#anyway abigail is tragic as hell is my conclusion

[ghostdrinkssoup]

thinking about abigail’s character again and I think the way point of view is handled in nbc hannibal is really interesting when you’re trying to understand her character, since a lot of what we see is filtered through either will’s misplaced attachment to her or hannibal’s projections. it’s hard to see abigail’s true self and/or nature because half of what we see is unreliable. like, will refuses to think she was the bait and so we, the audience, also believe this to be true, even though when it’s revealed she actually was the bait it makes all the sense in the world. but it’s still shocking to us because our perception of her is warped as a consequence of being in will’s pov most of the time. not only that, but the nature of this reveal is arguably softened later on when will dreams he’s teaching abigail how to fish in s2a, and literally names his bait after her because of how much he “cherishes” her

all of this is to say in a show that’s all about identity and revealing (and understanding) the self, and the grotesque connection between will and hannibal, who are understood by no one but each other, abigail’s character is super interesting as a means to explore the layers of how people falsely perceive us. she’s complex because she’s not the innocent person will (or alana for that matter) perceives her to be, but she’s also not the ruthless murderer that hannibal (or again, jack) hopes she is. she’s just a traumatised kid who was raised by a psychopathic cannibal. not only that, but she’s the unwilling victim of both her surrogate father’s projections. first will, who projects his need for comfort, family, and acceptance onto her, as well as the hope that his morality is still intact, all factors which are complicated when he confuses his sense of self with the identity of garret jacob hobbs. and evidently by murdering him, and leaving abigail orphaned, feelings of shame and guilt also influence the nature of his projections. but then you have hannibal, who projects his attachment to mischa onto her, as well as his grief. and like will, this is all complicated by his own human need for comfort, family, and acceptance

but if you peel all that away, and get to the core of it, the key similarity between will and hannibal’s projections is a want for acceptance, and then forgiveness, which, as we see in s3, is synonymous to love. essentially, these are two characters who are undoubtedly monstrous, yet retain their humanity due to that universal longing to love and be loved, in whatever twisted form they are capable

I mean, the whole concept of the murder family is so sad because I think it reveals how damaged both will and hannibal are, beyond the show’s literal gothic horror. cannibalism, bloodshed, manipulation, playing the devil, grotesque thoughts and fantasies concerning murder, etc are all obvious reasons why these characters are fucked up mentally, but that’s also a consequence of the genre. to me, the true horror of the show is very much embedded in the psychological, and how will and hannibal are so lonely and isolated that they would wish to have this family circle “in some other world” because they thought they’d found someone who also understood them, someone they could nurture and take care of. but, as we know, this is all an illusion. will repeatedly says he thinks he’d make a good father, but he’s self-destructive and so is hannibal, and so it’s no wonder abigail dies the way that she does. she never had a chance with them. if anything, if she represents the self we project onto others, a fantasy standing in the way of the truth of our natures, which is shaped by human frailty, then her death is also the death of these idealistic delusions. it’s why in s3a, when will is still desperately trying to hold onto her, she’s nothing more than a ghost. and it’s why when he finally accepts this he goes to hannibal’s childhood estate, because, as he tells him when they reunite in the gallery, “I wanted to understand you, before I laid eyes on you again. I needed it to be clear, what I was seeing”

#ooo I didn’t mean for this to be another meta post but hello !! these are my abigail thoughts #will was delusional and mentally ill from s1 and abigail’s whole character exposes that #at first I kinda wished she was more developed? but then I thought about it again #and I think her lack of development is actually super effective in showing how little anyone really sees her #we’re barely ever afforded her pov #arguably the person who saw her most clearly is freddie lounds #is that a controversial take? I think it’s true though #freddie lounds was the least delusional character in the show #she knew what was up from day 1 #anyway abigail is tragic as hell is my conclusion #hannibal #nbc hannibal #will graham #abigail hobbs #murder family #hannigram #hannibal meta #long post #ghost speaks