[ SECRET POST #3051 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3051 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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09. http://i.imgur.com/PRt3TMa.jpg
[linked for nsfw (graphic illustrated porn and maybe gore? I can't tell)]
















Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 029 secrets from Secret Submission Post #436.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

05. http://i.imgur.com/LGdvNYl.png

[(Anonymous)]

I think that's something the show actually addresses? The Gems, while they love Steven, clearly have trouble with Steven sometimes. They get frustrated when he can't do things Rose could do. Hell, in a recent episode Steven straight up said he sometimes thinks the Gems resent him.

The show is highly aware of it and addresses it as a problem that negatively affects Steven.

[dinogrrl]

Yes, this was my impression too. Actually I thought they were handling that pretty well? Stephen facing his frustration at not being exactly like his mom, the Gems facing their frustration that Stephen isn't a Rose clone, etc.

[(Anonymous)]

Indeed.

And then there is the fact that due to the Gems literally *being* their Gems, Steven sort of partially IS Rose (minus the memories and with a different appearance and stuff), hence some inevitable similiarities, but he's not *just* her. And because this is really, really not a normal situation that usually happens with parents and children, the Gems really don't have any pool of reference to turn to in regards to what to expect, and how exactly they should handle this (which they pretty much stated aloud in "The Test"). Plus, they're still feeling the grief over losing Rose, and that can affect how they act, because they aren't perfect about everything. No one is.

Actually, I've found it very relatable and sort of comforting how this show has handled the issue that often the people who raised you and really genuinely do love you(1), have probably also done something emotionally damaging to you, and acknowledging that doesn't mean they're terrible, or that all the good things they've also done don't matter.
Thinking about this has actually encouraged me to finally bring up and talk through some long-unresolved issues I had with my mother, and that was definitely for the better.


(1)Applicable in situations where the person actually has/had loving caretakers. I'm aware that this isn't the case for everyone.

[(Anonymous)]

I thought most of it was based on the fact that he inherited her powers, which were vital to the team and if he would be able to master them, he'd be a huge asset. The other Gems don't have his healing powers or shields, and there's been a bunch of times he saves them because of said shield. While, yes, they are trying to make him more like Rose, and it's wrong of them to try to force him to be like her, they're trying to make his powers stronger so he can not only help them, he can protect himself if they're not around.

I feel that if Steven had powers different from Rose, they wouldn't be trying to influence him to be like her so much. It's just that they NEED his powers. Rose was the one who protected them.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm pretty sure the story seems to be building up to breaking this idealized perception of Rose at some point, because everyone having flaws and making mistakes is kind of a huge theme they have going on, and we've gotten that sort of stuff for most characters at some point or other.

Basically, I dooon't think the narrative itself is implying that Steven should be just a second-hand copy of Rose, or that the way the characters have handled things in that field so far is perfect. It's not what "should" be done in an ideal situation, it's just what happened because the Crystal Gems are not ablosutely perfect beings. They try their best, but they have character flaws and they don't really know what exactly they should be doing with Steven. It'd be pretty darn boring and unrelatable otherwise.

The show has addressed the fact that Steven has some serious self-esteem and guilt issues relating to the Gems' perception and presentation of Rose and himself, and it's pretty clear that it'll be addressed more in the future.

[(Anonymous)]

Implication, nothing. I'm sure they're doing this on purpose and it's going to become a plot point later on.

So far Rose has been presented as such an idealised, perfect, almost goddess-like figure. Steven has been pushing himself to be like her and be able to do the things she can do, and may even feel guilty over being the reason she's gone.

No doubt she did a lot of good, and she for sure earned the love and loyalty all the gems and Greg have for her. But in a show with such flawed characters, nobody is going to be that perfect.

I am just waiting for it all to come to a head. One day the pressure that is being put on Steven and this larger-than-life figure they have built Rose into is all going to come crashing down.

[comradesmiler]

I'm pretty sure we might see some serious shit that Rose did during the Gem rebellion, seeing that Greg said that there's "no such thing as a good war".

[(Anonymous)]

Basically this.

And I don't mean I think Rose will turn out to have been *terrible*, of course not. It's just that the people she was close to have idealized her to such an extent, it's impossible for Steven to measure up to that. At this point, it'd be impossible for even ROSE HERSELF to measure up to that (and I wouldn't be too surprised to find out that she could've already been aware of this before making the decision to give herself up).

And at some point, that bubble will burst for everyone else, too. The seeds of that narrative direction have been planted a long time ago, and we've already seen them grow (and this allegory lost track of itself at some point).

Transcript

[(Anonymous)]

Image: screen cap from Steven Universe,, a statue of Rose on a pedestal

Text: I've found the reason I can't like this show. It's because I can't help but see the implication that

STEVEN SHOULD TRY TO BE AS MUCH LIKE ROSE AS POSSIBLE

And that it's his destiny to fulfill what she started. It makes me uncomfortable in the context of how idealized she is by the gems. No matter how wonderful a parent is, you shouldn't surround the child with idealized version of said parent and encourages them to be their shadow.

Steven is himself, not another incarnation of Rose.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

First of all, thanks for replying. I actually expected some hate for this.

I did think that they were gonna address the idealizing thing and make it a plot point, I guess I was just impatient that it takes so long. I mean, it's already more than 40 episodes. The fandom doesn't help, with their own idealizig of all the gem. Pearl is the worst offender, I get that she's a genuinely good person (gem?) who cares about Steven, but her selfishness and arrogance just really annoys me. I can't sympathize with her on Rose's Scarbard as much as the show may want me to, I was more disturbed by how clearly he sees Rose in Steven. Saying all of that to him would just make him doubt himself even more.

Right now I'm putting off catching up on the show, because of the aforementioined reason and because I want more to watch later, if they address Rose's idealizing then I would be very happy.