Character Analysis
So this is just a bunch of thoughts on what I think makes Cain tick. Bear in mind, a lot of this delves into headcanon and is my personal perspective only.
I think a lot of what makes Cain behave the way he does, is a deep-seated longing for affection and acceptance. If he had been born to a normal family in the normal way, he probably would have been a well-adjusted child who grew up into an unremarkable life. The reason he strove so hard for excellence was because it was a way of gaining approval from those around him. He was told he was the pinnacle of scientific achievement, and a certain amount of expectation came with that. Affection was not something he was given as a small child, his upbringing was clinical and set to certain exacting standards, and that's what has left him with this incredibly deep longing to make people like him.
I think that he had his identity as a German instilled in him from birth, as his mother country felt the need to impress upon him exactly who's property he was. So despite not having lived in Berlin since he was about six, he still considers himself as German and for that to be his native language, perhaps he still has the tiniest accent. Though an accent is something which marks someone out as different, and part of what Cain is in his quest for acceptance, is a chameleon. He wants to fit in and be liked, and so he alters his behaviour and responses accordingly to the company that he's in. An accent might mark him as different and put a target on him, so he probably worked to give himself a very neutral 'anywhere' type of voice. As well as this, I think it's reflected in the way he dresses - not necessarily in what he wears, as that is the standard UNASF uniform, but in how he presents it. It's always immaculately turned out, with no added extras and no personal touches; again, he's trying to fit in and make himself the ideal of what everyone else wants him to be.
Not that this is all he is, he's not quite as shallow as that, but the desire for acceptance is one of the driving forces behind his actions. I think he also holds a quiet pride in himself for being the best, that he's used to being the top of his game in everything he does and he almost takes it for granted that he always will be the best. This feeds into the half-agreed belief with Abel that the clones are superior to humans; he never states outright that he agrees with this, but neither does he fully believe in Lilith's mandate that they are all humans and equal anyway. I think he would like to believe in Lilith's views, but from an intellectual standpoint he can't make himself do it. He can see the physical and mental advancements of the clones, and can't deny that they are an advancement, but at the same time he knows that they all think and feel just as any other human does. It's a confusing issue to him and it causes a lot of conflict under the surface, and his dreams are sort of a compromise of the two ideas (being human and yet being superior to them all at once). He wants a world where he can live side-by-side with the humans as equals, and have any future he desires despite what he might be. He doesn't aspire to being seen as a human, he's not as naive as that, but he does dream of being accepted for what he is.
He is a frighteningly intelligent man, which is partly due to design and partly due to nurture. His education would have started from a young age and been very intense and focused; however, he is also someone who enjoys knowledge for knowledge's sake. This is possibly one of the reasons why he excelled so far and fast in his studies, because he enjoyed them as well as was pushed into achieving. He loves an intellectual debate, and learning new theories and standpoints fascinates him. He likes things such as faith and theology, because discussing them is an opportunity to hear vastly different viewpoints and argue them all. He doesn't believe in any sort of God or religion himself; again, I think he might quite like to be capable of that sort of blind faith in something, but his logical intelligence refuses to believe in something he can pick so many holes in.
The life of a clone was not an easy one and, as with any traumatic experience, Cain developed coping methods for the experiments and the way he was seen as a tool or second-class citizen, simply because of being a clone. He deeply resents being seen this way and used as a tool, feeling a general sort of bitterness to the world for allowing such cruelty, but it shows in different ways than it manifested in Abel. Where his brother acted out violently against their treatment, showing his anger and rebellion quite openly, Cain's rebellion is far more subtle and inward. He knows that violence isn't going to get them anywhere, they are few and the humans outnumber them billions to one. If they attempted to stage any sort of real rebellious coup, they would simply be disposed of as a failed experiment and replaced.
His 'rebellion' is more in the way of absolutely refusing to give up. They are supposed to be used as tools for their whole lives, obedient and hard-working, but Cain refuses to let go of this stubborn will to get this future of freedom on Earth. It feeds in to a survival instinct as well, which is one of the reasons he can go through all he has and come out of the other side smiling. He will not let them win, he absolutely refuses to break and give in, and that is almost his form of defiance against the life he has been given. Though this dream is not just fuelled by a hidden bitterness, he genuinely does just want a peaceful life of freedom and acceptance with the people he loves.
