Trigger Warning: abuse, rape, suicide, genocide, homicide, war, abandonment, torture, betrayal, death, kidnapping... and a whole bunch of spoiler.
As you may have been able to tell, i'm a huge SPOP fan (Yes, I'm the one asking for the movie). And i have to say i'm quite amused by this reboot of the 80's serie, because it deals with topics like trauma, abuse, war crimes, and other complex topics which 7 years old (youngest ones who can watch the show) wouldn't get, or analize.
In the nlast article, i talked about the show and hope... Hope for Disabled and LGBT+ People... Now, hardly, we have to look atn the other side of the coin... IT SHOWS STORIES ABOUT ABUSE, TRAUMA, AND EVEN SUBTLE SUICIDAL/GENOCIDAL/HOMICIDAL TENDENCIES.
Today we'll talk abou the series most complex and changing character, which makes us cry, laugh, and get angry, the one who hides her vulnerability with menacing gestures, who hides fear, and sorrow... And she's only a college-aged girl. Yep, we'll talk aboutb Catra.
Basically, if you don't know the story, i'll tell you now:
[Catra and Adora are two CHILD SOLDIERS at the Horde (commanded by Hordak, who i may talk about later) who are friends from a very young age. They frequently share bed, even. But, since baby Adora came to the Horde, Shadow Weaver (Hordak's left hand, and mother figure to the Cadets) finds talent in the blonde girl, and favours her over Catra, who is treated as "Adora's pet".
One day, Adora gets lost in the forest, and finds a magical sword , which transforms her into She-Ra, a encarnation (we'll talk about it later) of an ancient warrior. So she abandons the Horde, her friend/pet (who she sweared to protect) and goes with two other youngs to defend Etheria, the planet she lives in, from.. The Horde. Because she saw they killed innocent people (PSA: All soldiers do) and so she needs to do something better than that. She joins the princesses, who she didn't trust (because they were painted as "bad guys" by Hordak, and well, why don't they help the Fright Zone cadets?) and they fight Catra, who becomes a tiny bit (Ok, A LOT) violent!!
At first sight, we could think Catra is really evil, but, if we go back to the start, you could say: "Hey! It's not good that Girls become soldiers, worse if one of them is robbed from her humanity!"... Basically, Catra was there just to serve as company for Adora, and nothing else. Never received a single compliment, HER COMPETENCE WASN'T PRESUMED, and more.
NOW, THE "TERRIBLE" PART OF THE ARTICLE: REVIEW OF EVERY ABUSE SHE SUFFERED:
*Abandonment: Noelle Stevenson, creator of the show, says Catra arrived at the Fright Zone in a box, abandoned, at 5 years old. We don't know the axact reasons, but many fans gave their theories, most accepted one is that she's a survivor of genocide.
*Psychological abuse: She was always compared with Adora, and everytime this last one failed at something, Catra was the one to blame. She was told her destiny was to be alone, if Adora was gone. She is constantly gaslighted and silenced, starved or beaten.
*ELECTROSHOCKS: In flashbacks, Catra is electroshocked, in front of Adora's scared eyes.
*She is left at the Crimson Waste, were she could have died.
*Restrainment
*She is symbolically raped (the drowning, haircut and chip) and MURDERED, JUST TO BE SAVED BY SHE-RA.
IF YOU NEED MORE EXPLANATION, YOU LACK EMPATHY.
THE MORAL OF THE SHOW IS: EVERYONE IS REDEEMABLE, INCLUDING CATRA, WHO SEEMED LIKE A LOST CAUSE.
But, on a paralel line, the show teaches us WE DON'T OWE OUR ABUSERS ANYTHING. When Shadow Weaver dies, after a bit of crying, both girls forget them, or, at least, don't talk about her. Even, Catra's tears are relief, and not sorrow ones. And it's because Shadow Weaver didn't seem to seek redemption.
All this abuse make the Magicat girl become... an abuser. Many times she wants to kill Adora, many times, the blonde's back is covered in scratches. Many times, the blue eyed girl is electroshocked by Catra, verbally abused, kidnapped, and many other stuff. . Catra even opens a portal which slowly arases every inhabitant in Etheria, and destroys herself and Adora in the process. This is also the last time we see Queen Angela. CATRA BECOMES.. LIKE SHADOW WEAVER. JUST LIKE THAT HOSTILE FIGURE WHO WATCHED OVER HER ALL HER CHILDHOOD. NOT ONLY WITH ADORA, BUT WITH ENTRAPTA, SCORPIA AND OTHER CHARACTERS.
THIS HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE TOO. I KNOW AN AUTISTIC ADVOCATE, WHOSE NAME I WON'T SAY, AS SHE STILL DESERVES PRIVACY, WHO GOT INTO TROUBLE BECAUSE OF CRITICIZING ANOTHER ADVOCATE'S DAUGHTER, WHO DECIDED TO MAKE HER OWN PAGE. EVERYONE IN THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY KNOWS "S", AS I WILL CALL HER, HAS SOME REALLY BIG TRAUMAS. MANY. BUT THAT , JUST LIKE CATRA, DOESN'T ABSOLVE HER FROM BLAME. EVERY VIOLENT ACT NEEDS TO BE PAID, NOT WITH JAIL, AS SOCIAL INTERACTION IS STILL IMPORTANT, BUT MAYBE COMMUNITY SERVICE, MANY. SO WE HAVE TO KNOW BOTH "S" AND CATRA HAVE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.
IT'S ANYWAYS, TERRIBLE, WHAT BOTH CATRA AND "S" HAD TO ENDURE. AND IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE, MANY AUTISTIC CHILDREN ARE "AGRESSIVE" OR "DEFIANT" AND THE MOTHERS DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. OH, MOTHER, WITH YOUR CHILD, DO YOU...
*Say everthing is their fault?
*Respect their dreams, hopes, likes and wishes, even those you don't understand, like the ones regarding sexuality or video material?
*sSpank them or make any non.consented contact?
*Crticize them when they are in the room?
*Punish them without electronic devices?
*Invade their privacy?
*Send them to bed without dining?
*Subject them to quack treatments or abusive teraphies?
*Deny them the oportunity to talk about their condition or interest?
*Ignore them about organizations and language they don't support?
*Deny them the oportunity to go to cultural events?
*make them burnout fronm the big piles of work they have to do?
*Joke on them that you'll abandom them?
*Silence them?
*Ground them?
*Go on ´Parental Control so they can't enter to scientific websites?
IF IT'S LKE THIS... BE CAREFUL. THEY MAY GET REVENGE...AND NOT ONLY ON YOU.
THERE'S NO GOING BACK. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SCARS. NOT EVEN THE PUREST FORM OF LOVE WILL GET THEM AWAY!!!
DO NOT CONDEMN YOUR CHILD, OR SOMEONE TO THE PAIN CATRA FELT.
Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsrMQreY8oc&t=283s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIjqFjn7Oss&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cblmtZsP0Kc
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