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Getting Rough
Topic Started: Apr 28 2010, 02:28 PM (254 Views)
whatcoloristhesky
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Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man
Alright, so we know that Darry doesn't abuse his brothers, but fact is, they are his brothers, and boys tend to roughhouse on a normal basis. However, what I tend to see in the fandom, even with some of the better writers, is that Darry is almost this gentle giant, when I specifically remember him getting on Ponyboy's case about a lot of things (even if it was because he cared) and I specifically remember Ponyboy not wanting to mess with him. Now, while, Ponyboy exaggerated a bit due to everything being his POV, he wasn't exactly blind and he wasn't exactly telling lies. So then why is Darry portrayed so softly half the time?

Do you feel that Darry's a little more rough around the edges, not afraid to cuff his brothers upside the head for smart/stupid comments, or do you think that he really wouldn't do anything to cause them purposeful pain? Is it a balance?

Also, I've found that Tim is portrayed soft sometimes, too, in regards to his siblings? How do you feel about that?

Discuss.
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Cheap Indifference
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I think Darry is portrayed as too much of a softy in most fics. I think Darry is like any other guardian, he's not scared to tell his brother when they're doing something completely stupid, I think he is brutally honest with them. And sometimes the truth hurts. I think that's why Ponyboy is so scared of Darry because he says what's really on his mind and it can come off as mean but in the end he means well. I also think that Darry wouldn't think twice before cuffing his brothers upside the head for doing something really stupid, not hard enough to actually hurt them but enough to tell them that what they are doing isn't smart and that they should use their heads.

As for Tim, I think that he's portrayed as too much as a softy in most fics. In my world Tim has more of a tough love towards his siblings. Much more than Darry would to his siblings, I think that Tim is one of those brothers that doesn't show very much emotion towards his siblings. Tim loves his brother and sister but has a funny way of showing it, for example if Curly does something stupid he wouldn't think twice about kicking the crap out of him. But I also think that he still really protective of them and if anyone messes with them they'll have hell to pay. I also think Tim cares about his family more then anything and would do anything for them, though he'd never admit it.
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Liz

I have no trouble seeing Darry dealing with his brothers in a pain-or-threat-with-no-injury kind of way. I could see him doing something like putting them up against a wall, their shirt in his fists, to make a point, or giving them a slap in the head, that kind of thing.

He might have been in charge of them, but he was still their brother. I do believe that at some point, he would have become more of a combination of parent/sibling, but that's not to say he would have abandoned all previous means of intimidation, lol.

The reason I say the parent/sibling combo thing is because a while back, I read about a study that showed when one parent lost the other, the surviving parent subconsciously began to show some of the traditional traits of the one who was gone. For example, men who were raising their children alone lost some of the harsh dad edge and became more comforting to their children, while women became more firm with discipline and engaged in more physical activities (like sports) with their kids. It's like they automatically adjusted for the parent who wasn't there anymore.

I always imagined Darry gradually did something like that, but he wasn't quite at that point yet during the book. So Ponyboy, still so young after losing their parents, is still craving the open affection and approval of his mom and dad, but just isn't getting it from Darry. There had to be some compromise from both of them to get to that middle ground.
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Allison
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This is a huge hot mess of a ramble... Fair warning. I guess I just had a lot to say about this issue, lol.

To be 100% honest, I've only been satisfied with about two or three people's portrayals of Darry for this very reason. Darry gets screwed over the most of any character in the fandom because no one can seem to find a happy medium. He's either an abusive asshole or a gentle giant.

I guess I would describe him as a caring hardass. He cares and that's why he IS strict and maybe even seems a little impossible at times. I think he shows he cares by being strict. I see him as the type that'd have issues admitting he has a heart. He's very, very ... uh, macho would be a good word.

I personally don't see any issues with him cuffing Pony or Soda upside the head, and I'd even go as far as saying it'd happen on a somewhat regular basis. But I wouldn't call this abuse or even compare it to what happened in the book. And on that note, (and I realize I'm going to get flack for this...) I don't think Darry'd walk on eggshells about using physical force with his brothers, even after the incident with Ponyboy. I think he'd recognize he lost it and that the way he hit him went above and beyond a simple cuff upside the head, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'd never lay a hand on either of them again. If one of them got real smart with him, I could easily see him backhanding them.

As far as why people think he's a gentle giant, it probably has a lot to do with the appeal of hurt/comfort fics. I don't understand hurt/comfort fics; I don't think they have a place in this fandom .... I wish people'd put them where they belong—in the 7th Heaven fandom or some place similar. I'm not saying I can't handle anything along the lines of comfort. I enjoy reading a well-placed emotionally engaging scene. BUT when there's hugging and cuddling every frickin' chapter, the scene loses it's emotional weight and becomes, quite frankly, sappy.

I've noticed the gentle giant Darry in sisfics more so than any other genre, and I think it's no coincidence. A lot of sisters tend to be self-inserts, and as sick as this sounds, I'd attribute the copious amounts of physical affection to the authors having the hots for Darry. I say this because excessive affection, like kissing, hugging, and cuddling, crosses the lines of a normal sister/brother relationship. Not saying Darry can never ever hug his sister, but there has to be some kind of moderation and common sense involved in writing a scene like that. Otherwise, you're left to decipher the real reason for the frequent appearance of those scenes.

Another thing is that it's hard for people to understand there isn't and never will be a 100% shift from brother to parent. Parents can often times be somewhat naturally gentle or affectionate to their children, and while Darry loves his brothers and cares about them, it's never going to be entirely the same thing.

As far as Tim... I see Tim and Darry as being very similar in personality with one major difference. Darry is definitely straight edge, and Tim is not so much. I think they'd treat their siblings in a similar fashion—Tim possibly being a little harsher than Darry. I think with Tim he never really had much of an example through his own parents to follow, so he's a little more haphazard about it and does what he need to do for them to get by.

The gentle giant Tim comes from ..... HURT/COMFORT FICS! Again, there seems to be a huge appeal for them. One I'll never understand...

I think that's about it. :)
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