Cain's emotional growth is somewhat stunted in places because of his upbringing. He never really had anything to indulge his childhood whimsy in, such as Santa Claus or imaginary friends, and so it's still buried underneath the surface. It's an odd juxtaposition to his fierce logical intelligence, because this is the part of his heart that still yearns and hopes like a child. That believes if he just does this task correctly, then he will gain love, or if he just keeps smiling then eventually his smile will be real and he'll make everyone around him smile too. However, in some ways he is one of the more emotionally mature clones. He recognises that the world has both cruelty and goodness in it, and that the circumstances they live in (horrible as they are sometimes) are unlikely to be changed - he doesn't see them through the rose-tinted glasses of faith that Lilith does, or the angry petulance of Seth or Abel, and as such he's possibly stronger for it. Even realising that their situation is unlikely to change, he still refuses to give up and fiercely guards his hopes and dreams.
He was bred to be a natural leader. From the moment he was determined to be the best of the bunch of clones, he was prepared to take over as leader of the Mars Colony one day. Because of this, he is very good at giving orders and keeping a cool head in an emergency. He is also used to people recognising him in the chain of command and is comfortable with falling into the natural leadership position. He sort of sees himself as the unofficial leader of their small family of four as well, though the position is jointly shared by Lilith and that's something he's never quite sure how to deal with. It's possibly another reason why he always projects this mask of calm and smiling control, because he feels it's necessary in order to 'lead' his little family as well as the colony. His brother is unstable and a loose cannon, and Cain feels it's his duty as Abel's twin to be the balancing influence and try to keep him as out of trouble as he can. He's also aware that on a subconscious level, that Abel (and to a lesser extent, Seth) rely on the fact that he is the calm and intelligent one, who can be trusted to make the right calls. Even when he's feeling unsure of himself or like he needs someone to lean on, he doesn't want to let them down and so holds himself to this ideal.
It's a mixture of all these things which have caused Cain to become quite a private person with his real feelings, preferring to project this mask of the perfect clone/man/brother/leader at all times. It ties in with his need to be accepted (performing the tasks as admirably as possible), with his need to provide a constant for the more unstable of the family, and just as a means to hide the hurt and tinge of bitterness away, as showing it would be a form of weakness and therefore a concession in his odd form of defiance. In fact, he's so used to being seen as this benevolent and steady force, that it's a little mixed up where this mask ends and the real Cain begins, as part of that is the real Cain... just exaggerated and forced to hold up even when he might not be feeling as confident as he professes himself to be.
Cain's 'family' are highly important to him in different ways. Abel is, and possibly always will be, the most important person in Cain's life. They are opposing forces to one another, like two poles of a magnet, and it seems as though they fit together to make a complete person. Perhaps one of the reasons that Abel is more important to Cain than Lilith or Seth, is that he is Cain's only real blood relation - Abel is a clone of Cain, designed to be spare parts for him, and so they are possibly the closest genetically related twins in existence. He really and truly loves his brother, and perhaps slightly possessively sees him as 'his' because of their bond. It's a mildly unhealthy relationship with a slightly obsessive twist to it, though probably one of the reasons they are so close and Abel means so much to Cain, is a shared experience of adversity and being forced together as two against many. Seth and Lilith are important to Cain for the same reasons, as the only other clones they are in a unique situation of being thrown together through shared circumstances rather than anything in common or an actual familial bond.
His feelings for Lilith are quite complex; I think she frustrates him a little with her naive view of the world, although he's also quite jealous of her ability to bypass the logic of the world and see goodness where there might not be any. He loves her very much and she's probably the closest to being his equal, which brings with it both respect and a slight amount of territorial jealousy. He's the best and the leader of the small family, and it throws him for a bit of a loop when Abel chooses to go to her for advice, or when she displays equally sound leadership abilities. He does care for her, that's never in question, but his relationship with Lilith is probably one of the more complex underneath it all. Seth is, unfortunately, probably the least important to Cain. She is by far the youngest and the two have very little in common; even though her bitterness is in some ways a mirror of Abel's, Cain understands his twin inherently a lot better and so is naturally a lot closer to him.
