cn: discussion of ableism, euthanasia, sui

#LifeIsStrange LiS1 - my honest thoughts on the alt timeline & how DN portrays disabled characters (thread)

Fire up the DVD player, stir up some blue paint and pull out ye olde photo album

It's time! (1/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

But let's start near the beginning, yeah?

Max discovers her photojump power because she sees Chloe in a lot of pain, Chloe just lashed out, Max feels guilty, and she wishes there was some way to undo all that's hurt Chloe. Fix it all somehow. (2/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

There's many causes for Chloe's intense emotional pain: William's death, Max's "5 yrs", David's abuse, Joyce enabling David (sorry?), Rachel's disappearance, Nathan drugging her.

But Max feels responsible for more than her share of it (if any). 3/??

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

So this is the basis of comparison. Without knowing she can, Max imagines "What If" she could (avoid messy conflict resolution and instead) go back in time to give Chloe a happier life? One without the burden of trauma and loss she carries? (4/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Good intentions. Obvs.

But this set-up was pretty fraught. A pain-free timeline proves impossible, so Max is left comparing the lives of 2 Chloes, 1 a wheelchair user. Judging which of those lives is "better."

...but we'll get back to that. (5/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Max accidentally discovers her new power and jumps into the photo. Suddenly she's back on that fateful morning, 13 y/o, making pancakes.

No complaints here. It's a lovely part of Ep3, and you can see how close (& goofy) William and Chloe were (6/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

BTW. Their ambient banter about breaking eggs, and who's the chef, may have some symbolic implications about destiny, fate, choice, etc.

And, sci-fi film buff notwithstanding, Max makes a major choice to change the past & save William's life (7/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Max's consciousness skips ahead 5 yrs, to 10/9 in alt timeline. She quickly judges this timeline as not just different but "fucked up," and her anxious guilt returns, gradually ramping up (w/ the music).

(& that's *before* seeing the whales) (8/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

...and it builds to the dramatic reveal that Chloe uses a wheelchair.

This scene... ugh. It is played for shock value. Max rudely gasps & covers her mouth with her hand. Alt!Chloe never speaks in Ep3; we have no idea what she feels or thinks (9/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

IMHO the scene relies on context of ableism to get the player reaction it seeks. Players have to already believe that being disabled = having a terrible, pitiable life. They're supposed to relate to Max's guilt and horror.

I just felt tired. (10/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

I am disabled, though I don't use a wheelchair, I don't claim to be an expert on disability rep in gaming, and I don't claim to speak for anyone but myself.

ijs this moment - the big reveal - draws a big groan every time I play. (11/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

And I've imagined writing an early Ep4 fic that starts with Alt!Chloe calling Max out on the gawking. Like yes I'm glad to see you, but ya don't need to act weird, and also don't assume my life is some tragedy. (12/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

I know - in Ep4 Alt!Chloe *does* try to get Max to just say what's on her mind. But she doesn't challenge Max's assumption that a wheelchair user's life is inherently awful, because DN has Alt!Chloe agreeing with that view of her own life (12.5/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

A disabled character who thinks of her disability as a burden to her family isn't "progress." The character's made for abled folks' entertainment, repeating old narratives like: Pity, tragedy, perfect-cinnamon-roll-ism, & "better off dead" (14/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

And some of the "repeating old narratives" stuff is so, so blatant. The unused crutches in Chloe's room? That's gotta be on a "disability tropes bingo card" somewhere!

Chloe did try to tell Max she doesn't want pity, but does anyone listen? (15/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Instead, Max embraces pity, wandering through the Price home in a melancholic haze. Every music cue, lighting detail, object interaction and conversation creates an atmosphere that insists this timeline is sad and awful and What Has She Done. (16/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Do you know that disabled people can have joy in our lives?

That we can create, & form awesome fulfilling relationships, & gather as communities & organize and fight for our rights?

...Have you ever seen a game/movie/show that affirms this? (17/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Right. Back to LiS1:

Quick note. Alt!Chloe still drops f-bombs, likes science, listens to punk music, reads skateboarding magazines, gets resentful sometimes, yet also keeps Max&Chloe friendship mementos nearby.

She's not a different person!(18/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

And both Chloes have been hurt.

Like main timeline, there's many causes for Alt!Chloe's emotional pain (see next Tweets) - imo DN does a poor job showing that most of those causes are about society's failure to accommodate, be inclusive, etc (19/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Alt!Chloe couldn't continue her education, because Blackwell illegally refused to accommodate

Her family has overwhelming medical debt because the U.S. lacks universal health care

That misery's rooted in ableist society, not her disability! (20/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Alt!Chloe's social isolation-

Look, I'm guilty of this too, ok? Ghosting out of don't-know-what-to-say/"can't-deal", not learning to socialize in inclusive ways

But it still sucks & is still about society - not Alt!Chloe using a wheelchair. (21/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

Alt!Chloe's chronic pain, traumatic memory of accident, sense of losing agency/control over her life, and her possible (not guaranteed) prognosis - those are all valid causes of emotional pain, too.

I'm not saying ableism causes all her pain (22/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

But much of Alt!Chloe's emotional pain is preventable, there's something that could be done. Maybe something that Max could do (like raise funds, advocate, or commit to staying close). Or something players could reflect on or learn from. (23/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

This matters because for the big decision, LiS1 wants us to treat all of Alt!Chloe's suffering as (absent photojump) inevitable, inherent to her medical condition. Can't possibly be alleviated at all.

Hopefully, this thread's shown otherwise (24/??)

cn: ableism, euthanasia, sui

...and I'll get into that when I continue the thread.

It's break time.

Thx for reading / will pick back up in a few hours! (25/??)