Haddock bursting out into tears after Tintin has almost gotten himself killed >>>> any other Haddotin trope
You’re bloody right.
I mean, it’s such a shame that Tintin never breaks, he’s just so zen and calm through the entire series. He’s got lots of heavy experiences on his shoulders, he’s got to break sooner or later
EXACTLY
And the moment he flies to the moon and is shocked to realize he’s afraid?! Yeah that’s the best! We need more of this
He has put so much pressure on himself without realizing it and he needs to break and let himself lose his control.
Like, he’s so young and I think that his attraction towards danger and adventures is a way to escape something else.
Psychologically speaking
Absolutely
And I think the fact he’s alone without family plays a big role in his recklessness and also his super calm and tough attitude, there’s no one else to rely on despite himself.
That’s why I believe his willingness to stay and return home in the last book is a big proof of his character development and his growth, he finally feels good to just stay somewhere instead of run away.
Yes, I think his independence and level of attraction towards danger is a result of a trauma that his family caused.
(I have an Headcanon in which his family disowned him or something)
And in the end he sort of trusts Haddock as a new family (or something close to it)
Please, explain it
Ok warning it’s long.
First of all let’s take Haddock’s design as not just side character but main character, the one who takes the lead in the narrative if the protagonist is missing. His main colors are blue and black, while Tintin has a warmer pallet with oranges and reds and browns and yellows and whites. Already it passes the message that they complete each other in colors and all the meanings the colors can take (color theory my beloved). Yeah, these are basic things when you design a main duo for your stories but that doesn’t mean they lose their importance and still underline the fact that they’re here to be together in every story otherwise it won’t be complete.
But now look again. The main symbol of Haddock is an anchor, you find it on his classic turtleneck sweater and even his hat. Of course it is because yeah he’s a captain but I’d like to take it one step further. Anchor is used for when a ship needs to stop we all know that. That’s exactly what Haddock does. He’s there to stop Tintin, a guy who never stops. Is that for the story’s best interest? No, usually it isn’t but that was never Haddock’s role in the first place. It is for his own and Tintin’s best interest. He’s there to remind him (and us) that they’re human and they have their doubts and fears. Tintin may never express them except in extreme situations but Haddock is there to do that and therefore to stop him when HE needs to, regardless if he listens to him or not.
And the anchor isn’t there just to stop the ship, is there to help it stop at a port, a stable point. This is the main thing Haddock does offer to a protagonist that never stops because there’s nowhere to stop. He shows him a port, a place they can stop and stay and this is Marlinespike and the life is offered there. Tintin may never asked for it but it is what he needs and follows him. But the port was never a prison. At any moment he can leave and start a new journey but the anchor goes with him to remind him he can stop and with his help stay again at the port.
So the symbol of anchor on Haddock isn’t for restraining Tintin (aka the ship in this symbolism) and his free spirit but to help him and accompany him to his journeys until it is time to finally stop, to remind him he has a place where he can call his port and he will be there to keep him there as long as he needs.
As if Haddock is there to stop Tintin before he harms himself (physically and spiritually).
It’s like if he sees the dark side of Tintin’s addiction to adventure and reminds him that he can stop because he has a place in which he can rest.
YES! Anchor and ship go always together as Haddock and Tintin always do, you can’t seperate them because they lose their use, anchor will rot somewhere and a ship will be lost. As Haddock is there to help Tintin not to get lost Tintin is there to help Haddock not rot.
