#It's not quite Garak is restrained externally and Julian is restrained internally but like

[bijoumikhawal]

something about how Julian comes from a place generally thought of as permissive but in many ways is actually quite a restrained person even though the first impression of him is that he matches it, while Garak comes from a place thought of as restrained but has become defined by his failure to be restrained, and how this entwined with themes of exile, social control, and incarceration/punishment

It's not that Garak doesn't have self control or that Julian never does anything implusive- but core aspects of them are in opposition to those things. There's a subtext in the show that Garak was exiled because of a failure in self control of some kind- something sentimental. He is the Cardassian (strictness) and he is the Exile (failure to be Cardassian). Julian is from the Federation (loosely goosey in a white man's Sexual Revolution way) and an Augment (violates one of the few rules the Federation does have).

As an Exile, Garak obviously has his movement restricted as to where he can live, but there are also social and economic factors that I think get ignored. Exiles loose citizenship. Exiles generally don't get to take their legal papers with them that help get a new citizenship. They don't really get to take much by way of money or property with them. This is what failure to be restrained has gotten him.

As an Augment, Julian isn't supposed to be allowed in certain careers. Even with the radically different economics of the Federation, this makes an impact. By violating this restriction, Julian knows exposure = severe punishment, most likely prison. Further, many augments are institutionalized, and anyone woth a knowledge of the history of institutions can tell you that what behavior is seen as "severe" enough for that to happen is political. So, he must be internally restrained. Even living in his day to day, had he not become a doctor or a member of Starfleet, he would need to be restrained if he kept living in the Federation because otherwise he'd get trouble brought on him.

#cipher talk #garashir #ds9 #It's not quite Garak is restrained externally and Julian is restrained internally but like #Compare and contrast!!!