character themes + symbols
| character | symbol | theme |
|---|---|---|
| Armin | his book | knowledge is power (’plains of sand, land of ice’); driving eren |
| Erwin | salute | for the glory of humanity |
| Levi | tea | old habits; cycles |
| Eren | threat of attack (bloody hand); butterfly | if I don’t fight I can’t win; the final plan |
| Hange | pointing ahead (guiding the way) | leadership (+ its pitfalls) |
| Mikasa | swords; mantis | the world is cruel, but I still love you (fighting in Eren’s image); kiss of death |
| Annie | fighting stance | what am I really fighting for? (who am I fighting for?) |
| Jean | bravado vs true nature; the burden of leadership; PTSD |
the 3 branches of the military definitely represent ... something. as to what, I'm still unsure :,) what I know for certain is:
the military police, whose role is most revered due to how difficult it is to get in, are the most corrupt. they are also closest to the royal family; their motto is "for his majesty the king."
the garrison is responsible for policing civilians and maintaining the walls. they are often badmouthed for being lazy and "a waste of taxes"; their motto is "for order and peace."
the survey corps have the highest death toll, and hence the highest turnaround of soldiers. they run the highest risk of being disbanded due to their consistent lack of progress; their motto is "for the glory of humanity."
a note on tab numbers:
1st number denotes the chapter; other numbers (after .) denote the tab number. eg: tab 2.17 = chapter 2, tab 17