I've Been Pondering The Split Fandom Reaction To Helena Eagan Trying To Make Sense Of It All. On One

I've been pondering the split fandom reaction to Helena Eagan trying to make sense of it all. On one side there is an understanding that all of the harm she has done is unacceptable and irreconcilable. On the other hand some people are intrigued and empathize with the misogyny and pressure she may face and how love and acceptance may be a salve to those issues.

A little bit of it is girlbossification and fandoms yearning and enjoyment of redemptive narratives but I also think the privilege of whiteness is also at play.

Helena Eagan is a rich white woman who benefits and aids in the oppression of the average laborer. And though she is a victim of misogyny and daddy issues she is still the heir to a major corporation. Parts of this fandom have twisted themselves into pretzels trying to justify why she is actually the victim and heroine of this story. And maybe they're right I have no idea what Dan Erickson has planned but the need to make her the central victim when she is facing the same facets and tools of oppressiveness that Devon and Natalie are doesn't make her particularly special.

It just means that she is in a world in which these systems and attitudes exist. It doesn't make her any more oppressed than any other woman who lives in this society. The thing that actually sets Helena Eagan apart is the power she holds as an Eagan and the harm she perpetuates and creates. Helena Eagan RAPED Mark S./Mark Scout. She took away Helly R's autonomy.

Why hasn't the same empathy been given to characters like Seth Milchick and Natalie Kalen. It's because they are not white. As the racial contours of this story continue to take shape I urge you to deconstruct where your biases lie and how they impact how you interact with the characters.