thoughts about Finn
I’m already seeing a lot of portrayals of Finn’s backstory as a Stormtrooper hinging on wanton violence and trauma. But I wonder if anyone has considered that the way Troopers are conditioned might be by an excess of care/attention, not by violence? I mean, we have evidence of that reading in the fact that Finn’s negative reaction is noted and pursued by his commanding officer. That demonstrates a heightened awareness of each of the troopers, not a lack of care. I wonder if maybe the medical care for troopers–as an example–was absolutely the best that money can buy, but not offered with pleasantries. Like, maybe Finn has had medical care thousands of times but usually he was put under sedation at the drop of a hat rather than allowed to stay conscious and engaged with the medical process. Like, maybe the biggest difference between his current medical care and what he experienced as a trooper is that they’re going to explain what they’re doing at every step now and he’s going to have to push himself to heal, not rely on them making it easy on him.
Like, if a trooper got a spinal injury, wouldn’t it make sense for the clearly affluent First Order to simply replace the spine and, like, build new muscle tissue or whatnot, rather than putting a trooper through longterm physical therapy and making him choose which course of treatment he wants.
Also, I think it’s worth thinking about how everything is easy as a trooper, but nothing is personal and that might be another key difference. I totally buy the idea of Finn being chronically touch-starved and unable to assert choices, though. I am loving that trend in the fic. I bet other key differences could include:
- now he has to own things and remember where they are. Like, he takes off his shoes outside and then forgets that, you know, they’re his and he has to come back barefoot to find them later
- also remembering how stuff belongs to other people too. Like, he doesn’t recognize the gesture as significant when Poe gives him the jacket. It’s not until Poe says it, maybe even later when he thinks about it again, that it’s a gift.
- having to remember names is probably very hard. and then finding out people have two names each, that probably frustrates him and blows his mind equally.
- it might take him a while to understand how different people’s backgrounds are. like, maybe he assumes everyone knows how to use a lightsaber because Rey was good at it. If Rey knows it, he just assumes everyone knows it. That’s the way it was for troopers: everyone knew exactly the same things. You never chatted about your childhood because it was exactly identical to everyone else’s. He probably grows to really love hearing people talk about their pasts. He probably makes a lot of friends by being just utterly charmed by the most prosaic of stories.
- i bet the messiness of the base bothers him. i bet he has to keep telling himself it’s fine that no one has scoured that wall over there, it’s totally fine. because he clearly wants to go find a bucket and a sponge and just bleach the fuck out of that mold.
- god, he is actually probably the neatest ever. once he gets a hang of the idea of this being his room, he probably keeps it fucking spotless
#tfa spoilers#this is SUCH an excellent post especially the point about the difference between an excess of care and personalized care#I was just talking to someone about the first order’s strategies for depersonalization#(there specifically I was talking about sex and relationships between stormtroopers but the same principles apply)#the first order will treat you well they will look after you—you’ll have the best care availible#because the first order maintains their machinery#and that’s all finn is#he is not an individual any more than a wire is an individual or a circuit board is an individual; and the first order works hard#to ensure that mindset is instilled in their soldiers#but from the moment poe asks “are you good with finn?”#it’s a total paradigm shift#because being asked a specific and personal opinion is new#when the med-bot asks him if it is acceptable to administer the anti-cortisol shot finn just blinks at it#not realizing it’s actually waiting for a response#they serve—whatever the space equivalent of brussel sprouts is at the resistance mess hall and poe makes a face#scrapes them onto rey’s plate (she’ll eat anything like the desert ration-starved orphan she was)#and when finn asks why poe says “I’ve never liked brussel sprouts” like it’s nothing#like that’s….something you can say#finn is stunned and delighted at the amount of personhood he is suddenly allowed#it’s wonderful I love it#star wars#(touch-starved and delighted and overwhelmed and he is so loved)#(already)#(that’s the first thing he gets)#(what a BABE)
[tag novel by @notbecauseofvictories]
(via cthulhu-with-a-fez)
