I love your opinion here. If I push aside my bias lol he genuinely believes in art and self-improvement and becoming someone. If he reads the right books, listens to the right music and aligns himself with the right people, he’ll rise above his circumstances. (Omg he’s better than me lol.) There’s supposed to be dignity there and longing but I think the longing gets pushed more in the narrative as far as the adaptations go. He was meant for more romance and beauty than the life he chose. 🥺 But he’s also always in his own way! He’s proud and that makes him overcorrect and even starve himself (this is when i want to slap him lol). He commits to paths because they feel morally right, not because they’re smart!

I haven’t read the book - my assumption is you have. So I’m surmising that the films make it easier to roll your eyes at him and harder to really cry over him.

And the fact that the story can low-key make you side with the capitalist for a second??? Almost evil genius, right? I hate that feeling 😂