by lackadaisicallexicon

Jake English is a gigantic dork. Let’s just put that on the table where everybody can see it. He’s the kind of goofy kid who thinks throwing up two finger guns and winking is cool, the kind of guy who owns a cosplay of a hideous ripped demon that consists entirely of functional computers. And, most notably and in some cases defying all reason…

Jake’s grandmother was murdered when he was a very young child, leaving him to grow up at speed: in fact, his very first act afterward was to burn her body so the monsters stalking his island wouldn’t desecrate her body. Then he was left to fend for himself on an island covered in ferocious beasts that quickly went wild; unlike the version of the island the B1 Jade Harley inhabited, there was no Grandpa Harley to blunderbuss anything that moved into submission and no Becquerel to protect him. Jake had nothing but the internet’s endless supply of movies and comics, a few friends on a chat client, and untamed horror on the outside.

It’s small wonder that such a situation would produce a child who convinced himself that he loved danger and adventure: when just walking outside gets you aggressed by a shrieking crab monster, there’s no choice but to twist your mouth into a smile or lay down and die. Jake uses belief as a defense mechanism, insisting that everything is okay with the world so long as that makes it easier to move along in it. For a Hope player, that choice of defense is particularly notable.

Seen this way, many of his actions take on new meaning: for instance, Jake spoke about how unbelievably hard the Brobot was to fight, but all the same gave it a jaunty smile and his trademark “double pistols and a wink” gesture before hopelessly attacking it. He’s also seemingly oblivious to the bruised feelings of his friends, likely because he always assumes that things will be alright if he can just smile about them and be his happy self. Further, it’s apparent that he splits the world into Friends v. the Condesce because the protection of his comrades and their reputations is something that his idea of his entire being, from his mythological role to his childish idea of chivalry, is centered around.

Jake’s eventual breakdown is due to the escalating destruction of all his mainstays. Evidence that he isn’t the good friend and perfect gentleman he wants and believes himself to be is thrown into his face by friends who blame him for not understanding. His friend and possible one-time crush Jane attacks him, while his grandmother Jade attacks his friends; both serve the Condesce, his ultimate enemy,which directly challenges his Friends v. The Condesce dichotomy. He’s blasted with a brutal speech from Jane, his best friend, that makes him out to be what even the non-controlled Alpha kids seem to think he is: a pretty face, nice legs, an object rather than the hero he would like to be.

So of course he bursts into tears at Jane’s tirade, upset about not wanting to be a brave adventurer and fight the villain. He finally realizes that he was always just pretending to be that adventurer, and it convinced his friends as well as it did him. Later when Aranea kisses him and he rebuffs her, it’s not out of malice or simply disliking her; Jake finds her very attractive! But he doesn’t want to be anyone’s romantic Ken doll anymore, and even though he is made to burst with Hope shortly thereafter, his actions post-powerup are telling.

Put simply, Jake English starts to try.

He isn’t brave enough to stop an alien beating the John Brown out of another alien, but his supposedly instinctive inclination to chivalry at last steps up: Jake nervously tells Gamzee that maybe Terezi’s had enough, which is honestly the best he can do. And, best of all, Jake shows his genuine feelings in a moment of panic. Despite his insecurity, despite every hard knock and embarrassment, every humiliation and objectification, Jake died a hero saving his friend.

And that’s why I believe the Page of Hope will make it to the top. He won’t rise quickly; like all Pages, it’s going to take him time to grow into the man he’s meant to be. But when he reaches his full potential, Jake will be something new, something beyond even the power of a fully realized Lord of Time to destroy. The top is only as far as Jake believes it is.