Hey there, love your blog! What do you have on Belarus and
Ukraine’s relationship?
Thank you!
To be honest, I get a lot of mixed messages from it.
Since Belarus is obsessed with Russia, you get panels like this
(i.e., she’s indifferent to Ukraine).
But then you have panels like this…
Sources: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Nov 10th, 2011 + Jan 6th 2010).
It is a silly thought I’ve had but I have to
ask an opinion. Do you think our hetalia ladies experience menstruation? Did
they experience it very shortly or extended due to the fact that they are
countries? Do they experience at all??? Strange thought. What do you think?
No idea. There’s no canon
material that would be indicative of it.
Although, we do know
that biologically, the personifications aren’t that much different from humans.
Source: Hetarchive, Christmas 2010 Event.
Still, there isn’t
reproduction in Hetalia, so I’m not sure. The nations—with the exception of
Germany—are born as babies.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 12.
Iceland’s birth depicts this rule.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 114.
Hello there miss ellawritesficssometimes hope
you are in good health. I have a query Is it possible for a nation to have
attributes similar to that if their people such as smoking, drinking, usage if
caffeine etc. Because I was reading some statistics and this thought struck me.
I’m in good health,
thank you ^^
I’ve already done a
longer post going into the details of the relationship between personifications
and their populations’ demographics if you’d like to check it out [x].
Hi there! I was
just wondering, but wasn’t there a whole strip of comics dedicated to Romano
wanting to be a cat?
There are, yes! Starting
from World Stars Chapter 353.
Source: Hetascanlations.
It’s been years
since I saw the anime, but am I right that England says France & Italy
share a love for smoking? Was that the dub? I know Hima drew Italy with a
cigar, but I don’t recall France smoking anywhere, tho it’s a big stereotype
None are depicted smoking, but France and England
both love their alcohol (France = wine, England’s just a messy drunk). Thus
far, while it does make sense for the stereotype model, they haven’t been
depicted that way. I think it would be a good addition for a more accurate
fanon characterization, though.
The sketch with the cigar is just him and Romano
dressing up as fake mafia members.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Nov 6th, 2013).
A good majority of the fan-fiction I read about
Belarus is about how she’s obsessed with Russia. Is there more to her than just
her obsession? I know she’s really really likes Russia but I want to believe
that’s not all to her character.
Honestly, no. Her
obsession is what shows up in most of her appearances. This doesn’t mean that
she can’t act normal, though. I have a post dedicated to showing that [x]. However,
even in the moments where she’s not hostile or aggressive, the gimmick still
ends up relating back to Russia.
It’s unfortunate, but
that’s just how it is. I’m still waiting for Himaruya to do something with her
character, as she’s only had one appearance in World Stars. It’s not even a
full appearance…
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 235.
I’m not an expert or anything, but I think
Canada has some symptoms of having abandoned child syndrome (ACS) or something
similar to it. Almost any official story arc involving him is about how he’s
neglected by everyone, his own family too. Poor baby I just want him to be
happy D’:
Without a doubt, Canada
was neglected as a child, but it’s not to the extent of abandoned child
syndrome. I’m also iffy on your claim that he’s neglected in every arc he’s
portrayed in. In fact, a key theme of America and Canada’s relationship—which
is depicted in more depth in World stars—shows that Canada is actually taken
for granted by America. America relied on Canada to follow his every command;
Canada’s character development revolved around him learning how to stand up for
himself.
I’m always hesitant to
medicalize characters because often enough labels like abandoned child syndrome
are thrown around without any substantiation, leading to exaggerated and
inaccurate conclusions (very similar to false claims that Chibitalia suffered
from Stockholm Syndrome).
The only symptom I would
say that Canada does have is guilt and believing that he did something wrong/
something is wrong with him that caused the neglect + accompanying
feelings of depression. Otherwise, he doesn’t have clinginess, he doesn’t
experience withdrawal from social activities, he isn’t resistant towards
others, he doesn’t have any sleeping or eating disorders, and he doesn’t have a
problem with substance abuse.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 180.
Oh, and I’m not an expert either ^^
Hey,
why do you think Germany doesn’t share the same last name as Prussia?
I agree with Hetarchive’s perspective on this. They believe
that the last name wasn’t given in order to leave more ambiguity in the relationship
between Holy Rome and Germany. They also go on to point out that the founder of
the Holy Roman Empire was named Ludwig (actually Louis, but Ludwig is the
German name version of Louis).
Hey Ella, do you have a theory as to why
Veneziano and Romano call Rome grandpa and not father? Is it a term of
endearment like “big brother” or are they actually blood related? And
if so do you think there was another nation between them and Rome that would be
their parent but didn’t last long? I’ve been wondering about that since day one 😅
No theory needed. It’s confirmed that they’re biologically
related. Their descendancy is confirmed through a curl of all things. It’s used
to discount Romania’s claim that he’s biologically related to Rome in spite of
being largely influenced by the latter’s culture.
