The Meaning of the Seesaw (Ep. 5 Spoilers)
So as most of us have seen already (if not leave this thread at once if you want to avoid spoilers), the final achievement for episode 5 features a seesaw.
At first I thought it was just there to symbolize the possibility of Clementine leaving her past/childhood behind, but after doing some reading up on seesaws and their possible meaning, I think it might mean something more than that.
When thinking of seesaws, we of course just think of them as a toy or something children play on for their own amusement, nothing really special about them, but once I started thinking about the mechanics of how a seesaw functions, it started to add a bit more meaning to it for me. In order to operate a seesaw, you typically need two people, and it relies heavily on balance. The way a seesaw also works is one side is stable, while the other is unstable, and that in order for one person to go up, another must go down, so ultimately it points to us only having one choice in the end. And one of the most widely accepted theories behind season 2 so far is that Clementine will have to choose between two sides: survival or her humanity (pizza or ice cream?).
I also looked into the symbolism of seesaws, and found that they usually have the same meanings as scales, in which it deals measuring the worth of something, so I really do think Clementine will have to make a final decision in the end, and whether it's between Kenny and Luke is up to debate. I personally don't think it will come down to this since it would make both characters determinant, and we all know how much Telltale hates those. So I think it'll most likely just be Clementine trying to find a balance between survival and her humanity, and maybe our choices will have something to play in that.
It could also mean that Clementine will end up alone again, and the use of the seesaw is there to emphasize the loneliness that she feels, because like I said, you need more than one person to operate a seesaw, otherwise, you're just stuck at the bottom.
I don't know if this theory means much, and it could just very well be me overanalyzing things, but I wanted to share it with you guys, and if anyone has anything to add on to this theory, feel free to share.
Comments
I like it, if we did have to choose. I'd choose humanity.
or, and hear me out - it could just be a see-saw!
I do think that we will have to choose between Luke or Kenny eventually. But not in a way that makes either of them determinant characters. It would be dumb, in my opinion, to place your two biggest characters (excluding Clementine) as determinant.
There's too much foreshadowing and emotional struggle to not expand on the choice of who Clementine would rather follow. A major example and factor I think will come into play will be the question that is asked in episode two. Regardless of who you sit with at the dinner table, they will ask the exact same question about the other: Do you trust him? and Do you trust him with your life?
The choice, when it comes to them, will probably be reminiscent of S1 when Kenny absolutely demands you choose a side. It'll be a moment where you can no longer remain neutral towards the two of them. Or maybe the choice will be made for you depending on who you have treated better and sided with throughout the season.
Oh man. I hope not. I reeeeaaallllyyyy want at least one person to last through it with her. At least one.
Oh don't worry, I think they'll make us choose between siding between them too, I just don't think they'll give us a Doug/Carley choice with them like everyone is saying. I'm actually thinking the reason why Kenny has overshadowed Luke so much so far, is because they kind of want players to side with Kenny more to show how hard it is to choose humanity in the ZA. I definitely think at least one of them is guaranteed to die though.
And yes, at least one person must make it out with Clem, or I will be very upset.
A+ theory. 10/10. Would read again.
But you could be right too.
Maybe Wellington will have a hella fun playground.
"It could also mean that Clementine will end up alone again, and the use of the seesaw is there to emphasize the loneliness that she feels, because like I said, you need more than one person to operate a seesaw, otherwise, you're just stuck at the bottom."
Ahhh, I thought this once I saw the see-saw, but I didn't know how to put it in words, thank you so much! I think this could be a moment where Clem realizes that she is all alone. That she can't enjoy a kid thing she should be enjoying still, a playground, because she's the only one left.
On another note, I imagine that by the end of season 2, you'll have a very, very, very small group. And it will get smaller and smaller depending on your choices. If you are a Jane/Carver-type, very survival-of-the-fittest orientated, you will drop bitten/injured characters quickly. That's the survival aspect. But if you keep all your friends, that possibly limits your own chance at survival and your own chance at making it to Wellington. You can't have both.
Ahhh, thank you. I actually thought I worded that weird when I wrote it, haha. I do wonder where they'll find this playground though, it probably has been a long time since Clem has seen one since it's highly suggested she, Christa and Omid only stuck to travelling in the countryside, where playgrounds are probably hard to come by. It does remind me a lot of her saying she hated her treehouse too, she just can't enjoy childish things anymore.
I really like your theory though, especially since I feel there are a lot of players that like to play that way, it'd also actually give more importance for determinant characters other than just death fodder. I also feel like our group will be very small by the end too, and that if we're lucky, at most only two other characters besides Clementine will survive in the end, but sadly it looks as if she's going to be by herself in the end.
Survivalists vs Community. My theory since Ep3 was released.
It would be interesting if you could end season 2 with a few determinant characters. If you are by yourself, you make it to Wellington unscathed but you are lonely and your humanity is just... almost non-existent at this point. If you managed to save a few companions, you are all injured, and they may just die anyway, but you still have them. You're not completely alone and you still have a grasp on what makes you human: other people to care about.
And when she said she hated her treehouse I sad faced so hard
(((((
I'd take injured Clem and companions over lonely Clem any day.
And I know, I was like
If it did come down to Kenny and Luke, I would have to chose Luke.
My reasoning behind that, it how I see Kenny as a metaphor for Clementine's innocence/childish ways. Think about it: Kenny has been acting before thinking frequently, and he's been clinging to Clementine, not able to let go of his past. (To add to it, he even called her Duck by accident in Episode 2.) If it came down to Kenny and Luke, it would really be a choice between clinging to your past (Kenny), and moving on (Luke). Going back to the seesaw theory, it would mean Kenny is the unstable side, and Luke as the stable side.
It would mean that they would be determinant, but my theory is still on the table, since we haven't even played Episode 4 yet. Anything could happen.
I agree with you. I was actually thinking the same thing about a week ago, that choosing Kenny would essentially be like Clem choosing the past, and therefore living in the past, and that's not the best place to be in. You can obviously see Kenny still lives in his past every day, mentioning Duck twice already, once by accident and the other in a very sad way, that you know he hasn't moved on yet. I think that's why he's clinging to Clem so much, he's only had memories of Duck alone in his head for so long, and now that he has someone that also remembers Duck, he doesn't need to live in his head anymore, and can project them onto Clem, not as an actual replacement for Duck, but to keep Duck's memory alive for himself. I also feel like Clem is almost on the same boat as Kenny, blaming herself for Lee's death and possibly Omid's/many others, so she needs to move forward, otherwise she's just going to go down a dark path.
And I'm glad you thought of the Kenny being the unstable side and Luke being the stable side theory, because I was thinking of that when writing the post up too, but like I said I don't know if they'll make it a who to save choice, it still stands as a valid theory, I just think it would be very hard for Telltale to pull off given how their games have been structured so far. They could surprise us though... but then that'd mean whoever we save isn't going to last long if there's a season 3.
Whatever the case, I have faith in Telltale, as I always have.
That's a wonderful analysis, but I think the seesaw just represents the emptiness of Wellington. If we remember back to Season 1, Christa expressed that she was done with cities and Lee later had an option to tell Clementine before he turned to "Stay away from cities". I think this topic will come up again once Clementine reaches Wellington and her big choice will be to either stay in or leave the city. Pizza or ice cream being that she either leaves with Kenny or stays with Luke.
I can never see Kenny dying. Same with Luke. And Clementine.