make in writing. Feel free to disagree, but we probably won't change our minds. ;) If we change yours, let us know!
So, zoe_chan and I went to the source!
Yes, complete geeks that we are, we have analyzed the libretto of the musical, AND looked into the original New York Theater Workshop version. We are not putting much stock into the movie, because, well, the day I write something "movieverse," Zoe has promised to slap me. ;) Also, nothing tangible for us to cite.
But here is what we have deduced, and decided, for we are writing. Fics. And it seems like this is an expanding thing, so... we figured we should put our reasoning out there as proof that we did not just come up with details frivolously.
Definitely nothing decided in haste, that's for sure.
So, here is what we know. Taking Mark's narration and any song dialogue as being ABSOLUTE TRUTH...
First shot, Roger, tuning the Fender guitar he hasn't played in a year.
May or may not mean anything, but it means he hasn't been playing his quitar for a long period of time. Now, this could be due to April's suicide, or due to his growing drug addiction... hard to say.
He's just coming back from half a year of withdrawal...
Now, ignoring for a moment the "just coming back"... This implies Roger has only been drug free for roughly six months. There's a bit of give there. A bit.
Going back to that "coming back" comment. I have always interpreted that as a figurative return... to his music, to himself... I know I'm overanalyzing, and taking everything as literal facts, but I am still inclined to treat this "coming back" as Mark being tactful? Literary? Poetic? It's better than "He's been in withdrawal and just not himself for six months and he's finally picked up the goddamn guitar..." ;) In any case, I have heard the argument that this is a physical return from "somewhere"-most likely a clinic. We'll discuss the clinic idea later. For now, zoe_chan and I have decided that this is a metaphorical/emotional return from the drugs and the recovery from said addiction and, of course, severe emotional trauma.
Which brings us to another vital piece of information: April.
Close on Roger. His girlfriend, April, left a note, saying "we've got AIDS" before slitting her wrists in the bathroom...
Now. The question becomes, when did April commit suicide? It's hard to pin down. And it comes down to one essential question...
How did Roger react?
Did he fall into a downward spiral with drugs, and at *that* point give up his guitar? Placing her suicide about a year before December 24th, 9pm EST?
Or had he already given up the guitar and her suicide jolted him enough to convince him to give up drugs? Placing it about six months prior?
At the moment, we are trying to find evidence supporting this either way. The New York Theater Workshop version has nothing to support either version, since it places April's suicide possibly 2 years earlier and as a drug overdose. So we disregard that, mostly cause we want to.
Another issue concerning Roger's rehab and April's suicide is Collins.
Oh hi after seven months?!
Meaning Collins has been gone (presumably at MIT) for seven months. Roughly end of May, beginning of June.
And now I go into my argument that Roger did not go away for rehab, or at least, not for half a year. I believe he made a conscious decision not to leave the apartment, and he cut himself off from everyone but the people he couldn't avoid (aka Mark). This is based on the following:
Collins calls. Mark answers. Collins says Hey! Roger picked up the phone?! incredulously. As if it's an unusual act.
Then, later, Collins greets Roger with Still haven't left the house? Somehow he knows Roger hasn't been out much... I have a feeling Mark and Collins have been in touch. I don't think Collins is asking if Roger has left since his phone call, because it's only been a few hours and they were waiting for him to come up.
Also, when Mimi knocks, Roger answers the door expecting Mark, asking What'd you forget? as if this is fairly commonplace.
In any case, it implies that Roger's been holed up in the loft. Which makes sense.
He's recovering from a serious drug addiction, and he's dealing with the emotional aftermath of his girlfriend's suicide. In his *bathroom*. And the fact that he has AIDS, which he believes to be a death sentence.
The boy's got issues. We know this. It's part of why we love him. You know, when we don't want to hit him.
Anyway, the big issue at the moment, for us, is... is Collins in NY when April commits suicide? Because this would help solve the issue, somewhat. It would place her suicide *before* the half year withdrawal period, meaning Roger copes with her death by avoidance via drugs.
If he left first, that would mean Roger was snapped out of his addiction by the death.
Now, I *used* to be of the opinion that April's suicide is what made Roger give up drugs.
However, after a lot... and I do mean a lot of hemming and hawing and back-and-forthing with zoe_chan, I have been convinced. I thought, for a long time, that April's suicide would have been the dramatic jolt Roger needed to kick the habit. Now, I rather think not.