I think a lot of what makes Cain behave the way he does, is a deep-seated longing for affection and acceptance. If he had been born to a normal family in the normal way, he probably would have been a well-adjusted child who grew up into an unremarkable life. The reason he strove so hard for excellence was because it was a way of gaining approval from those around him. He was told he was the pinnacle of scientific achievement, and a certain amount of expectation came with that. Affection was not something he was given as a small child, his upbringing was clinical and set to certain exacting standards, and that's what has left him with this incredibly deep longing to make people like him.
I think that he had his identity as a German instilled in him from birth, as his mother country felt the need to impress upon him exactly who's property he was. So despite not having lived in Berlin since he was about six, he still considers himself as German and for that to be his native language, perhaps he still has the tiniest accent. Though an accent is something which marks someone out as different, and part of what Cain is in his quest for acceptance, is a chameleon. He wants to fit in and be liked, and so he alters his behaviour and responses accordingly to the company that he's in. An accent might mark him as different and put a target on him, so he probably worked to give himself a very neutral 'anywhere' type of voice. As well as this, I think it's reflected in the way he dresses - not necessarily in what he wears, as that is the standard UNASF uniform, but in how he presents it. It's always immaculately turned out, with no added extras and no personal touches; again, he's trying to fit in and make himself the ideal of what everyone else wants him to be.
Not that this is all he is, he's not quite as shallow as that, but the desire for acceptance is one of the driving forces behind his actions. I think he also holds a quiet pride in himself for being the best, that he's used to being the top of his game in everything he does and he almost takes it for granted that he always will be the best. This feeds into the half-agreed belief with Abel that the clones are superior to humans; he never states outright that he agrees with this, but neither does he fully believe in Lilith's mandate that they are all humans and equal anyway. I think he would like to believe in Lilith's views, but from an intellectual standpoint he can't make himself do it. He can see the physical and mental advancements of the clones, and can't deny that they are an advancement, but at the same time he knows that they all think and feel just as any other human does. It's a confusing issue to him and it causes a lot of conflict under the surface, and his dreams are sort of a compromise of the two ideas (being human and yet being superior to them all at once). He wants a world where he can live side-by-side with the humans as equals, and have any future he desires despite what he might be. He doesn't aspire to being seen as a human, he's not as naive as that, but he does dream of being accepted for what he is.
He is a frighteningly intelligent man, which is partly due to design and partly due to nurture. His education would have started from a young age and been very intense and focused; however, he is also someone who enjoys knowledge for knowledge's sake. This is possibly one of the reasons why he excelled so far and fast in his studies, because he enjoyed them as well as was pushed into achieving. He loves an intellectual debate, and learning new theories and standpoints fascinates him. He likes things such as faith and theology, because discussing them is an opportunity to hear vastly different viewpoints and argue them all. He doesn't believe in any sort of God or religion himself; again, I think he might quite like to be capable of that sort of blind faith in something, but his logical intelligence refuses to believe in something he can pick so many holes in.
The life of a clone was not an easy one and, as with any traumatic experience, Cain developed coping methods for the experiments and the way he was seen as a tool or second-class citizen, simply because of being a clone. He deeply resents being seen this way and used as a tool, feeling a general sort of bitterness to the world for allowing such cruelty, but it shows in different ways than it manifested in Abel. Where his brother acted out violently against their treatment, showing his anger and rebellion quite openly, Cain's rebellion is far more subtle and inward. He knows that violence isn't going to get them anywhere, they are few and the humans outnumber them billions to one. If they attempted to stage any sort of real rebellious coup, they would simply be disposed of as a failed experiment and replaced.
His 'rebellion' is more in the way of absolutely refusing to give up. They are supposed to be used as tools for their whole lives, obedient and hard-working, but Cain refuses to let go of this stubborn will to get this future of freedom on Earth. It feeds in to a survival instinct as well, which is one of the reasons he can go through all he has and come out of the other side smiling. He will not let them win, he absolutely refuses to break and give in, and that is almost his form of defiance against the life he has been given. Though this dream is not just fuelled by a hidden bitterness, he genuinely does just want a peaceful life of freedom and acceptance with the people he loves.
