Head of Hyuuga clan part 2
Although there are a few who are on my side, unless a bunch of people come along suddenly and tell me they agree, I've come to terms with the fact that most people seem to think Hinata will become clan leader, and that's cool, I'm probably wrong. Oh well.
Oh, just a warning, this is cut'n'paste from a few posts and responding to specific arguments. I tried to fix it up some, but it's probably still rather jumbled and not very cohesive. But I'm too lazy to do more with it. >.>
Hinata's theme isn't so much about outward acknowledgment as it is about personal, internal change. If there is someone she wants to affirm her growth, it seems what is stressed is not Naruto more so than the Hyuuga clan. There also hasn't been any indication that being clan head is what she wants or is shooting for as a goal. What she wants to change is not being as skilled, and her shyness, not prove to her clan that she should be clan leader. While that could be an extension of her theme, it's not an automatic one, I don't think.
Also, in comparison, Neji's theme is directly tied into the Hyuuga's changing, and the change started with his learning the truth of the past, and then with Hiashi's training with him. His own theme resolution is also reflective of fork that the clan is also coming upon; forging ahead based on how one decides and lives one's life vs. fatalism and believing destiny is dictated from birth.
It has also been a point of irony that Hinata was born heir even though she didn't fit that role and her younger sister had more talent, and how a genius was born to the Branch house - the roles for each of them as dictated by their and their fathers' births. Hiashi said himself that Neji should have been heir, but that's not the way things are currently decided, and that's the foundation that needs to be shaken.
The Hyuuga clan hasn't been ruled by power, but by 'predestination' in a sense. Things are determined by the order people are born, not by their skill or merit. I agree that Hinata would make a good leader, it's just when I see two instances of foreshadowing for Neji to become clan head (Hiashi's comment that his brother should have been heir, so in turn Neji would be, rather than himself, and then already started to rise above the 'rules' with Hiashi training Neji personally) without any evidence of Hinata striving for clan head or thus far any clear indication that it's going in that direction.
Addressing a comparison with Gaara becoming Kazekage as his character resolution, I'm not saying Hinata doesn't also want acknowledgement, but look at what the keywords are for the characters. For Gaara, it was loneliness, fear instead of acknowledgement/love from others, only loving himself (rather then others - which leads into protecting and loving his village as Kazekage). With Hinata, what is stressed is change, gaining strength, not liking herself, and not giving up. Though the situations may be similar, with Gaara and Naruto, the focus was on outward perception; Hinata about changing herself. I think not being acknowledged by her clan is part of her suffering, but I don't think gaining her family's acknowledgement (acceptance is different than acknowledgement, I think) is what she's banking on for realizing her change. Didn't she talk about how no one else may be able to see the difference, but she herself knew that she changed. I'm sure she wants her family's acceptance, or even acknowledgement, but even if she can't get that, it seems to me the breaking point is whether she can accept herself, whether she feels that she has tried and succeeded at changing herself. With Naruto and Gaara, the deciding factor is how others view them and what they are desperately seeking; becoming strong to protect others is then a result of gaining that. Am I misreading what their themes are and what's the focus for each character?
As far as Neji following his father's footsteps of finding personal pride and love for family ascending however they are delineated as Main and Branch. I would agree this was a likely path to follow until we see that Hiashi has taken him on as a personal student which is already started to crack through taboos of the current system, and that in combination with the previous comment that Neji should have been born heir (but wasn't because of the conventions of the current system) is what makes me think the change will be along those lines. I'm not saying Neji is vying for clan head, but I think it could happen based on how other things are currently beginning to change with Hiashi involving Neji. The personal/emotional change has already started, and one step past that, the rules are starting to bend, so I guess I just see them as continuing to bend further until an actual break.
The irony of Hanabi, Hinata, and Neji not fitting their roles can be handled the way in that they individually change and accept/grow into their roles. But that doesn't necessarily alter the Hyuuga's except by whatever Hinata my do in the future that we don't know at this point. Or their destinies can be changed by growing into whatever they can become as individuals, and it's what they've become that determines who should fill what role (which Hiashi at least at one point thinks it should have been Neji, but maybe we'll get development and that will change back to Hinata like it already changed from Hanabi to Neji) rather than decided by birth, which in and of itself is a huge change for the Hyuuga even without any further actions that can also take place with the scenario you propose.
Neji being named head is a change to the system, and he may have taken up his father's way of viewing the clan as family (as he now views others as friends to protect). Who would make the best leader is speculation, and probably subjective since different people think different methods are best. I'm not saying Hinata's personality and such wouldn't be good for changing the clan because we won't know until we get there, just like we won't know how good Neji would be until we get there. But what we do know is that making someone not the heir as clan leader is an undeniable change. His father didn't change his fate, what he changed was he made it his choice. But he would have had the same destination regardless, but what he did was start the change for the future by affecting Hiashi, who in turn brought in Neji, and they could have the power to change the fates as determined by birth (my ideal would be Hinata become clan leader, and then pass it on to Neji so we still have the confirmation of Hinata, she plays a crucial role in the change of her clan, and Neji continues to reflect the clan change with his own). For Neji as an individual resolution, no he doesn't need to become clan head. But I'm talking about how it affects the Hyuuga clan.
I guess I just see the Hyuuga ripe for the change, or at least enough people in power/potential power to bring it about. But if a big change like that can't happen, then it's not like I'm not fine with Hinata becoming head and we're shown the start of change.
