Oliver/Arrow: Learning to Trust

Arrow has a main theme of being a hero in the light, which Jennifer Knutson talks wonderfully about in her  TV Fanatic posts and her tumblr posts.  If you  haven't checked those out, you  should. I think there is a sub-theme running through Arrow as well, and that is learning to trust. Image result for arrow going it alone gifs

This theme seems to run through all the seasons, and it isn't just about Oliver/Arrow learning to trust, other characters struggle with trust too.  To be a hero that one can trust, means first you are a hero that knows how to trust.  Oliver learned last season the consequences of not trusting the person you love, your partner in life.  He failed to trust Felicity with William, by keeping the secret to himself. Keeping secrets is way of keeping trust with yourself, and not allowing others in.  This was a big secret, it wasn't like keeping a Christmas present a  secret, this was a life altering secret.The kind that the person you want to spend the  rest of your life with ought to know about.

Fear keeps him from telling her.  You mean the Green Arrow has fear?  No, but Oliver sure does.  He has fear of trusting, fear of losing the one he  does trust,  in so far as he is able to trust.  His parents were not  the most trust worthy people were they? His mother was part  of the reason he was on the island.Image result for arrow trust images  She wanted to see how much Oliver knew about the Undertaking, so she had him tortured, love you too mom.  He wanted to trust her and over and  over he fought with Diggle about his mother, and yet over and over she kept things from him, including William.   His island experiences didn't help him much either, did they?

Were you frustrated when Oliver kept that secret from Felicity?  I could understand why he didn't, and that could  be forgiven, but when she knew, and he kept from her his decision not see William any more, I could see why Felicity was so hurt.  He didn't discuss this decicison with her, he couldn't trust her enough even now to let her in on that and discuss it. He didn't allow her in to help him with this decision.  He went alone.  Image result for arrow trust images

Going it alone, Oliver's modus operandi, even in season 5 we see him wanting to go it alone and who is that convinces him to use the new recruits?  Felicity.  Perhaps this means he has begun to not only earn Felicity's trust again, but to learn to trust himself.

Do you always find it easy to trust?  I don't.  This is why the Arrow writers are so good at what they  do, they write complex characters.  They are not one dimensional people.  We can relate with Oliver and even though we get frustrated we can understand.   I think that's why the writers  take the time  to develop the characters. We had to know and understand Robert and Moira Queen, so that we could see where Oliver comes from.

What do you think?  Do you think Trust is a sub-theme of  Arrow?

Coming up next Felicity: Learning to Trust




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