Based on what I’ve seen in the manga, I think
the grandpa label is interchangeable and they just used what felt right to
them. Rome was older when the two of them were born, so ‘Grandpa’ likely felt
more appropriate in spite of the fact that he was their sole parent figure.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 163.
Another example: Ancient Egypt had a more
youthful appearance, which could explain why Egypt refers to her as Mom.
Is it true that England once hired China and India
to cook for him?
Yes. It’s meant to represent their cuisine’s
growing influence in his country.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 291.
Out of context, it looks like a sitcom…
*insert laugh track*
What this post will set out to do is prove that while
Belarus may have neurotic tendencies, she does not have APD. I should also
mention that I don’t mean to conflate the labels of psychopath and sociopath. What
matters is that both are listed under APD. I’ve noticed in the fandom that
Belarus is often labelled as either or without having an actual idea of what
the diagnosing criteria is for the personality disorder.
Similarly, while I don’t go into it much here, it should be
noted that a good chunk of canon information about her comes from the untranslated
video game, Desktop Buddies (2008). The most neurotic piece of
trivia we are given there is that Belarus wore Russia’s underwear on her head, has looked at suggestive photos of him, and has fantasized about them having sex…
Source: Hetarchive, Belarus’ profile.
I attribute this
mostly to the hyperbolic shock sexual—unequivocally inappropriate—humour that Himaruya previously employed to evoke reactions
from the audience. Such humour is no longer employed, but the trope of Belarus’s
obsession and love for Russia has still remained. Overall, it was a crude way of
portraying Belarus’ tight historical ties with Russia.
That said, one by one, I’ll be going through the criteria of
APD to prove that while Belarus may have neurotic tendencies, she does NOT have
APD. Even though she fulfills some of the criteria, she doesn’t get a passing
grade for the true diagnosis.
Disclaimer: I’m very critical of the DSM because of the
vagueness of its criteria and its history of overdiagnosing and
overmedicalizing biological and mental conditions/ making up conditions that aren’t even remotely pathological. This doesn’t mean that it’s not a useful tool either; I just
carry a degree of skepticism when using it because of its overuse, as well as
the fact that it once listed homosexuality as a disorder.
A) Significant Impairments in
personality functioning manifest by
1. Impairments in self-functioning (a or b):
a) Identity: Ego-centrism; self-esteem
derived from personal gain, power, or pleasure.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
Belarus is the exact opposite of ego-centrism. Her whole
life revolves around her devotion for Russia, not herself. For example, she
once forgot her own language and only spoke Russian.
Source: Volume 2.
b.Self-direction: Goal-setting based on personal gratification;
absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to
lawful or culturally normative ethical behavior.
Criteria: Fulfilled (✓).
Belarus’s personal gratification is achieved when she’s with
her brother, meaning that she’ll do anything to be with him.
Ex: She’s broken through doors to get to him.
Source: Volume 2.
Examples of where she hasn’t conformed to normal ethical
behaviour would include holding other nations at knifepoint and breaking
Lithuania’s fingers when they went on a date.
Source: Hetarchive, Comic Diary 11.
2. Impairments in interpersonal functioning (a or b):
a. Empathy: Lack of concern for feelings, needs, or suffering of others;
lack of remorse after hurting or mistreating another.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
Belarus is always putting Russia above herself and making
sure that his needs are met. She does have empathy, even though it’s only
directed at her brother.
On the other hand, she doesn’t experience remorse when
she hurts other nations in order to meet Russia’s needs.
Ex: She holds Latvia at knifepoint to pressure him into
complying with Russia.
Source: Volume 1.
b. Intimacy: Incapacity for mutually intimate relationships, as
exploitation is a primary means of relating to others, including by deceit and
coercion; use of dominance or intimidation to control others.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
As seen with the Lithuania
example, Belarus is unable to form mutually intimate relationships. This
applies to Russia as well, who for obvious reasons, does not reciprocate her
love.
Source: Volume 2.
However, Belarus is not
exploitive. She’ll use force to control others but not for her own personal gain. In her world, she lives to serve her
brother. A person with APD is both egocentric and is unable to relate to
others; what excludes Belarus is that while incapable of doing this with other
nations, she’s able to do so with Russia.
B) Pathological
personality traits in the following domains:
1.
