Emma Swan Character Analysis

[evilqueen]

Schmacky, I don’t think she’s still angry with the Charmings but she was up to the point she saw the toy room. It took her quite long to realize they really didn’t have a choice. UNLIKE her, who did have this choice but still decided to give Henry up. Whatever the reasoning, I find her behavior contradicting. But we discussed about it already so many times.
About the tree – yeah, I remember but I just didn’t understand why she had to do it in such an aggressive way.
Anyway, coming back to the Golden Bird – I always thought of Emma more in the context of the Six Swans tale by Grimm brothers:
@from Wikipedia wrote:

Six brothers from a King’s first marriage have been turned into swans by their hateful stepmother (a beautiful but evil daughter of a witch). The brothers can only take their human forms for fifteen minutes every evening. In order to free them, their sister must make six shirts out of starwort for her brothers, and neither speak nor laugh for six years. The King of another country finds her doing this, is taken by her beauty and marries her. When the Queen has given birth to their first child, the King’s own wicked mother takes away the child and accuses the Queen, and again with the second and the third. The third time, the Queen is sentenced to be burned at the stake. On the day of her execution, she has all but finished making the shirts for her brothers; only the last shirt misses a left arm. When she is brought to the stake she takes the shirts with her, and when she is about to be burned, the six years expire and six swans come flying through the air. She throws the shirts over her brothers and they regain their human form. (In some versions she does not finish the sixth shirt in time, and the youngest brother is left as a swan. Another version would have 5 of the brothers returned to normal, except for the youngest brother, whose left arm remains as a swan’s wing). The Queen, now free to speak, can defend herself against the accusations. Her mother-in-law is burned at the stake instead of her, and the King, Queen, and her six brothers live happily ever after.

[schmacky]

UNLIKE her, who did have this choice but still decided to give Henry up. Whatever the reasoning, I find her behavior contradicting. But we discussed about it already so many times.

LOL I think you’re really missing the HUGE difference between Emma being mad at her parents in a general sense of “I was literally abandoned on the side of the road where litter and trash is” and a woman putting her son up for adoption. And I know it’s your opinion, but you might want to look at Broken again and try and find out where it is she’s angry. She didn’t show anger towards them. At all. More confusion and such.

She never abandoned Henry. After she gave birth to him, she served two more months in jail. She obviously gave up her rights early though since Regina got him when he was 3 weeks old. But anyway, I really have to ask… how is it contradictory? You are implying that giving a child up for adoption that one cannot take care of is a bad thing. And you imply that being a child up for adoption is the same as being a child found on the side of a road. How does that work? I understand that both children, no matter the situation, will have a sense of “Why am I not with them?” But the HUGE difference is that while Henry probably asked himself, “Why did she give me away?” Emma always asked herself “Why was I thrown away?”

I just didn’t understand why she had to do it in such an aggressive way.

I think it was because Emma perceived that Regina had threatened her twice in less than 24 hours and got her arrested with a frame job. Yeah, I don’t doubt there was aggression. I personally thought it was careless of Emma to attack the tree because Regina could have just had her arrested again. But, it was ballsy and did show to Regina that she wasn’t going to cower to her.

[Grimmsister]

To EvilQueen

How do you compare Emma to the Swan brothers fairytale ?
Yes she has the name Swan, but I dont see any more connections than that. But I have heard someone say David/Charming might be one of the seven Swan brothers. And then his twin one brother and Cinderellas husbans an other.
Still think The Golden Bird fits in more ways though.

[evilqueen]

@Schmacky wrote:

And you imply that being a child up for adoption is the same as being a child found on the side of a road. How does that work? I understand that both children, no matter the situation, will have a sense of “Why am I not with them?” But the HUGE difference is that while Henry probably asked himself, “Why did she give me away?” Emma always asked herself “Why was I thrown away?”

She WAS angry with the Charmings. If you keep refusing it, you won’t see it.
Anyway: I am NOT implying. I am actually stating that this is the case in this particular situation: Emma gives her baby up for a CLOSE adoption. Hence she refuses Henry answers to his possible questions. Even Mary Margaret at the beginning of the show that Henry is like any adopted child – “he wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face: why would anyone give me away?”. And that sucks, no matter the circumstances. How could one possibly weigh the burden of those feelings? If you are abandoned, you ARE abandoned, whether it’s in a nice way or not, I truly don’t see the difference, and why do the same to someone else after going yourself through that hell? Emma said she couldn’t find an answer why would someone dump a child on the side of the road and it bothered her but then she didn’t allow Henry to have his explanation either. THIS is what I call contradictory. We know her situation in prison only because we are the viewers, plus I have never implied it’s a bad thing to chose adoption if you cannot take care of the child, don’t generalize and twist my words. (and she only had left two months in the prison so it’s not like she couldn’t keep him either) If she found it excusable for her to leave Henry, why couldn’t she excuse Snow and James for doing what was best? She eventually did, I know, but for a moment there, I really REALLY wanted to shout at her.
(We could go this way forever, keep rephrasing the words and trying to convince each other – the truth is, we are both biased and will never reach the common ground – how it should be, nothing could be ever just black or white and I think that’s the whole point of OUaT.)

