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Wow, thank you for the diverging view points, it’s turning into an interesting conversation. In retrospect, I probably should not have been so forceful in my declaring him a coward.
I see a lot of validity in the opinion of those who say he needs to give Belle some space. However, there is a difference between giving someone some space, and running out of town. He could have waited a day or two, and then try again, without magic, but with Ruby’s help. She quickly became Belle’s friend, and while Ruby does not owe Gold any favor, she would probably do it for Belle, as she knew Belle truly loved Gold Rumple. But, rather than face the possibility of failure, he ran away for the hoped for reunion with his son – a reunion which I don’t think will end well.
[adrotate group="5"]This is an interesting thread.
As much as I think Rumple is a coward, I don’t think that this situation is an example for that. He was going to leave Belle anyway – finding Bae is his life priority, he was looking for the boy for so long and now he is SO CLOSE. And he WAS trying to remind her of who she was but when he failed miserably, I think it occured to him that this will require a lot more work than he thought and that right now he cannot let those feelings cloud his judgement when looking for Bae. Together with Cora presenting him with a quick solution (the globe) to finding his son, it seems to me like he weighted the odds and decided to focus on the original plan and the quicker he goes, the sooner he comes back and only then he can properly focus on Belle’s case rather than rushing her into things. Plus she clearly needed some space.Mr. Gold leaving Storybrooke to find Baelfire was not an act of cowardice. The man was in shock. His true love had been shot, her memories erased and his heart broken. There was nothing he could have done at that point. Belle didn’t remember who he was and she quite obviously frightened of him. Waiting a day or two to allow Belle to calm down would not have helped. She was genuinely frightened of him. She needed time to assess everything that had happened to her. The girl just lost her entire identity and gaining that back is going to take a lot of time. So in the meantime, Rumpel can at least tend to something that can be solved rather quickly: Baelfire. It doesn’t mean that he’s given up.
And here I was thinking he was being brave for once in facing the unknown…stepping out into the world without magic for the first time rather than being in the safety of Storybrook…going to find his son who may not welcome him with open arms…risking the chance that the potion on the scarf could wear off (you know magic is unpredictable here)…holding onto hope that Belle would be safe until his return. It’s really just in the way you look at it. 😉 😀
This is a fun thread!
I think that Belle is changing the cowardice in Rumple. From the moment he opened up to her and told her the truth, he started to change. I think he is being brave…also in not killing Hook he is respecting Belle’s wishes one, and also not taking the way of a coward, as a coward would kill someone while they were down, and it takes more strength to forgive/not get revenge than to get revenge.
I think he is leaving cause there really isn’t anything else he can do for her, and what he has already done for her was really surprising in the fact that his whole life he has worked and suffered to get to this point…and nothing could stop him, not even Belle herself in Skin Deep. Also, the storybrooke Belle had seen Rumple heal her with magic. Thats probably another reason she is so freaked out…and the way he talked to her too was about magic.He hasn’t given up on her, and he doesn’t mean to in the future… but he has done all he could do, and if he stayed he would just push her farther away. 😉
*SWANFIRE* keeper of Neal's dream catcher
I have never been a fan of the insult coward.
In the context of the world he lived in Rumple was in a considerable disadvantage. He had an occupation that was usually regarded for children and women. He was physically weaker and had the limp.
The world he lived in basically held firm the masculine/feminine archetypes. Anyone deviating from that in any way (physically, occupationally, intellectually etc) would have been looked down on, insulted etc. With Rumple not only did he not fit the masculine role but he had strengths in areas that would have been seen as odd, discomfiting, and seen as valueless
His running away from the war was simply his self-interest in saving himself and possibly seeing the war for it was. (We have seen it recently with Bush.) Additionally with his limp he was probably given jobs that were usually relocated to children and women which means he was probably insulted. Perhaps at the time of the battle he was told to get out because he’d be a hindrance. Because everyone else died they might have assumed he ran away rather than listening to orders.
