Animorphs Relationships
(of the romantic nature)
Here I'm writing on a topic commented on by
almost all Animorphs webpages: Animorphs relationships, especially those of a romantic
nature. Although some would brush them off as your average, middle-grade crushes, they are
actually very complex and significant to the plot. I'm going to divide this article into
three sections:
I: Jake and Cassie
II: Rachel and Tobias
II: Marco and Rachel (R&T fans, please read before
you attempt to flay me).
I.
Jake and Cassie.: The
Two Lifelines
They seemed to have liked each other from Day
One. Or maybe a little before. Even in Book #1, Jake's introduction of Cassie, he just
says matter-of-factly (if shyly) "I like her. As in like her." The feeling was
mutual, but Cassie and Jake didn't say very much about it. Cassie never goes "Jake,"
and giggles, Jake never puts his arm around Cassie just because they're sitting next to
each other, and they don't hold hands when they're walking together. But all of the others
acknowledge their bond as a matter-of-fact thing. They often say things such as "Jake
and Cassie have this thing going on," (that's more like something Marco would say),
and Marco occasionally makes jokes about it, like #12 where he is shocked that Cassie has
a crush on JJM. "I thought you only liked animals . . . like Jake." Though the
very fact that she felt a very strong attraction toward a movie star and didn't mind
showing it in front of Jake shows that they don't really have something stronger that
they're hiding. And the fact that Jake, who has not been known to make a really good joke
in the entire series, tries to give his best insults and jeers to JJM, shows that he
resents Cassie liking someone else, even if he won't admit it.
I'd really like to know how they met/started
liking each other, but since the J&C relationship was established before Animorphs
began, we can only guess. I'm thinking they go way back, to the very young years when the
only tension between opposite sexes was cooties; it was okay to be friends with them
without everyone assuming that you two were "boyfriend and girlfriend."
 |
Later though, as they got to know each other better and
better, and they got older and the chemistry grew. They probably didn't want to
openly acknowledge any "thing" between them because it would ruin their nice, if
casual, friendship. However, when they become
Animorphs and have to fight side by side, something a little stronger grows between them.
They helped each other out, Cassie being an ever-present emotional support, always knowing
whenever he was upset and why, helped Jake with his problems when he wouldn't admit them
even to himself. Jake, as the leader Cassie admired, also provided a strong solider for
Cassie to lean on -- or to cry on -- whenever she began to feel weak. Their love took on
truly romantic manifestation in #26, when Cassie, overjoyed to find Jake alive after
seeing him fall from an impossibly high precipice, runs to him, he runs to her, and . . .
well, as Rachel says, it's about time they kissed! |
What's more is that even though there isn't much
romantic action going on between them, they seem to be the perfect couple. They remind of
of Odysseus and Penelope from The Odyssey (sorry, I can't think of a better
example right now since most popular couples are what are considered "hot
couples"). Anyway, while Cassie and Jake differ greatly from Penelope and Odysseus,
the Greek spouses are often sited as the perfect couple because they are extremely devoted
to each other, have a strong love even after years and years of separation, and [most of
all] have perfectly complementing personalities, both clever and resourceful in their own
ways. And this is the way Cassie and Jake are. They are both very strong in their ways,
rooted in some inner support that is their strength. With Cassie it is her love for
nature; the earth itself seems to be supportive to her. She is very caring, which shows in
her work at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, and in her perceptions of others. For Jake
. . . well, Jake doesn't seem to have a support. He has wonderful leadership abilities,
but what helps him the most are those around him - especially Cassie. And between the two
of them, they help support the rest of the group, who are all somewhat self-centered in
comparison. Without Jake or Cassie, the Animorphs would surely fall. As would probably
happen to one of them if the other should die . . .
II.
Rachel and Tobias:
Lady & Hawke
Rachel and Tobias's relationship seems to be a
frivolous one, one formed just for the fact that it can never truly be attained, it is
actually very real, very strong, and may be considered love in the purest sense - love for
personality only. How can Rachel be infatuated with his looks, if he is now only an
average-looking redtail hawk?
| Like Jake and Cassie, Tobias and Rachel make me wonder what
went on with them in school before the fated shortcut through the construction site.
Unlike J&C, though, it isn't so easy to guess. For one thing, Rachel seemed to have
some slight affection and concern for Tobias when he became a nothlit. Could it be she had
been introduced to him as her cousin's new friend and she felt attracted to him, or maybe
they had met when Tobias was "the new kid," and they had become aquatinted.
Whatever it is, it was not well established, or at least known to the Animorphs when the
"it all" started for them. After that the two become especially close. |
 |
When Tobias is first trapped as a nothlit,
he has a hard time dealing with his circumstances. Jake helped him by bringing him food
until he begins to hunt for himself, but it is mostly Rachel he goes to. Rachel leaves her
bedroom window open so Tobias can fly in and they talk with each other. Soon she began
going on "dates," with him; flying with him as an eagle through the skies of his
forest territory.