@medchen: to be honest, I haven’t heard of a Golden Bird before and so the six swans has always been the most relevant from all the stories – at least to me. In the version I’ve always known, the swan sister was pushed by the evil witch to a confinement from everyone [Emma was far away from Storybrooke] and not allowed to speak [remember] but eventually she managed to break the curse [the savior!]. I know it’s vague but so all the stories could probably be bent this way. I’m curious about the Golden Bird, will need to read into it!

[schmacky]

She WAS angry with the Charmings. If you keep refusing it, you won’t see it.

I’m not refusing that she was angry at her parents. My point is, she was angry at her parents for 28 years when she thought she was tossed to the side of a road. I do not see the anger in Broken when she realized who her parents were and why they sent her away. I saw her pain and her confusion of why it was necessary she was sent away. And let’s not forget, that in Emma’s perspective, a little boy was sent with her in the wardrobe instead of her parents.

In the nursery she told Snow she was angry at her for so long. But, I didn’t read it that she was angry at Snow specifically. She was angry for so long at this mother she didn’t know whom chose for her to live without her or without anyone. And once she realized that her parents did want her and didn’t throw her away like she had believed for the previous 28 years she started to come to an acceptance. But, 28 years of believing you were ditched on the side of the road doesn’t disappear over night or even in a week or month.

Hence she refuses Henry answers to his possible questions.

Yes, she did give him up for a closed adoption and therefore would in the future refuse that child to know of their birth mother. I agree with this. But it is not ABANDONMENT. However to me, and this is probably where we aren’t seeing eye to eye.. abandonment and adoption are not synonymous. Abandonment is deserting. Adoption is giving away to alternative care. Henry was given to alternative care while Emma was given to absolutely no care.

Even Mary Margaret at the beginning of the show that Henry is like any adopted child – “he wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face: why would anyone give me away?”

I completely agree with that. Both Emma and Henry wrestled with that question. The HUGE difference, and to me there IS one, is that Emma in addition to that most basic question was also wrestling with, “Why would someone THROW me away?”

and why do the same to someone else after going yourself through that hell?

But, she didn’t do the same. And that’s my point. She didn’t do to Henry what she thought her parents did to her. No matter what, Emma couldn’t do anything with Henry for two more months. And for all we know, she made sure he was adopted by the time she got out. Maybe if he wasn’t adopted by the time she got out, she would have taken him so he wouldn’t be in the system for his entire childhood like she was. We don’t know because he WAS adopted within 3 weeks. So, to her, her son didn’t and wouldn’t go through what she did because he had a family that ADOPTED him.. not just fostered him but actually ADOPTED him. Something she never had.

If she found it excusable for her to leave Henry, why couldn’t she excuse Snow and James for doing what was best?

She did. Like you said. She did. If you wanted to shout at her for that one scene in Broken then you must think Emma is strong as steel emotionally and can handle her son being dead, alive, fighting a dragon, seeing a friend turn into wood, learn that fairytales are real, her parents didn’t desert her, and are her age all within ONE HOUR. I mean… really? Again, the big difference is adoption vs side of a road. She didn’t just give birth to him and leave him to his own devices. But, she was.

Either way, Emma and Henry have a similar situation as children but their differences are HUGE. Just as Emma and Snow had similar situations in giving away their children but their differences are HUGE.

[evilqueen]

I guess this is where the discussion would have to end. I will never comprehend how big this difference is to you and you will never understand how little of it I see there.
Glad we got to this conclusion though. 😉
And I will stick to Emma losing it in front of the Charmings, true, she didn’t have the best of the days but she could at least be a little grateful to how wonderful/heroic her parents really are (but I do admit probably she was still confused with the whole Mary Margaret and David Nolan images). She seemed like she wanted to be cool with it but all she managed to say is that she wasn’t happy she was alone for 28 years blah blah blah and she would rather be together with the Charmings, never mind the curse. And it did transpire aaaaaalllll the way until she finally saw the toy room (admittedly, she had even more on her head while in FTL but surely, she would have enough time while hiking in the woods to figure this one out? )Which reminds me of the contradiction… Ok, I need to stop right now or it will start all over again.

[elle]

@Schmacky

I agree. 🙂 I never once thought she was angry with them in the episode. She was hurt, upset, confused, overwhelmed, and worried. Don’t forget, she had a lot on her plate–she just found out who her parents were, she just had broken the curse, fought a dragon, realized that Henry was telling the truth, determind to find out what Rumpelstiltskin did to the town, and sort out the instanity going on in the town.