When he confronts Hook. That was brave. He did not choose to fight because he is essentially a statistician (without the formal training) he could see that there was never any way he would win. It could be that he took a look of the situation and realized that Milah was not worth fighting for–not to the point of death. He might have loved her–but only in so much as what necessary in his duty as a husband. The same applied to her only she decided to go against convention and abandon her “duty.” He also shows human nature at its ugliest when he crushes Milah’s heart.
As for magic being his crutch. I believe he is essentially saying it is his addiction. He relies on magic so much so that he perceives it as a need that he cannot do without. He may also have a love of the power that he might not have ever really experienced before.
Then with leaving Bae, yes that was cowardice but that was also fear. Extreme fear of the unknown and his being afraid of not only losing his magic (strength and power) but returning to the feeble man who he felt would be a burden to Bae. Not only in Bae having to take care of him, or his not being able to keep up, but the fact that the world could be cruel to Bae (i.e. children making fun) because of him.
Yes he has cowardice but I think it is a serious over-simplification of a man who showing human nature at its very core.
I think his changing has more to do with coming to terms with himself and his limitations (possibly seeing that it is not a limitation), and coming to trust in himself (and what he can offer) and trusting others (in this case Belle for loving him fully–warts and all).
@playarita wrote:
When he confronts Hook. That was brave. He did not choose to fight because he is essentially a statistician (without the formal training) he could see that there was never any way he would win. It could be that he took a look of the situation and realized that Milah was not worth fighting for–not to the point of death. He might have loved her–but only in so much as what necessary in his duty as a husband. The same applied to her only she decided to go against convention and abandon her “duty.” He also shows human nature at its ugliest when he crushes Milah’s heart.
First off…you did an excellent overall analysis…just wanted to add to your part about Milah that I believe that in confronting Hook he not only realized that he could not win but that fighting and losing to Hook would leave Bae without both parents. It may have not been the only factor in backing down but since Bae is the motivating factor for almost everything Rumple does…I think it could have been the strongest.
@Mich7 wrote:
@playarita wrote:
When he confronts Hook. That was brave. He did not choose to fight because he is essentially a statistician (without the formal training) he could see that there was never any way he would win. It could be that he took a look of the situation and realized that Milah was not worth fighting for–not to the point of death. He might have loved her–but only in so much as what necessary in his duty as a husband. The same applied to her only she decided to go against convention and abandon her “duty.” He also shows human nature at its ugliest when he crushes Milah’s heart.
First off…you did an excellent overall analysis…just wanted to add to your part about Milah that I believe that in confronting Hook he not only realized that he could not win but that fighting and losing to Hook would leave Bae without both parents. It may have not been the only factor in backing down but since Bae is the motivating factor for almost everything Rumple does…I think it could have been the strongest.
😀 I love your reasoning and really fits with what Rumple is about deep down. He has moments of self-interest but also willing to sacrifice himself (image, reputation etc) for the well-being of loved ones (with Bae, and Belle) yet at the same he has his faults: his anger, his resentment, etc.
Bravery, I think Rumple has always had in him, but ironically never had the courage to use….or the belief that he could be brave ever. I think that he stuck to the ways that were easy or known to him, and that might have been what you said, playarita about being called coward or other names to be made fun of.
So he was accustomed to being the ‘coward’.About the addiction thing you talked about…
I think that when Rumple got magic, he realized he didn’t have to be a coward anymore, and he could stand up to people he couldn’t before. He liked that he had magic to ‘hide behind’, and it was then easy to appear ‘brave’.
I think that when he was with Bae and he would kill the people that hurt him, he was overly proving to everyone that he was not a coward, and that he had power.I think that later, his true courage was developed when with Bae and Belle, people he loved…and was developed more and more in Storybrooke and so on, mostly by Belle, but also by Bae in his absence.
Anyway, great research, and awesome opinions! 😀 🙂
*SWANFIRE* keeper of Neal's dream catcher
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