truly truly Neil Charlie Todd triumvirate is king please share any thoughts you have on them
OH BOY ANON YOU HAVE OPENED A CAN OF WORMS.
I. OPENING THESIS?
Basically, here’s my abstract for this whole thing:
(Les Misérables, trans. Isabel F. Hapgood)
And having put this down, I’ll ask you to overlook it, lol. Or treat it as a very loose guide! (If you haven’t any idea what the context of this refers to, here’s a quick rundown: a chief is a leader and someone who people rally behind. A guide is an enthusiast about all things and an advocate for progress, someone who checks the rampant idealism of the chief. The centre is warm, loyal, and acts almost as a mini-Sun for the chief and guide to orbit around, to stop them shooting off on their own wild trajectories.) In the interest of complete transparency, reading Les Mis at a young age had this irreparable effect on me where I now have to think of every triumvirate as a chief/guide/centre dynamic, but I don’t think this model applies 1:1 towards Neil/Charlie/Todd. Instead, I think of them a little as composites, interplaying with each other – Charlie as a guide who would much rather be a chief, Neil as a chief who works better as a guide, and Todd as a centre who’s never given the grace to grow into that role. Let’s go!
II. CHARLIE AS THE CHIEF-GUIDE
Charlie is like if rowdiness was a Guy. He’s big, he’s brash, he’s the instigator and he’s the captain and he’s the shameless one and he’s a side character! I have always found this very interesting whenever I watch DPS; despite Charlie’s main character-ness he is secondary, and doesn’t even get his own sideplot in the same way that Knox (for example) does. He’s a born leader who by virtue of the trappings of his story is relegated to supporting others, although you can so, so clearly see him fighting for space in the story. He gets pushed into being a guide almost by default; only the trait of enthusiasm really applies here. If Neil wasn’t there he’d be the leader of their group, no question. And the thing about Charlie is that he gets things done. He’s the one pushing the most for the re-creation of the Dead Poets Society after Neil, he’s caustic about things that are in his way (“Well, why don’t you stay home?”), people follow him! See Knox running after him, asking to be taught:
Charlie is the man of action – the telephone stunt is the biggest incident of that. And the way the boys gather around him afterwards as he regales them is chief-like; here he is acting as the chief, because this is around the same time that Neil’s chief role starts to slip away from him. But more of that later.
The big thing is that Charlie never gets to really assume that role of chief, because Neil is always there. I talked earlier about how he pushes for the re-creation of the Society; well, Neil is the one who finds Keating’s old annual and reads it aloud to them. Charlie is the one cutting down the guys’ concerns about sneaking out after school: Neil is the one who suggests it – more than suggests it! Almost commands it, in a way that leaves little room for debate:
(Note that in this section, it’s Charlie who does the arguing for Neil, who doesn’t speak except to lay down the law and then ask who’s coming. Real king and knight energy.)
Charlie never quite manages to edge into centre stage. You can sort of see how there might be resentment there – perhaps there would have been if they had gone on uninterrupted. But then of course Neil dies, and Charlie assumes the chief role by default, but it’s no longer glorious or something he can covet. But he does it anyway; he wakes up Todd, he breaks the news to him, very, very gently, he wipes Todd’s mouth with snow when he vomits and tells the others to leave him alone. But by this point, Charlie going into the chief role he’s so good at isn’t enough to stop the splintering of their group or his own expulsion.
III. NEIL AS THE GUIDE-CHIEF
Part of Neil’s tragedy is that he would be good at the things his father wants him to do! He’s a wonderful all-rounder, he's the perfect all-American specimen, there’s no doubt in my mind he would have been a great doctor – except he wouldn’t, because the enthusiasm and the motivation would have been lacking entirely. (As someone who just did a shit ton of medical school interviews, yeah, they would have sniffed this guy out really fast. Or maybe they wouldn't… not sure how stringent they were in the ‘50s.) He would have been technically great. But being able to do something doesn’t mean you should; these are the things that Mr. Perry conflates and which Neil is never able to verbalise to him, except in a way in which he thinks he’ll understand:
In this scene, when he talks to him post-performance it’s not “I enjoyed it”, but a very simple, “I was really good”. And despite this concession of terms he says it when his father can't hear, because he knows he would never relent, oh God.