Not once did she say, I hate you because you abandoned me. Emma is the kind of the person who is not afraid to voice out her opinion often. 🙂 When she hates or dislikes someone, she lets the people know that she hates them–Regina and Mr. Gold are prime examples given how she talked to them and how little she trusts them.

And as much as I like Regina, she has shown to be immature in her own way. She takes her hatred out on a child–the circumstances are understandable, but still. She revenged herself on a whole town of people who have never truly hurt her, and has killed when people left her or turned against her. Graham being a great example.

[elle]

@EvilQueen

It was enjoyable, though 🙂 It is great to have a nice debate.

[Myril]

Late for the discussion, but adding some thoughts.

Think if comparing Regina and Emma regarding Henry, should ask a few simple questions:

What was the prime motive for Regina to adopt Henry in the first place? Was it for Henry’s sake or more for her sake? Was it to give love or to receive love? Was she eager about her happy ending or about Henry’s happy ending? Regina did care for Henry, but did she really, deeply care about him before Emma showed up? Did she after?

and

Did Emma give up Henry for adoption for her own sake or for Henry’s sake? Was it to give herself a better chance or to give Henry his best chance?

None of these questions have to do something with Henry’s point of view though, I leave that here out to not complicate things more. Depending on who’s point of view you take, might answer differently. I’m looking for motives not judgement, exploring the characters (I like both characters and find them both interesting, just saying). I don’t expect you to answer it here, but think of it.

Think neither Emma nor Regina could be named best mother ever.

Emma had very low self-esteem when she gave up Henry for adoption. She did it despite her own bad experience with the foster system. She could only hope, that things for Henry would be better, because she never felt like tossing him away, unlike what she thought her parents did with her. Emma must have been convinced, that no matter what, Henry would be better off without her.

Besides Henry there is something else Regina and Emma share: a lack of experience with true love, though because of very different events and reasons. One has an emotional void to fill, the other has to overcome her emotional walls. Interestingly enough it’s Henry who brought (back) a sense of true love into both lives.

For Emma this moment could only happen, when she finally started to believe in the stories in Henry’s book, believe in fairy tales magic and true love. Ironically it was only after she felt like she had totally failed and thought she had lost Henry, that she is able to show true love openly. That is, when the curse breaks (or at least partially does).

Emma has not just abondement issues but some serious issues with commitment and expectations as well. So yes, I can see, why one might think, that she gave up Henry for her own sake as much as for his even, although I think, her prime motive was the best chance for Henry. Emma never felt anywhere at home, and over time it was easier for her to put up with it by not making herself be at home anywhere. And expectations always can be scary, but for Emma experiences with expectations about her as much as with expectations she had mostly weren’t good. A simple way to deal with that: reduce your own expectations, avoid feeding other people’s expectations, and care as little as you can about what other people think of you. Keep things simple and no obligations. She struggled with it all through season 01.

In “Price of Gold” Emma tells Ashley: “People are going to tell you who you are your whole life. You just got to punch back and say, “no, this is who I am.” You want people to look at you differently? Make them. You want to change things? You’re going to have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no fairy godmothers in this world” It sums pretty much up, what Emma’s philosophy of life was when she came to Storybrook. A philosophy which is somewhat eroded now that she has prove there are fairy godmothers, Furthermore: now all of a sudden she has a home, a family, people putting her first for a change, or as long as there is no world to save. I wouldn’t expect anyone to adapt to that over night. People can change, but it takes a while. She still has some emotional walls up.

Or in other words: I would be disappointed with the writers, if, when Emma and Snow return (alone or bringing some people with them), all would be happy ending for Charming-White-Swan(-Mills)-family and there would be just the fight with Hook and Cora. Think there is still some dynamic and personal struggle and issues left in the family, for Emma.

¯\_(?????? ?)_/¯

[elle]

Things will be far from a happy ending for everyone–there is still the threat of Captain Hook and Cora coming up, as well as other characters that may prove as a potential risk.

Neither Emma and Regina are a hundred percent stable–each of them have isues and hardships that they need help with. But, on the whole, I think Emma is a bit better. Regina has hurt Henry before–he said so himself that she made him think he was crazy. She revealed to the whole town that he was born in jail, she had Archie purposely hurt Henry to make him feel horrible, and she has used Henry to get what she wants–Skin Deep with Mr. Gold in jail is an example.

Emma may have her problems, but she never would have put Henry in that position if she could help it, nor would she ever hurt him emotionally. Regina may have given Henry all that a boy his age could ever want, but emotionally, she has hurt him numerous times.

I think for Regina, the moment where she wanted to change not only came from We Are Both, but from A Land Without Magic. That was the moment she had thought he was truly dead and never coming back, that he had almost died all because she let her wraith get in the way. That moment when she saw him, seemingly dead, was sort of an epiphany for her–especially when Emma’s kiss was the one to wake Henry up.

[Author]

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