Their bond grew even stronger as they fought
together, Tobias often making a daring charge -- many times for Rachel's sake -- and
likewise Rachel often has to attack those who are going to capture or hurt Tobias. Seeing
him in danger seems to unleash an unusual amount of rage in her. The more analytical,
rational, Tobias often makes dangerous decisions for Rachel's sake, like when he
volunteered to go with Rachel as a sperm whale to get a squid morph, even though he was in
more danger doing so than any of the others, since he couldn't swim and couldn't fly if
forced to demorph in the water.
But it created a whole new problem when the
Ellimist gave Tobias the power to morph, yet he remained in his hawk body. He then had the
option of being human, but then we would have to give up the power to morph. Rachel, upon
learning that Tobias could be human again, although she would not admit it, she would much
rather have Tobias in his human morph than fighting as a hawk. Tobias seriously considered
becoming a human nothlit, but after learning about his father, he had a greater resolve to
fight and decided against it. At first Rachel seemed to be a little upset, but she soon
got over it and realized it was for the better.
Though we can't say Tobias has entirely
forgotten about being human. He or someone perceptive, like Cassie, often comments that he
wishes he could be human, do normal human things. As Rachel said, he can't see a movie
with her and then go out to McDonalds with her. And as Tobias said, he can't do normal
flirting. This has put some strain on them, making Rachel wonder if she should tie herself
down to him -- maybe she should go out with other guys and try to live a normal life. But
in the end she decided that Tobias was the only one for her -- no matter what shape or
form he was in.
III.
Marco and Rachel: Not
What It Seems
Marco and Rachel's relationship is perhaps one
of the most interesting, misleading, and confusing of all the Ani-relationships. It can't
be told simply by what they say about one another, or, sometimes, how they act around each
other. You have to look at the big picture.
First off, Rachel and Marco probably saw a lot
of each other before they became Animorphs. They appeared to know each other moderately
well when the series began, and since Rachel, as Jake's cousin, and Marco, as Jake's
friend, would both have instances where they would hang out with Jake and perhaps meet.
But their real interactions didn't begin until they had to go on missions and battles
together. From then on, Rachel decided that Marco lived to annoy her, especially with all
his complaining, and Marco thought she was some crazy Amazon.
I think that Marco had always admired Rachel,
even from the beginning. Even in #4: The Predator, he compares her two one of the
Elven-Queens from The Lord of the Rings; beautiful, but deadly to her enemies. Which,
while it is slightly uncharacteristic of Marco because I can't imagine him sitting down to
read LotR, and later he complained about having to do LotR for a book report (as in he
hadn't read it before) you'll know if you've read it that it's definitely a major
complement, something Marco would never let Rachel hear. He was somewhat in awe of her
vigor for fighting, as for a while he was extremely reluctant to fight.
After a while, this probably developed into a
genuine "like." I don't say crush because it's not that much. But K.A. said,
"Marco might like Rachel, but in a superficial, Marco sort of way." Often when
he teases her he has a slightly flirtatious tone. And why do we get the feeling that
Rachel doesn't like him back? Even though she'll annoy him right back by giving some sharp
remark he can't respond to, but she dosn't seem to be flirting at all. But Marco dosn't
take the hint. It's like someone (I can't for the life of me remember who) said,
"Marco and Rachel are like Calvin and Susie, from the comic Calvin and Hobbes."
Calvin annoys Susie because he likes her, and Susie, who dosn't like him, annoys him back,
which Calvin thinks means she likes him.
Though I think it's safe to say that Marco is
not pining for Rachel. We're certain to never catch him talking in a dreamy tone about how
beautiful yet strong she is, or how her hair glitters like gold in the sun. He just kind
of likes her, but in more of a as-a-friend-and-just-slightly-as-more kind of way. This may
be the explaination for Tobias's side of the Tobias/Marco tension thing. Marco feels
uncomftrable around Tobias because he represents his greatest fears -- being trapped in
morph, cut off from his family, etc. Tobias feels uncomftrable around Marco because he
represents one of his greatest fears -- losing Rachel.
Rachel and Marco do have a kind of bond, though.
This was shown most clearly in #30, where Rachel was a compassionate hand on Marco's
shoulder. There they found common grounds; becomming too ruthless, and finding a balance
between fighting to accomplish their purpose and loosing their purpose altogether. Some
say Rachel was getting too friendly with Marco, but I really think she was just trying to
help him out in his time of trouble.
That's all for now! I may add to this as the
books go on if there are any drastic developments in these relationships, or new ones are
formed.
Writings and Analysis
The Vortex