Actually, a lot of what I wanted to say about Neil has already been said in Charlie’s section. (The summary is basically that you must imagine me offstage with a megaphone as the movie plays, yelling, “YOU TWO NEED TO SWITCH PLACES, FUCKOS”.) Neil is a good leader, but that doesn’t mean he likes being one, or that he should be one! He has a few characteristics of a guide – he’s enthusiastic about everything, he has this boundless kind of delight in the things he loves (not idealism; that’s slightly different). But this is honestly where the model falls apart. I don’t think that Neil would make a great guide either, logic not being his forte; the irony is that the role of the triumvirate he most fits IS the chief, it’s just that that’s what kills him. The responsibility that comes with being someone who “speaks and people listen” isn’t good for him – this dichotomy of having “control” over the friendship group/no control over his personal life is terrible. He does get to lose the chief role, but it’s not in a way that is good for him; instead this manifests in a loss of control that happens very very quickly, which just makes him reach for ways in which he can control his own life. And besides, stepping outside of a leadership role with a great deal of responsibility and losing control over the course of your own life are two very different things. I just think that he should get to go offstage for a little bit and rest, with zero expectations on him ever. (Also there’s something here about how he gets to play Puck – a side character who has major effects on the story but doesn’t have to actually put his skin in the game. This is what I think Neil should get to do In Real Life.)
IV. TODD AS THE PROTO-CENTRE
One thing about Todd is that in my mind, I always imagine him as much redder than he actually is in the movie. I don’t mean I imagine him to blush more often – I mean ruddier, more flushed. Going back to the Les Mis quote – in my mind he does “possess all the qualities of a centre, roundness and radiance”! Todd is a catalyst like Keating in a way that Keating isn’t; this is never explicit at all but he has always felt to me like someone who inspires others by their presence. He’s such a wonderful, calming, grounding influence. Even when he talks to Neil and they have that non-argument he tempers Neil and reminds him what’s at stake without looking down on him. And when he realises how serious he is, he goes with it and supports him to the best of his ability – he says “Oh, Neil, Neil, you’re crazy” but it’s fond, he’s overjoyed for him. And you can see similar behaviour perhaps to a lesser extent with Charlie in the way particularly he calls him Nuwanda after his request, which is taken as ridiculous by other characters:
And even after Neil’s death he does so, refusing to go back to normal:
But the reason I’ve put “proto-” for a prefix is because these are all singular occasions. The thing is that I think Todd could be that brilliant, grounding, assured man, a lighthouse of a man, almost. But he isn’t – he clearly isn’t – at the beginning of the movie he is shy and diffident and the non-argument I mentioned early does go a little sour, because while he speaks from a place of concern and love, his anxiety manifests in the conversation and makes him a little less tactful than he might have been otherwise. If things had gone on better than they went, and if Todd had been allowed to grow and develop more and without worry, he really, really would have blossomed into this kind of centre, this very steady man who would have reminded Neil of the consequences of his actions and made Charlie care about the consequences of his. But he doesn’t get to do that – by the time he grows and becomes more confident it’s too late, the worst has already happened.
V. SUMMARY
I’m so sorry, anon, this is a prodigious answer to what was a very simple ask, but you hit on the subject I have Very Strong Feelings About. Not to toot my own fanfic horn, but there’s an excerpt from the fair folk AU which I think sums this up pretty well:
TL;DR: Charlie gets pushed into a secondary position which doesn’t suit him; Neil gets pushed into a leadership position which suits him, but he hates; Todd is willing to step into that secondary position as a behind-the-scenes supporter, but never actually gets that opportunity. Hence the tragedy. Hence the taking of lives. Hence how many fucking tears I have shed over this movie, Jesus.
