Scenery in Red Dead Redemption 2 34/??

rdr rpc rising ; some1 better make a hosea 🙏🤠

there’s a lot to be said about dutch and his downward spiral into an abyss of blinding paranoia, so i wanna preface this post by saying that none of his actions are meant to be excused here but because his character is so widely interpreted, i just wanna put in my two cents, as applicable to my portrayal.

first of all, i think it’s important to keep in mind that at the start of the game, the gang is already tangled in a web of trouble, with dutch forced to kill an innocent woman during their latest heist. this means that, when the player encounters him, he’s already burdened with fear that the law might catch them, as well as probable guilt over killing a bystander   ((  he does relentlessly advocate a no-killing attitude  )),   not to mention the deaths of some of his friends during said heist. taking these factors into account, most of dutch’s core personality (read: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐋 𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇) is by that time already only hinted at through lines of dialogues.   he is the man who raised arthur, and even if the player decides to play a low honor version of the game, it will inevitably end in arthur redeeming himself for his actions and wrongdoings. MEANING THE VALUES DUTCH TAUGHT ARTHUR WERE FUNDAMENTALLY GOOD, despite the outlaw ways that he helped develop.

van der l1nde gang members are the living embodiments of dutch’s teachings and education. and in that regard, hosea, arthur and john, who have ridden with him the longest, are the best outlook we can base ourselves on to judge his character. we are talking about three people with wildly different personalities, who all spent decades of their lives with dutch, who have come to know him inside and out, and who have made the the personal decision to stay with him. this applies to any member of the gang.   because beyond being the man who rescued john from hanging, who saved tilly from years of abuse, who took javier in despite the language barrier and happily assisted in his learning english, beyond being the man who took in minorities and women regardless of their background, gave to the poor and donated money the gang stole to orphanages, he is the man who gave them all a second chance. in that day and age, it truly meant something.

DUTCH IS DRIVEN BY LOVE. he is motivated by love. twisted as they are by manipulation and paranoia by the end of the game, his actions can all be traced back to his will to protect the members of his gang. and because he loves them, he is also prone to forgive them.   which notably also applies to the worst people in the gang in terms of personality such as bill, whom dutch is often seen reprimanding for his comments, or micah, to whom dutch gave the same chance he gave everyone else when they first joined the gang, BECAUSE HE SAW IN HIM THE POSSIBILITY FOR SOMETHING BETTER, room for him to grow and become a better person.

because he’s been depicted a manipulative sociopath, i also wanna point out that he never forces any member to stay. SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY LEAVE THE GANG, LEAVE THE CAMP. it hurts him, of course, he cares for them more than anything   ((  always all comes down to LOVE  )),   but he lets john –his son, the one he watched grow from a very young age– leave, he lets hosea –the man who stood by his side for so many years and whom he always sought for advice– leave. he missed them incredibly, but they eventually come back, which stands as another sign of the emotional and personal gratification that they find, not only in the gang, but in its leader as well. beyond the sense of loyalty, it’s a proof of the respect and admiration they hold for him.   [[   ARTHUR   M0RGAN   TO   BROTHER   D0RKINS   :

and when they come back, he welcomes them home. i think it’s important to mirror his behavior with another gang that the game makes a point of presenting as the complete opposite of the van der l1nde gang, perhaps to insist on dutch’s status as leader, regardless of his downfall, i give you, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎'𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐒. unlike colm who takes no interest in the members of his gang   ((  up to the point where he ignores their names  )),   dutch strongly encourages the expression of individuality as well as creativity, a quality that, again, takes even more meaning in those days.

all this to say that, for all his misguided decisions, his general decline and crippling paranoia, he never intended to and was never actively trying to use anyone in the gang, never took advantage of anyone   ((  if that had been his goal, he’d have picked up random folk here and there and hired guns and outlaws to better discard them once their job was done  )).   HE COULD HAVE, AT ANY TIME, LEFT WITH THE MONEY of which only he knew the hiding place, BUT HE NEVER DOES. his actions were never self-centered like that. and deep down, surely, he hoped things would get better. that he’d find a way to sort their problems out, that things would go on being the way they used to be.