Cain's emotional growth is somewhat stunted in places because of his upbringing. He never really had anything to indulge his childhood whimsy in, such as Santa Claus or imaginary friends, and so it's still buried underneath the surface. It's an odd juxtaposition to his fierce logical intelligence, because this is the part of his heart that still yearns and hopes like a child. That believes if he just does this task correctly, then he will gain love, or if he just keeps smiling then eventually his smile will be real and he'll make everyone around him smile too. However, in some ways he is one of the more emotionally mature clones. He recognises that the world has both cruelty and goodness in it, and that the circumstances they live in (horrible as they are sometimes) are unlikely to be changed - he doesn't see them through the rose-tinted glasses of faith that Lilith does, or the angry petulance of Seth or Abel, and as such he's possibly stronger for it. Even realising that their situation is unlikely to change, he still refuses to give up and fiercely guards his hopes and dreams.
He was bred to be a natural leader. From the moment he was determined to be the best of the bunch of clones, he was prepared to take over as leader of the Mars Colony one day. Because of this, he is very good at giving orders and keeping a cool head in an emergency. He is also used to people recognising him in the chain of command and is comfortable with falling into the natural leadership position. He sort of sees himself as the unofficial leader of their small family of four as well, though the position is jointly shared by Lilith and that's something he's never quite sure how to deal with. It's possibly another reason why he always projects this mask of calm and smiling control, because he feels it's necessary in order to 'lead' his little family as well as the colony. His brother is unstable and a loose cannon, and Cain feels it's his duty as Abel's twin to be the balancing influence and try to keep him as out of trouble as he can. He's also aware that on a subconscious level, that Abel (and to a lesser extent, Seth) rely on the fact that he is the calm and intelligent one, who can be trusted to make the right calls. Even when he's feeling unsure of himself or like he needs someone to lean on, he doesn't want to let them down and so holds himself to this ideal.
It's a mixture of all these things which have caused Cain to become quite a private person with his real feelings, preferring to project this mask of the perfect clone/man/brother/leader at all times. It ties in with his need to be accepted (performing the tasks as admirably as possible), with his need to provide a constant for the more unstable of the family, and just as a means to hide the hurt and tinge of bitterness away, as showing it would be a form of weakness and therefore a concession in his odd form of defiance. In fact, he's so used to being seen as this benevolent and steady force, that it's a little mixed up where this mask ends and the real Cain begins, as part of that is the real Cain... just exaggerated and forced to hold up even when he might not be feeling as confident as he professes himself to be.
Cain's 'family' are highly important to him in different ways. Abel is, and possibly always will be, the most important person in Cain's life. They are opposing forces to one another, like two poles of a magnet, and it seems as though they fit together to make a complete person. Perhaps one of the reasons that Abel is more important to Cain than Lilith or Seth, is that he is Cain's only real blood relation - Abel is a clone of Cain, designed to be spare parts for him, and so they are possibly the closest genetically related twins in existence. He really and truly loves his brother, and perhaps slightly possessively sees him as 'his' because of their bond. It's a mildly unhealthy relationship with a slightly obsessive twist to it, though probably one of the reasons they are so close and Abel means so much to Cain, is a shared experience of adversity and being forced together as two against many. Seth and Lilith are important to Cain for the same reasons, as the only other clones they are in a unique situation of being thrown together through shared circumstances rather than anything in common or an actual familial bond.
His feelings for Lilith are quite complex; I think she frustrates him a little with her naive view of the world, although he's also quite jealous of her ability to bypass the logic of the world and see goodness where there might not be any. He loves her very much and she's probably the closest to being his equal, which brings with it both respect and a slight amount of territorial jealousy. He's the best and the leader of the small family, and it throws him for a bit of a loop when Abel chooses to go to her for advice, or when she displays equally sound leadership abilities. He does care for her, that's never in question, but his relationship with Lilith is probably one of the more complex underneath it all. Seth is, unfortunately, probably the least important to Cain. She is by far the youngest and the two have very little in common; even though her bitterness is in some ways a mirror of Abel's, Cain understands his twin inherently a lot better and so is naturally a lot closer to him.