(I had a lot of fun writing this – thank you for giving me a reason to!)
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Ride 736: The night of the training camp
Pag 1
2: Who is it? Someone is there....
3: …. rain
At the training camp.....
4: An umbrella....
Pag 2
1: Yo, Onoda
3: …. Te
…. ah..... Te
Pag 3
1: Teshima-san!!
Have you been well?
It's been a while, we haven't seen each other since my graduation
Pag 4
1: Waa- Teshi- Teshima-san! Di you come here on puropose to see ho-how things are going!?
Have you- have you been woll too, Teshima-san!?
Yeah, as usual – woll? (haha)
2: So-sorry this is so sudden and I'm so surprised! Co-come in!!
You do seem very surprised
3: You can put your shoes here, and your umbrealla here
Yeah, I know. I've had the training camp here for three years, too, after all
4: Ahh... but, it started to rain so suddenly
Good thing I had a spare umbrella in the car
5: Sorry I came here so suddenly
Pag 5
1: I thought you guys would have “prepared” if I had contacted you beforehand
2: Training camp is busy, you can't waste even one minute of these four days. I know how busy you are
When a senpai comes in the middle of that, it makes you waste too much time
3: … Teshima-san
4: Bu.... but, it's not a waste
Uhm- ah- we really owe you so much, Teshima-san!
5: And alos, at last year's Inter High.... uhm
6: I think we could win thanks to you, Teshima-san!!
Pag 6
1: Thank you
When you say it with such earnest eyes, I'm happy to think you really mean it
2: No no, I mean, it's true!! On the mountain during the first day... and of course the mountain stage on the third day...
Ahh, I did win that
Yeah well, it's beacause of that....
3: Ah- uhm, dammit I forgot to offer you some tea.... is the tea from the vending machine okay?
Ehi ehi, it's okay. You choose
Huh!?
4: I came all the way here, let me be your senpai
Pag 7
2: Teshima.... san
3: Than-
4: yo-
Waa- Onoda!!
5: My- my bad
So- sorry, this kind of things....
You're really not good at them... I forgot....
Pag 8
1: I see, so Danchiku.... and Sugimoto, too....
2: Yes
3: Well, you have no choice but to watch over them
Yes
6: That's what I intend to do!!
Pag 9
1: You got the “face of a third year”, Onoda
You change like that, when others count on you as a “third year”, your face....
2: Taking good care of the others isn't the only role of a third year
Sometimes, turning them down, or turning your back to them is also important
Just like Makishima-san once did
3: with you
6: Even so, you chased Makishima-san's back and admired him
Pag 10
1: Kohai watch their senpai's back and grow!!
2: If you slack off, they slack off
3: If you work hard, they imitate you
Pag 11
1: If you smile, they smile
2: Who's that guy, teh
He's talking with senpai.... here in the back
How can I know!!
But, he's smirking and has long hair, he's suspicious
4: Earlier, you said that last year's Inter High was thanks to me- what about this year's Inter High?
Thanks to whom will they work hard this year?
6: You
Pag 12
1: This time, it's your turn to become the object of their admiration
Pag 13
1: Onoda
3: That's what brings Sohoku together!!
4: That guy his Onoda-san!!
Do you think we should go there and help him, teh!?
No, wait, now he's stroking his neck!?
5: Honestly, choosing the members is hard
You trouble yourself, pace around, and still you'll have no answer
Ah-
6: But the important thing isn't how it was decided but “who you decided”
Pag 14
1: If you find the answer to “who” after worrying about it a lot, everyone will accept it and move forward
2: …. Teshima-san....
3: Uhm... how did you know that that's what I was worrying about....
I'm the former captain, am I not? Also, it's written on your face
Ah-
4: He wants to strangle him ike that!? That guy with shaggy hair!!
Ahh- this is bad, teh, we have to protect Back-gate-slope-san!!
