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What I really love about AoT is how it treats the theme of hope in a very nuanced way showing both the positives and negatives it can bring. This is perfectly encapsulated through Armin’s character and the effects it has on others.
What I really love about AoT is how it treats the theme of hope in a very nuanced way showing both the positives and negatives it can bring. This is perfectly encapsulated through Armin’s character and the effects it has on others.
In 137 we see the positive impact Armin’s hope has on ppl. Zeke being at his most nihilistic was able to be reminded of the joys of his life again through his convo with Armin. As a result he was able to die satisfied.
In addition Levi reveals that it was Armin’s idealistic nature that reflects the dream of the scouts and is what helped him decide to save him back in RTS. The optimism for the future is what pushed the scouts forward through hell.
However there is also a dark side to this, and that is shown through Eren’s character. Armin’s natural curiosity is what gave Eren the knowledge that “he wasn’t free” which is what awakened the monster inside him. Indeed it was his hope that led him to be disappointed in what was
outside the walls which is a contributor to all the death that the rumbling brings. We see this dark side in Armin himself in 136 where his hopes always lead to him being disappointed and thus leads to his self loathing. When hope leads to despair it can bring destructive
consequences. Hope is a dangerous thing indeed. Yet at the same time it is vital for the human race to keep moving forward. It gives meaning to life. It’s cruel but also beautiful thing really. AoT also expands on what to do when the dream you have dies and once again this is
encapsulated through Eren and Armin. When Eren’s dream of reaching the sea dies he keeps moving forward to the future in hopes of reaching something beyond this hell. However what he sacrifices is the relationships and happiness that he enjoyed. He loses his humanity and ability
To enjoy the present because he is stuck to the future. It’s perfectly shown through the powers of the Attack Titan. Eren is not free because he is enslaved by his future.
Armin however clings to the past. He holds on to the sea shell, he remembers and cherishes the trivial details. This leads him to be stuck in the past. He lacks the initiative to fight for a better future that Eren has. This isn’t to say neither side his right or wrong tho.
Eren’s philosophy promises a future for eldians even tho it’s a terrible cost. And Armin’s nostalgia is exactly what Zeke needed to hear in order to free himself from his nihilistic beliefs.
And once again this links back to the subject of hope. Eren does the rumbling in hopes for a better future. Armin doesn’t fully accept the world for what it is like eren does which shows that he is still clinging on to his past ideals. In order to achieve this ideal Armin also
has to sacrifice his own humanity and his battle with eren shows this. While both fight for different goals, and are enslaved by different things. They aren’t too different in this regard as both have to sacrifice to achieve what they want.
I kinda went off tangent in the last part but eh. Hope y’all enjoyed.
