The more I analyze the series, the more I realize just how
deep and profound it is. When I first got into the fandom, I would have never
dreamed of finding any significance in Kumajiro, a bear of all things. However,
a psychologist would have a field day with Canada and this childhood friend.

Yes, I admit: Kumajiro is a bear on top of all else. He’s
real. Taken symbolically, however, he’s also possibly a representation of
Canada’s repressed childhood, a childhood in which he actively strives to
forget.

Most psychologists agree on the fact that your childhood has
a major impact on your personality. Genetics play a role too, but the
environment (i.e how you were raised) severely impacts how you relate to
others. For example, if you were raised in a hostile and neglectful
environment, it’s harder for you to place trust in others, let alone form
healthy relationships.

Freud believed that right from birth, we’re ridden with
anxiety = you’re in a new environment with strange sounds and bright lights as
opposed to the warmth and security your mother’s womb previously provided you
with.

To cope with and minimize this anxiety, we employ defense
mechanisms. Thus, if your childhood was so scarring that it cripples your
ability to function normally, you employ the defense mechanism of repression.
That is, you push away these traumatic memories into the back of your mind
(your unconscious) so that you’re unable to remember them.

Another concept frequently used in psychology is that of your
shadow. Your shadow represents your inferiorities and insecurities. Basically,
it’s the unwanted truth you avoid acknowledging in light of preventing yourself
from being or feeling vulnerable.

What I’ll be arguing is that Kumajiro is Canada’s shadow.
Notice how the running gag between the two of them is that Kumajiro forgets who
Canada is. That itself, could be a representation of Canada’s own psyche and the
accompanying fears of being forgotten.

Likewise, Kumajiro has been with Canada ever since he was
born. Now, consider the fact that Canada also forgets Kumajiro’s name. This can
easily be interpreted as Canada wanting to forget (repress) the childhood in
which he was forgotten. (Pretty meta, huh?)

Freud also believed that the experience of childhood has a huge impact on your personality; it helps form who you are later in adulthood. Regardless if you repress these childhood memories, they’ll still unconsciously influence your behaviour, how you perceive yourself, as well as how you relate to others.

Let’s tie this back to the strips.

As a result of being neglected in childhood, in other words
living in America’s footsteps, Canada developed a low sense of self-worth.

Fun fact: The suffix Jiro in Japanese is typically used for
the second-born son, which, if put into the context of Hetalia, could equate to
Canada being second-best to America.

A coinciding cause for Canada’s feelings of worthlessness stems
from how he was initially objectified by England and France. They took interest
in him because of his resources, and as such, first viewed him as a colony…

Here, England assumes full control over Canada. Canada expresses
joy when he perceives that England is looking at him as a person, as opposed to
the land he personifies. What’s heartbreaking is that England is actually just
analyzing the hair Canada had inherited from France. Point is, Canada doesn’t
value himself because he wasn’t valued during his childhood.

This inability to value himself hasn’t left Canada in
adulthood either.

For, example, he doesn’t think he’s good looking.

So, how does Kumajiro fit into this? Why do I think that he
emblemizes Canada’s childhood insecurities?

Because your shadow is the core of your psyche, holding your
deepest desires and insecurities, it’s also the most truthful part of yourself.

Can you think of any moments where Kumajiro speaks the unconscious
truth of what Canada is feeling but never expresses?

Because I sure can.

1) In the same strip where Canada claims that he’s
not good looking, Kumajiro notes that Canada’s “too self-deprecating.”

2) Here, Canada is left in the background as
England and America work through the difficulties in their relationship.

Things may get a bit disturbing now. Basically, Kumajiro uses
dolls to illustrate how “well-behaved baby bear” Canada is not given enough
attention, as “big bear” England is paying too much attention to “rowdy baby
bear” America.

The scene then ends with Kumajiro concluding
that “well-behaved baby bear” should be loved more. 

Obviously, this role-play is metaphorical of England,
Canada, and America’s relationship to one another.

Kumajiro also openly
encourages Canada to be more assertive, something that he wants to do but is
nonetheless unable to. Again, this all falls back on repressed conflicts
guiding our behaviours without a deliberate conscious realization.

3) Kumajiro tells Canada that it’s all right to
speak up for himself in asking England to have lunch with him.

In sum…

Kumajiro is a representation of Canada’s childhood
inferiorities. He forgets Canada because Canada still perceives himself as not
important enough to be remembered. On the same note, Canada forgets Kumajiro in
an attempt to repress memories related to the childhood neglect he experienced.

Perhaps Canada doesn’t know who he is himself.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Canada…[?]”

But…what exactly does that mean if you lack a solid self-concept?