5: Let's go!! Don't hesitate, Rokudai!!
Yeah, teh....!!
6: Eh!?
Huh?
Pag 15
2: Huh!?
Senpai, let's get away
3: Who are you!? Back-gate-slope-sa.... What do you want to do to Onoda-san!!
Pag 16
5: In the confusion I called him by his real name, “Onoda-san”, teh!! Sorry!!
6: Unathorized people shouldn't be able to enter, it's reserved!!
Right!! Shaggy-hair!!
Rokudai-kun!? Kinaka-kun!?
7: N-no, you two got it wrong-
8: Onoda....
Pag 17
1: You're really protecting your team members with all your strength
2: Eh-
3: Since you're protecting them, they're protecting you, too
4: What's your name
Yessir, my name is Rokudai Renta- no wait, that's not right!!
5: Huh
6: Since I'm protecting them.... with all my strength.....!!
Pag 18
2: Rokudai, if
Huh!? What
If you clear this training camp and get chosen as a member for the Inter High
Huh!?
3: Protect Onoda like this with all your strength
Pag 19
1: Huh
…. yes
2: Idiot, Rokudai, don't let your guard down just because of those sweet words!!
Ah!! That's right, teh!!
I'll introduce you: this is Teshima Junta-san
You have some goos first years!
He graduated last year and is now an university student, but
3: He's the former Sohoku captain
4: Cap....
I was nominated captain by Teshima-san
5: ta....in?
Pag 20
1: We- we- we're so sorry!!
It's nothing
2: We did that, teh....!!
To- to such an important senpai!!
3: Ah.... uh... thank you for your work!! What brings such an important senpai like you here?
He came to encourage us
4: Ah also, I brought
6: some new pedals for Onoda!!
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This is written for two very special people who have been screaming with me over Op.5 (you know who you are 😇)
Look, I'm not saying that they kissed on stage. But neither am I saying that they didn't kiss on stage. :)
A rampant thought that grew legs after Op.5, set as they fall from the tower bridge, basically. You don't need to have seen the musical, and there are no spoilers here for it (I think?)
You miiiiight appreciate this a bit more if you've seen it though.
---
"Like hell I'll let you fall alone!" the echo of Sherlock's desperate cry rings out, piercing through the deafening rush of air as William allows himself to fall backwards.
His scarlet eyes can't help but widen at the absurd sight of the detective jumping off the bridge after him.
What sort of fool-
No.
A panic wells up unbidden within him as Sherlock reaches his hands out once again.
You can't die here, Sherly. You have to see the new world.
There's no one else I would trust more with it.
His eyes shut tight, in part a willful denial of Sherlock's futile jump to his death, and another simply fearful for his own imminent end.
Even the devil fears death, in the end.
The cold breeze of the night wraps around him - a cold that no coat or fire could ever chase away. It chills him to his bones.
He was all alone, just as he expected.
He would die alone, just like he wanted.
He had done everything to ensure this outcome.
The thought left him cold and hollow.
And then, a warmth envelops him, chasing the cold away. A pair of sturdy arms clasp tightly around him, tugging him against a warm body.
Sherly...
He feels a hand weave itself through his blond locks to cradle his head and William can't help but feel his heart swell with some unspoken emotion.
If these moments are truly to be his last, can he be forgiven one last transgression?
Blinking his eyes open, he finds himself face to face with the man holding him so gently and preciously. His gaze is drawn to Sherlock’s deeply set frown and he wonders what it'd be like to feel that warmth against him.
Sherlock’s dark blue eyes glint with grim determination and William can't help but want to steal a kiss.
And so he does.
A simple press of lips against lips.
If he is to be dead at the end of it all, this shall be a final indulgence that he'll allow himself.
.
It is so, so very warm. Like the cup of hot chamomile tea that Louis would pour right before bed. Like the crackle of the fireplace where he and Albert would stay up reading next to.
Like he'll never be cold again.
.
They fall.
---
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