However, I'm reserving the right to feel good about myself if I do turn out to be right. :)
Also, I asked for people's opinions and speculations on the subject in my last post, so please let me know what you think if you haven't done so already, or feel free to add to what you said if you've thought of more, or perhaps I've changed your mind. Huh? Huh? :P
Oh, just a warning, this is cut'n'paste from a few posts and responding to specific arguments. I tried to fix it up some, but it's probably still rather jumbled and not very cohesive. But I'm too lazy to do more with it. >.>
Hinata's theme isn't so much about outward acknowledgment as it is about personal, internal change. If there is someone she wants to affirm her growth, it seems what is stressed is not Naruto more so than the Hyuuga clan. There also hasn't been any indication that being clan head is what she wants or is shooting for as a goal. What she wants to change is not being as skilled, and her shyness, not prove to her clan that she should be clan leader. While that could be an extension of her theme, it's not an automatic one, I don't think.
Also, in comparison, Neji's theme is directly tied into the Hyuuga's changing, and the change started with his learning the truth of the past, and then with Hiashi's training with him. His own theme resolution is also reflective of fork that the clan is also coming upon; forging ahead based on how one decides and lives one's life vs. fatalism and believing destiny is dictated from birth.
It has also been a point of irony that Hinata was born heir even though she didn't fit that role and her younger sister had more talent, and how a genius was born to the Branch house - the roles for each of them as dictated by their and their fathers' births. Hiashi said himself that Neji should have been heir, but that's not the way things are currently decided, and that's the foundation that needs to be shaken.
The Hyuuga clan hasn't been ruled by power, but by 'predestination' in a sense. Things are determined by the order people are born, not by their skill or merit. I agree that Hinata would make a good leader, it's just when I see two instances of foreshadowing for Neji to become clan head (Hiashi's comment that his brother should have been heir, so in turn Neji would be, rather than himself, and then already started to rise above the 'rules' with Hiashi training Neji personally) without any evidence of Hinata striving for clan head or thus far any clear indication that it's going in that direction.
Addressing a comparison with Gaara becoming Kazekage as his character resolution, I'm not saying Hinata doesn't also want acknowledgement, but look at what the keywords are for the characters. For Gaara, it was loneliness, fear instead of acknowledgement/love from others, only loving himself (rather then others - which leads into protecting and loving his village as Kazekage). With Hinata, what is stressed is change, gaining strength, not liking herself, and not giving up. Though the situations may be similar, with Gaara and Naruto, the focus was on outward perception; Hinata about changing herself. I think not being acknowledged by her clan is part of her suffering, but I don't think gaining her family's acknowledgement (acceptance is different than acknowledgement, I think) is what she's banking on for realizing her change. Didn't she talk about how no one else may be able to see the difference, but she herself knew that she changed. I'm sure she wants her family's acceptance, or even acknowledgement, but even if she can't get that, it seems to me the breaking point is whether she can accept herself, whether she feels that she has tried and succeeded at changing herself. With Naruto and Gaara, the deciding factor is how others view them and what they are desperately seeking; becoming strong to protect others is then a result of gaining that. Am I misreading what their themes are and what's the focus for each character?
As far as Neji following his father's footsteps of finding personal pride and love for family ascending however they are delineated as Main and Branch. I would agree this was a likely path to follow until we see that Hiashi has taken him on as a personal student which is already started to crack through taboos of the current system, and that in combination with the previous comment that Neji should have been born heir (but wasn't because of the conventions of the current system) is what makes me think the change will be along those lines. I'm not saying Neji is vying for clan head, but I think it could happen based on how other things are currently beginning to change with Hiashi involving Neji. The personal/emotional change has already started, and one step past that, the rules are starting to bend, so I guess I just see them as continuing to bend further until an actual break.
The irony of Hanabi, Hinata, and Neji not fitting their roles can be handled the way in that they individually change and accept/grow into their roles. But that doesn't necessarily alter the Hyuuga's except by whatever Hinata my do in the future that we don't know at this point. Or their destinies can be changed by growing into whatever they can become as individuals, and it's what they've become that determines who should fill what role (which Hiashi at least at one point thinks it should have been Neji, but maybe we'll get development and that will change back to Hinata like it already changed from Hanabi to Neji) rather than decided by birth, which in and of itself is a huge change for the Hyuuga even without any further actions that can also take place with the scenario you propose.
Neji being named head is a change to the system, and he may have taken up his father's way of viewing the clan as family (as he now views others as friends to protect). Who would make the best leader is speculation, and probably subjective since different people think different methods are best. I'm not saying Hinata's personality and such wouldn't be good for changing the clan because we won't know until we get there, just like we won't know how good Neji would be until we get there. But what we do know is that making someone not the heir as clan leader is an undeniable change. His father didn't change his fate, what he changed was he made it his choice. But he would have had the same destination regardless, but what he did was start the change for the future by affecting Hiashi, who in turn brought in Neji, and they could have the power to change the fates as determined by birth (my ideal would be Hinata become clan leader, and then pass it on to Neji so we still have the confirmation of Hinata, she plays a crucial role in the change of her clan, and Neji continues to reflect the clan change with his own). For Neji as an individual resolution, no he doesn't need to become clan head. But I'm talking about how it affects the Hyuuga clan.
I guess I just see the Hyuuga ripe for the change, or at least enough people in power/potential power to bring it about. But if a big change like that can't happen, then it's not like I'm not fine with Hinata becoming head and we're shown the start of change.
However, I'm reserving the right to feel good about myself if I do turn out to be right. :)
Also, I asked for people's opinions and speculations on the subject in my last post, so please let me know what you think if you haven't done so already, or feel free to add to what you said if you've thought of more, or perhaps I've changed your mind. Huh? Huh? :P