As zoe_chan pointed out to me... April died by suicide, and her note makes it fairly obvious that this was in reaction to the news that she had AIDS and therefore, so does her boyfriend. She did not die of an over-dose or in some other drug-related death. Yes, her AIDS is probably a direct result of the drugs, but would Roger make that connection? Would he say to himself, "self? You'd better give up the drugs, they gave us AIDS!" Or would he be more likely to think "hell, already have AIDS anyway..." and proceed to deal with his emotions by escaping them?
I'm voting the latter. Roger runs. He is very good at avoiding when it comes to dealing with his emotions.
Witness Roger's reaction when Angel dies and Mimi is with Benny... he runs away, all the way to New Mexico. He thinks Mimi is cheating on him... he runs away. He pushes her away from him to avoid being hurt.
Roger does not cope. He runs. He is a master of avoidance. Of turning things around...
Witness Goodbye Love and the infamous Mark and Roger fight.
Mark is trying to make Roger see that there is a lot in New York worth staying for, and...
Mark: How could you let her go?
Roger: You just don't know. How could we lose Angel?
Mark: Maybe you'll see why, when you stop escaping your pain. At least now if you try, Angel's death won't be in vain...
Roger: His death IS in vain!
Mark: Are you insane? There's so much to care about-there's me, there's Mimi...
Roger: Mimi's got her baggage too.
Mark: So do you!
and here is where Roger turns it around, and makes it about Mark's issues and problems. Of which there are many. But. Roger avoids. I'm not even going into it, but a good glimpse into Roger's psyche is Another Day. It's exactly his stance on things.
Classic Roger coping is when Benny goads him during Happy New Year:
Does your boyfriend know who your last boyfriend was?
I'm not her boyfriend, I don't care what she does!
He copes by denying, pushing and avoiding. Now, he does return from Sante Fe, and he does apologize to Mimi, but it takes him awhile.
So, I think it's fair that zoe_chan and I have decided, for the sake of our stories, that when April commits suicide, Collins has not yet left for MIT, and Roger reacts by retreating into drugs. Runs away, as best he can. He deals by *not* dealing. Which ultimately, of course, fails. We're working on the how and why of that, but it's not the issue at hand right now.
As for the idea that we have decided on regarding Roger's drug rehab:
I am still researching this. But. Drug programs are expensive. As we all know, our boys have no money. There are out-patient programs offered at hospitals and rehabs. There are free clinics, but I can't seem to discover much about their programs on the web. (Maybe I'm not searching the right thing on google...)
In any case, Mark says I know a place, a clinic which most interpret as a rehab place, most likely because of Roger.
I believe it's likely that he looked into such things. Roger *may* have even gone to such a place, for a short time... but I don't go for that, and I'm not sure why. As zoe_chan pointed out to me, it's highly likely that Mark may have done this research, even contacted the clinic, and introduced the idea to Roger... who was probably not overly enthusiastic about it. In fact, depending on his mood, he may even have been rude and mean about it. Roger is a very forceful personality. If he doesn't want to do something, he's not going to do it. So there's quite a potential there for the idea that Roger may well have said "Screw that" to the idea of going somewhere for rehab.
What zoe_chan and I have decided, for our own sakes, is that Roger stayed in the loft and Mark helped him through this. The how and why of this, we haven't worked out, but the point is that we feel this is fairly validated by the canon.
Part of the evidence for this idea is the fact that Mark *mothers* Roger. Completely.
You have to get out of the house.
Take your AZT.
To Angel and Collins: I'll meet you at the show. I'll try and convince Roger to go.
Angel (about Benny): That boy could use some prozac!
Roger: Or heavy drugs.
Mark (reprimanding): Or group hugs!
Also... Roger: I'm not much company, you'll find.
Mark: Behave!
(Who tells their volatile friends to behave, in *that* tone? Only someone awfully close and not afraid Roger's going to smack them to Jersey. Or doesn't care if he does.)
So, that's that, in as much as I have no more quotes lined up to post. ;)
Suffice it to say that nothing zoe_chan or I write is going to come out of nowhere. If we make a decision, we do so using as much information as we can glean from the canon source... even if this means creating a hell of a headache for ourselves in the process.
This is simply our close analysis, meant to help us rationalize decisions we make in writing. Feel free to disagree, but we probably won't change our minds. ;) If we change yours, let us know!