Introduction

Ford as the Classic Tragic Hero

Stan as the Modern Tragic Hero

Lessons in Tragedy and Growing Up within the Moral Universe of Gravity Falls



Introduction: Are the Stan Twins actually “Tragedy Twins”?



The second half of Gravity Falls Season Two is so fascinating because it talks about the meaning of heroism, morality, and personal responsibility. Each are qualities Mabel and Dipper parse in order to learn what it means to grow up.

The backstory of the Stan Twins tragedy serves as an ethical and moral conflict between the younger twins, and for the audience as well. To understand the tragic nature of both their character arcs thus far, then, is also a way to understand Mabel and Dipper’s journey. They look to Stan and Ford as role models, but neither are wholly positive ones.The present conflict between the Stan brothers represents the moral grayness of adulthood, and it is also so profoundly striking to the audience because Stan’s and Ford’s character arcs are powerful examples of a classic literary device: the tragic hero.

Stan and Ford’s metaphorical journeys are not the same, however,and their character arcs create conflicting responses that divides the audience. Which is the “worse” character, fans ask themselves: Stan or Ford? Ford for his arrogance and his devil’s bargain that set up the wheels for the world’s destruction? Stan for his selfishness in prioritizing his family issues over everything else, including risking the universe to bring a loved one back?

I argue how both Stan and Ford each represent two different types of tragic heroes. Moreover, their conflict represents an understanding of how tragedy can function in an amoral universe that heightens the show’s dramatic tension. Understanding both the framework of tragedy and how the players embody it impacts the message Gravity Falls sends about coming-of-age.

Characters and their backstories can be sad and empathetic, and the tale of two Stans is undoubtedly so. But, at least under the literary definition, tragedy is most effective when it comments upon the moral boundaries of a world. Stan and Ford’s actions have no deep emotional meaning if the audience doesn’t understand the social fabric inside which these characters struggle against. In this essay, I’ll examine exactly what moral questions Stan and Ford present. Their tragic arcs surrounding these questions serve three purposes in Gravity Fall’s storytelling: as symbols, since Mabel and Dipper reflect upon Stan and Ford as living examples parallel to themselves; as plot devices, since their actions have directly impacted the universe on a cosmic scale with Weirdmageddon, and as metaphor, as the audience judges Stan and Ford against their own moral compass.

This essay will be divided into three parts. The first will explain how Ford represents a traditional, classic understanding of a tragic hero. The second will move onto Stan and how his arc represents a modern interpretation of tragedy when the tragic hero is often conflated with the anti-hero. Finally, I’ll look at the greater meaning of heroism that each character strives for in relatively moral universe of Gravity Falls – and how the resolution of their relationship serves as the fulcrum upon which the show’s thematic conflict turns.

Watch this space for updates to the essay. Part 1: From “Our quest shall be our sweet reward” to “my greatest regret”: Ford as a Classic Tragic Hero.