The Struggles of Shinji Ikari
We all have noticed that Shinji Ikari is the focal character in Neongenesis Evangelion. We see his interactions with the others, his feelings of worthlessness, his lustful desires, his humanity, his hopelessness and his courage despite himself. In Genesis 0:13, we see the final battle for humanity more as a final battle for himself, within the prison of his own mind.
His character is one that most of us can indentify with, as he embodies all of our feelings of frustration, failure, pain, denial and self pity. However, he is (at times) hopeful, powerful and even downright brazen. Most of the time, it seems that he wants to be a victim, to not try and to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. In other words, he has a martyr-complex.
I won't say "Christ Complex" as that denotes more of a feeling of believing yourself to be the Son of God--Shinji can be, arguably, symbolic of Jesus being sacrificed and suffering. However, the true Jesus whom my faith is in, is not a 14 year old wimp!
Some critical elements of Shinji's character that most of us can relate to:
1. His disfunctional relationship with his father.
2. His worshipping his dead mother.
3. His inability to deal with his own grief properly.
4. His difficulty in relations with others.
5. His conflict between wanting to be left alone and wanting to be admired by others.
6. His difficulty in coping with his growing desire for the opposite sex
Well, that's the Eva Forum for these next two months. Email any comments you may have, as I may use them (and give you the quote credit) in a future forum.
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