Captain Hook

[Gaultheria]

Oh it’s a horrible message. But when has that ever stopped OUAT?

I can’t fault OUAT for this. In Storybrooke, reattaching limbs is easy, at least for magic users. Storybrooke’s people might as well use the best techniques available to them; we do, after all.

Of course, Hook’s self-image is so tied to the hook — and after hundreds of years, it would be — that he didn’t even magic his own hand back when he was the Dark One, so I think the hook is there to stay.

[sciencevsmagic]

Hmm, so it seems like people are divided both on whether he will retain his hook and whether he should.

 

There’s a couple of points I’d like to hone in on. The first is to do with the symbolism of the hook and how it links the character to his original mythology. Many people, including myself, have said that the hook represents Hook’s dark past. Some have also said that it’s what makes him him. For the sake of argument, I’m going to present a different interpretation here. Suppose the hook symbolized Hook’s heartbreak over Milah and his desire for revenge on Rumple? If that’s the show’s take on it – and it could be, then it would make sense for him to lose it once he was over those things. This interpretation also implies that Killian Jones is not limited to or defined by the persona of ‘Hook the pirate’. It’s just something he was for a period of his life, like Regina was the Evil Queen. Most people seem alright with Regina cutting ties with the EQ, so why is it different for Hook? Like we know the the EQ will always be part of Regina; we don’t need a physical reminder of that. So why do we need it for Hook? Does it boil down to the message about disability, or is there something about the character that would feel off if he was completely severed from his mythological roots?

 

 

My second point is to do with Hook being an amputee and therefore the show’s representation of people with a disability. In that case, do you think it is inappropriate to have people, eg. Regina, make derogatory remarks that reference this fact – calling him a “one handed pirate” for instance?

[PriceofMagic]

Hmm, so it seems like people are divided both on whether he will retain his hook and whether he should.

There’s a couple of points I’d like to hone in on. The first is to do with the symbolism of the hook and how it links the character to his original mythology. Many people, including myself, have said that the hook represents Hook’s dark past. Some have also said that it’s what makes him him. For the sake of argument, I’m going to present a different interpretation here. Suppose the hook symbolized Hook’s heartbreak over Milah and his desire for revenge on Rumple? If that’s the show’s take on it – and it could be, then it would make sense for him to lose it once he was over those things. This interpretation also implies that Killian Jones is not limited to or defined by the persona of ‘Hook the pirate’. It’s just something he was for a period of his life, like Regina was the Evil Queen. Most people seem alright with Regina cutting ties with the EQ, so why is it different for Hook? Like we know the the EQ will always be part of Regina; we don’t need a physical reminder of that. So why do we need it for Hook? Does it boil down to the message about disability, or is there something about the character that would feel off if he was completely severed from his mythological roots?

My second point is to do with Hook being an amputee and therefore the show’s representation of people with a disability. In that case, do you think it is inappropriate to have people, eg. Regina, make derogatory remarks that reference this fact – calling him a “one handed pirate” for instance?

Quote

Hook tried it with his hand back and it didn’t work out so well for him. I also think though that the man Hook was before he got his Hook is not the man Hook wants to be. Part of the reason Rumple got one over on Hook was planting the idea that the severed hand belonged to the man Hook use to be not the one he has become, and the man Hook used to be was an arsehole.

I don’t think Regina’s remarks are an issue in that, when she does say them it is done flippantly rather than maliciously but also her “one-handed” comment seems to be more a descriptive turn of phrase rather than an insult eg “if you want help threading a needle, your best bet is not to ask the one handed pirate”. It’s no different than calling Henry a “thirteen year old” eg “If you need to buy wine for the dinner party, don’t send the thirteen year old”.

The issue with Hook losing his hook in place of a hand is that, if Hook is indeed used as representation for disabled people (whether or not it’s a positive portrayal is up for debate), it’s that it implies that being disabled is something to be ashamed of. Now Hook could get a prosthetic hand which could represent a blend of Hook’s personalities or what have you, but I think a real hand should be out of the question.

All magic comes with a price!

Keeper of Felix

[Author]

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