Jordon & Angela

[Bacchante]

Apparently I hadn't read this thread before, but now I did and I have to say that I, too, really agree and am impressed with the following comment. Reading it just makes me happy for some reason

We are all flawed in our own ways. Jordan is the type of guy that I feel deserves another chance, not just in love but in life. One of my favorite moments in the series is when Jordan flippantly uses the word "ironic" to describe Patty's ex-boyfriend, as if it's a word in his permanent vocabularly, when he had just learned its meaning from Brian earlier that day. Brian didn't dumb down the definition for him, but he was perceptive enough to pick it up. I have to believe that Jordan was moving in the right direction as a decent human being. Brian has known Angela for almost his entire life, and so it's natural for his connection with Angela to be deeper than hers with Jordan. Given the chance, Jordan would have become more of a man with Angela by his side. Or at least I like to think so. I'm a hopeless romantic, too, and I can't believe that Jordan spent all that time with Angela without having a true connection to her.

As far as Brian is concerned-- I also didn't get the impression that he wanted to sabotage anyone. I think he really didn't want Angela to know he wrote it. It could be that he was living vicariously through Jordan. But do you guys think it's possible that he just wanted to help Jordan, like in one of those special moments when you decide to overcome yourself and do something good for someone? I'm not sure that I think that's what happened, but it's a possibility.

[stburr91]

I also really don't think Brian was trying to sabotage anyone. Jordan isn't the only one who has trouble telling Angela how he feels about her. Brian couldn't seem to muster the courage to tell her how he feels about her. The letter was his way of telling her how her feels, albeit through Jordan.

[beatriz_spain]

I think he really didn't want Angela to know he wrote it. It could be that he was living vicariously through Jordan.

Yeah, I agree. In fact, I think that the love that Brian feels for Angela is platonic, rather than real. The funny sentence "Finally, an erection from actual physical contact" in chapter 11 makes clear that it has been another girl, and not Angela, the one who has brought about a physical reaction on his part. I also remember other moments in which he has shown a physical attraction for Rayanne, but none in which Angela is the protagonist.
In my opinion, it is being difficult for Brian to enter the world of grown-ups. He is overprotected by his parents and misunderstood and even bullied (at least in the first chapters) by his classmates. For him, Angela (and their former friendship) represents the safe, sheltered world of childhood, where he fit and didn't have to pretend being another person. This is the reason that he is obsessed with her, but I think that he doesn't know her anymore and doesn't have actual romantic feelings for her.

[Brunkster]

I think he really didn't want Angela to know he wrote it. It could be that he was living vicariously through Jordan.

Yeah, I agree. In fact, I think that the love that Brian feels for Angela is platonic, rather than real. The funny sentence "Finally, an erection from actual physical contact" in chapter 11 makes clear that it has been another girl, and not Angela, the one who has brought about a physical reaction on his part. For him, Angela (and their former friendship) represents the safe, sheltered world of childhood, where he fit and didn't have to pretend being another person. This is the reason that he is obsessed with her, but I think that he doesn't know her anymore and doesn't have actual romantic feelings for her.

Great post! But as a member of the male species I have to respectfully disagree. As a teenager, I and all of my male friends (well, the straight ones!) were obsessed with any number of girls and I can assure you that it was anything but platonic. To be honest, I don't know if teenage males are capable of platonic obsession. Sure, I had plenty of platonic female friends, but no platonic obsessions. And I think it would be safe to say that Brian is obsessed with Angela. I like Brian's voiceover as well (ha!) but I wouldn't read too much into it. For one, Brian is too much of a spaz around Angela to have the same kind of. . .um, reaction as he did with Delia, a girl who was actually interested in him. I don't think he was really all that interested in Delia; he just saw her as something to pursue since Angela seemed even more out of reach with Jordan in the picture.

Side note: Are you really from Spain, Beatriz? I've only been there once but I loved it!

[beatriz_spain]

I don't think he was really all that interested in Delia; he just saw her as something to pursue since Angela seemed even more out of reach with Jordan in the picture.

Maybe you are right, you share the same gender as Brian, so you can rely on empiric proof but why do you think that when Angela interrupts him and Delia when they are talking at school Brian seems to prefer Delia's company? And can you honestly imagine Brian and Angela having a physical relationship? I can imagine him with Delia or Rayanne, but not with Angela (I am making clear that I am a Catalano fan )

PS. Yeah, I am Spanish. I live in Zaragoza, a city between Madrid & Barcelona. You should visit it!!

[Brunkster]

Maybe you are right, you share the same gender as Brian, so you can rely on empiric proof but why do you think that when Angela interrupts him and Delia when they are talking at school Brian seems to prefer Delia's company? And can you honestly imagine Brian and Angela having a physical relationship? I can imagine him with Delia or Rayanne, but not with Angela (I am making clear that I am a Catalano fan )

PS. Yeah, I am Spanish. I live in Zaragoza, a city between Madrid & Barcelona. You should visit it!!

I need to go view that scene again but here is what I recall. I think Brian was trying to show off a little bit. ("See, girls are interested in me!") For all of his intellectual intelligence, Brian isn't all that emotionally mature. I think he feels that Angela takes him for granted (whether she actually does or not) and he is hurt that she doesn't see him as a "boy" but just as Brian. Having Angela see him with Delia, in his mind, may help Angela see that Brian is a boy, too. I can't really see Brian in a physical relationship with anyone unless he became less high-strung. If he were to mellow out a bit about girls, then I could see him potentially in a relationship with Angela or Delia, but not with Rayanne. She may just be too much for him!

I've been to Madrid an Barcelona, so I probably whizzed by Zaragoza on the high speed train. I'll have to stop and visit next time!