Antagonism, characterized by:
a.Manipulativeness: Frequent use of subterfuge to influence or
control others; use of seduction, charm, glibness, or ingratiation to achieve
one’s ends.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
As mentioned above, Belarus doesn’t
manipulate other nations to get what she wants. I say manipulation in the sense
that people with APD are skilled at reading others and pull a lot of strings behind
the scenes to get those close to them to do what they want. They do this
through charm and a grandiose presentation of self. Meanwhile, Belarus will
merely use brute force.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., March 31rst, 2010).
b. Deceitfulness: Dishonesty
and fraudulence; misrepresentation of self; embellishment or fabrication when
relating events.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
Belarus is painfully honest about
her intentions. She straight up tells Russia of her desire to marry him. She
also divulges that she doesn’t want to be with anyone else but Russia. In other
words, Belarus doesn’t curate or put up a false presentation of herself. She
wants to be with Russia and everyone knows it.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Nov 11th, 2010).
c. Callousness: Lack of concern for feelings or problems of others;
lack of guilt or remorse about the negative or harmful effects of one’s actions
on others; aggression; sadism.
Criteria: Partially fulfilled,
but not really.
Examples cited: Breaking
Lithuania’s fingers, holding Lichtenstein and Latvia at knifepoint.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Jan 8th, 2010).
Another example would be when she
told Belgium, who was feeling self-conscious about her ‘plain’ appearance to
become Russia’s servant. This demonstrates a complete lack of concern for
Belgium.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Nov 25th, 2013).
Again, people with APD wouldn’t
be as devoted or as concerned for another person as Belarus is for Russia. Belarus’
ego is very much invested in Russia. She’s not the pinnacle of her existence–Russia is.
d. Hostility: Persistent or frequent angry feelings; anger or
irritability in response to minor slights and insults; mean, nasty, or vengeful
behavior.
Criteria: Fulfilled (✓).
Belarus is notorious for being
hostile. This is especially the case in circumstances where Russia is either challenged
or insulted.
Ex: She throws a hanger at
Denmark simply because he was Russia’s rival in a costume contest.
Source: Hetarchive, Halloween 2011 Event.
2. Disinhibition, characterized by:
a. Irresponsibility:
Disregard for – and failure to honor – financial and other obligations or
commitments; lack of respect for – and lack of follow through on – agreements
and promises.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
Belarus doesn’t form many obligations,
but when she does, she commits wholeheartedly. Big surprise, she promises to
stay by Russia’s side. Although, she does leave him briefly to live with
America after the USSR disbanded.
Source: Volume 2.
b. Impulsivity: Acting on the spur of the moment in response to
immediate stimuli; acting on a momentary basis without a plan or consideration
of outcomes; difficulty establishing and following plans.
Criteria: Fulfilled (X).
There’s no doubt that Belarus is
impulsive. The hanger example and the fact that she pulls a knife on Italy just
for approaching her speaks to this.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Nov 8th, 2013).
c. Risk taking: Engagement in dangerous, risky, and potentially
self-damaging activities, unnecessarily and without regard for consequences;
boredom proneness and thoughtless initiation of activities to counter boredom;
lack of concern for one’s limitations and denial of the reality of personal
danger.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
Belarus’ stalking of Russia doesn’t
come at the cost of harming herself.
C) The impairments in personality functioning
and the individual’s personality trait expression are relatively stable across
time and consistent across situations.
Criteria: Unfulfilled (X).
While the traits that do satisfy the
personality impairment criteria are consistent, there aren’t enough of them to
warrant a diagnosis.
D) The
impairments in personality functioning and the individual’s personality trait
expression are not better understood as normative for the individual’s
developmental stage or sociocultural environment.
Criteria: Fulfilled (✓).
I think we can all agree that Belarus’s
behaviour is not normal for any stage of development.
E)The
impairments in personality functioning and the individual’s personality trait
expression are not solely due to the direct physiological effects of a
substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, medication) or a general medical condition
(e.g., severe head trauma).
Criteria: Not enough information is known –> Unfulfilled
(X).
F) The individual is at least age 18 years.
Criteria: Artificial and of no intrinsic value but fulfilled (✓).
All in all, while Belarus does fulfill some of the vague
criteria outlined in the DSM for APD, it’s not enough to stipulate a diagnosis.
Without a doubt, Belarus has several neurotic tendencies. Regardless, unlike
someone with APD, Belarus isn’t egocentric or unempathetic. What it all boils
down to is that her undivided devotion to Russia is the largest disqualifier
for the personality disorder.
Thank you! (Also, I love you. You were one of the first people who consistently reviewed my fics and they always brought a smile to my face <3)
I’m still not sure if I have enough information to do a full characterization post on her. There’s very scarce details on her in comparison to other characters. I would also be lying if I said that most of character boiled down to its core doesn’t relate back to her obsession with Russia. That’s how she’s been characterized, unfortunately.
However, I can do a post outlining why she’s anything but a psychopath, let alone someone with Antisocial personality disorder.
Ellawritesficssometimes 