Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-174.135.62.244-20160603201323/@comment-410526-20160723101830

I'm sorry this got kinda long.

VedranTheII wrote: Inference or not, we are are still rational people, and can rationalize that the only other explanation to any of this is that his parents are idiots.

Jaune had no idea what aura was prior to initiation (Quote: “(waves the question off, avoiding eye contact) Psch! Of course I do! Do you know what Aura is?”). That is not a fact I inferred, it’s a fact we were shown from the first volume.

Jaune did not go to a primary academy, and has lamented he did not get into Beacon off his own merits (Quote: "I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy!" (looks at her again) "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied!"). This is not a fact I inferred it’s a fact we have been told.

Jaune did not have the proper training when he attended Beacon and it took him 3 volumes of being privately tutored by a prodigy for him to stand his ground and not drag his team down (Quote: "Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, so... I want to help you!"). That is not a fact i inferred, it’s a fact we have been told by him.

Jaune’s dad is or was a warrior (Quote: "'Cause this is always what I've wanted to be!" (turns away again) "My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors!”) and is both alive and kicking since he refers to him in the present tense. In layman terms that heavily implies he knows about aura, the dangers of grimm and the importance of proper training. Most of these facts we have been told, and the only thing I inferred is that Jaune’s dad is not some superpowered idiot that never had his aura unlocked or remained oblivious to it even to this day.

So with all this in mind, why is this not neglect? Because Jaune adores his parents and family? Sadly, people that are neglected can and will still adore their parents and even excuse them of their faults; that’s a proven fact. Facts: Jaune doesn't know about aura, didn't go to a combat school, has no training and his dad is a huntsman. No dispute there, those are all things we are explicitly told.

Inference: Jaune was therefore "neglected" by his parents because of his lack of knowledge and training, and the fact that his father was a huntsman/warrior. I don't think this is the only explanation.

How about an alternative explanation for all those points? His parents are overprotective of him. They love him, care for him and they don't want him to become a huntsman and get hurt and be in danger as an occupation. Why might they not want him to be a Huntsman. Well, here's another quote that might explain why (emphasis added):


 * "My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough."

However, they knew that he had that ambition, so they appeased him by allowing him to go to Beacon with the family heirloom. They expected him to quickly realise he was out of his depth, fail and return home where they can continue taking care of him. This makes far more sense to me than the suggestion that he was being neglected.

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest Jaune is in some kind of Stockholm syndrome with his parents, where he is being neglected but adores them anyway. In fact, I'd wager there's ample evidence to the contrary, suggesting that he has a great relationship with Papa and Mama Arc. Take these quotes for example, do they sound more like the words of a neglected child or the words of a boy who is doted on by his mother?


 * "Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"


 * Jaune: "Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!" Ruby: (skeptic) "Do they?" Jaune: "They will! Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind."


 * "Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home."

That last one is a word of reassurance (note the emphasis). Yes, Jaune interpreted it as their lack of confidence in him (which to be fair, it absolutely was) but the way I see it, they were simply trying to assuage his fears and let him know that failure doesn't mean they'll think any less of him. Yes, they expected him to fail, but they'll still love him even if he fails.

I'll concede that "supportive" was probably the wrong word to use for his parents' relationship with him, but let me just clarify what I meant by that. They're absolutely not supportive of his ambition to be a huntsman (which is abundantly clear, or they would have trained him) but they are supportive of him as their son. He can return home after going to Beacon and flunking out, and they'll still have a place for him at home and take care of him.

TL;DR - Jaune isn't neglected by his parents, they're just overprotective of him.

To bring this back to the initial point, since I'm not sure how we got so far off track anyway... My initial point was that I don't think Jaune and Weiss' family pressu are similar enough that it could be common ground that they can bond over. But, as you said earlier, while their situations are related to family pressures, but they couldn't be more different:

Jaune wants to be a warrior like his father was, whereas Weiss wants to do the complete opposite. She doesn't want to be anything like her father, she wants to turn the entire legacy and Schnee name around. It's something she's fighting to change, which is the opposite of what Jaune wants to do. Jaune has the unconditional love of his family in spite of his failures, whereas Weiss receives no love from her father (Winter notwithstanding) and his support of her is very conditional.

If you think their situations are similar enough to form the basis of a friendship or relationship, that's a matter of opinion. But it's my view that their familial situations are so very different that they wouldn't form any basis at all.

TL;DR - Yes, both Jaune and Weiss have issues with their family legacy, but their situations are almost entirely different.