there’s a lot of indecision in dutch after hosea’s death, and micah saw the opportunity and took it. there’s a greater sense of fear, too. fear because the law is hot on their trail, because the entire gang   ((  including –and especially– arthur, who relentlessly complaints, questions, doubts  ))   is leaning on him, relying on him, COUNTING ON HIM TO HAVE A SOLUTION FOR EVERYTHING, but he doesn’t. not anymore. and the pressure is definitely causing him to doubt himself, believing any lie micah whispers in his ear to twist his perception.   he doesn’t have a plan, anymore, because he’s noticed that every decision he’s made, lately, has led to the death of a member of his family. some people he’s known nearly all his life.   and his refusal to go rescue john from sisika is purely justified by fear that he’d further endanger the entire gang if he did. they’re already wanted in so many states.

this could go on for much longer but i’m gonna conclude with mount hagen, where, in the end, dutch saves john and sadie, shoots micah, leaves the blackwater money behind for the marstons. abigail, jack. it’s probably easy for him to imagine uncle is with them, too. in the end, he never actively hurt any member of the gang by his own hands except for micah.   and by the very end, he chooses to sacrifice himself to avoid the burden of guilt to john. because john is like him, the child he’s proudly watched grow into a valorous, loyal father who’ll sooner avenge his fallen brother than surrender to defeat, traits he fondly recognizes as his own, for the very last time.

im on vacation until the end of july but expect a whole blog overhaul when im back, i’ve missed this blog & dutch v much (:

red dead redemption 2 starters

❝ in these books life seems so simple, but in reality… i can’t make head nor tail of it. ❞  ❝ listen to me. when the times comes, you gotta run and don’t look back. ❞ ❝ i ain’t afraid of dying. ❞ ❝ i’m still standing, which is an improvement on the last time you saw me. ❞ ❝ i still think about you. that was…that was quite a time. ❞ ❝ people don’t forget. nothing gets forgiven. ❞ ❝ your father would rather you did not do anything so foolish. ❞ ❝ forgiveness, well…it’s just an easy way of saying ‘i don’t care no more’. ❞ ❝ i know you like to hide behind the angry moron act, but it’s a thin enough veneer. ❞ ❝ when somebody doesn’t lie in this world and you don’t lie to them, then together you can achieve great things and destroy great powers. ❞ ❝ i remain a fool, and i’m sure i shall die a fool, but i’m trying very hard to be something like the man you deserve. ❞ ❝ i am always honest, maybe not always good, but i’m always honest. ❞ ❝ why you got that guilty look on your face? ❞ ❝ i trust i will not make a god awful fool of myself once more– but somehow i imagine i shall. ❞ ❝ please don’t go to any trouble on my account. ❞ ❝ you ain’t gonna die. not yet. ❞ ❝ feels like things have changed…the whole world has changed. ❞ ❝ i feel like we haven’t spoken for days. ❞ ❝ we’re thieves in a world that don’t want us no more. ❞ ❝ we can’t change what’s done. we can only move on. ❞ ❝ just do one thing or the other. don’t try to be two people at once. ❞ ❝ we’re more ghosts than people. ❞ ❝ how can romance ever be silly? it’s all we have. ❞ ❝ vengeance is an idiot’s game. ❞ ❝ i don’t think we can go much further on the horses. ❞ ❝ i’m surprised we escaped at all. ❞ ❝ you’re…i was gonna say you’re like a son/daughter to me. ❞ ❝ you’re…i was gonna say you’re like a son/daughter to me…but you’re more than that. ❞ ❝ this is a new low, even by your standards. ❞ ❝ i do my utmost to avoid you. ❞ ❝ i thought the whole point was that this had nothing to do with you? ❞ ❝ i’m sorry to complain. it’s just so… ❞ ❝ i need you now…more than ever. ❞ ❝ face me to the west so i can watch the setting sun and remember all the fine times we had that way. ❞ ❝ do you ever miss home? must be hard, being so far away. ❞ ❝ you know, we’re gonna need to come up with a better story for that scar. ❞ ❝ there’s a good man within you…but he is wrestling a giant. ❞ ❝ you saved my life. you’re a good man. ❞ ❝ there’s only one of me. i don’t intend for them to know i’m coming. ❞ ❝ i thought you were trying to make me feel better. ❞ ❝ be loyal to what matters. ❞ ❝ you know, i don’t think i’ve ever seen you squeal before. ❞ ❝ i’m miserable. been a tough few days. ❞ ❝ i trust your judgement. always have. ❞ ❝ i’m just gonna…have a little sit down and…feel sorry for myself. ❞ ❝ i tried. in the end. i did. ❞ ❝ one day, folk will take orders from me…and trust me, it won’t be no laughing matter. ❞ ❝ here, take a drink of this. ❞ ❝ seems like there ain’t much else in this world except bastards, victims of bastards and the bastards who want to put the bastards in the ground. ❞ ❝ we’ll get off this mountain soon enough. ❞ ❝ i haven’t slept in three days. ❞ ❝ just thought you might’ve moved on by now. ❞ ❝ thanks for coming for me. ❞ ❝ you got sad eyes…like you’ve seen sad things. ❞ ❝ you always said revenge is a luxury we can’t afford. ❞ ❝ you don’t hire a saint to catch a sinner. ❞ ❝ you’re alive! oh, you’re alive! ❞ ❝ go. now. i’ll hold them off. ❞ ❝ are you okay? i mean you no harm. ❞ ❝ i’m nobody. ❞ ❝ what about you? you doubting me too? ❞ ❝ it’s enough to make a man drink. or worse. ❞ ❝ i knew not to trust, yet i had no choice. ❞ ❝ there ain’t no more time to talk. go. ❞ ❝ thank you, for your strength. it means a lot to me. ❞ ❝ firstly, we ain’t friends. don’t make no mistake on that subject. ❞ ❝ i’m so bored i’d rather be shot. ❞ ❝ it’ll mean a lot to me…please. ❞ ❝ you’re gonna sleep with your chest open if you ain’t careful. ❞ ❝ the bond we share, it’s the most real thing to me. i would kill for it, i would happily die for it… ❞ ❝ life is full of pain. but there is also love, and beauty. ❞ ❝ my pa used to say you stare into the fire long enough you can see the whole world pass by. ❞ ❝ whenever we happen to meet, you’re always helping people and smiling. ❞ ❝ do as you’re goddamn told. and shoot well. ❞ ❝ i guess he never outgrew his anger. kind of like you. ❞ ❝ some trees flourish, others die. some cattle grow strong, others are taken by wolves. some men are born rich enough and dumb enough to enjoy their lives. ain’t nothing fair. you know that. ❞ ❝ you’re driven by powerful forces i scarcely understand. ❞ ❝ oh you fool. you sad, deluded fool. torn in two by different ideas of who you were, and it turns out you weren’t neither of them. ❞ ❝ well, i think you’re as slippery as an eel in an oil slick, but still a man/woman. ❞ ❝ with you watching over me, i’d walk into hell itself. ❞ ❝ lack of something to feel important about is almost the greatest tragedy a man may have. ❞ ❝ when i was your age, i fought. i saw death. i have killed. ❞ ❝ i wish things were different. but it weren’t us who changed. ❞ ❝ nobody’s taking anything from me ever again. ❞ ❝ some jobs aren’t for saving and some legacies are for pissing on. ❞ ❝ you’re my favorite parasite… no, wait, ringworm’s my favorite parasite, you’re my second-favorite parasite… i lied. ringworm, then, rats with the plague, then you. ❞ ❝ just leave it to me. i can talk a dog off a meat wagon. ❞ ❝ forgive me if i slip and stab you in the face. ❞ ❝ this place, ain’t no such thing as civilized. it’s man so in love with greed, that he has forgotten himself and found only appetites. ❞ ❝ shut up…you know, you’re not very nice to me. ❞ ❝ the amount of hell we’ve raised, we’re owed some back. ❞ ❝ i haven’t done anything wrong aside of not playing the games to your rules. ❞ ❝ don’t let yourself get killed…for pride. i’ve seen it kill too many folk. ❞ ❝ when you fall, there’ll be a party. ❞ ❝ every day i didn’t kill you, is a day i saved your life. ❞ ❝ i can’t kill them all silently so, when they chase me, you go the other way. ❞ ❝ does this seem like a good time for sarcasm to you? ❞ ❝ usually i’m worse than the wolves. ❞ ❝ i don’t have to be careful. i have you as a friend. ❞ ❝ i wish i had acquired wisdom at less of a price. ❞ ❝ they’re chasing us hard, because we represent everything they fear. ❞ ❝ you know all that mattered to me was loyalty? it was all i ever believed in. ❞ ❝ never thought i’d say this but…it’s good to see you. ❞ ❝ we’ve all lived bad lives. we all sin…but i know you. ❞ ❝ i kill people. and maybe i should’ve killed you. ❞ ❝ ain’t you a sorry sight? ❞ ❝ your job’s starting the fights, it ain’t winning them. ❞ ❝ some big, loud mouthed bastard tried to rob me when i was out riding so i… well, you know how it is. ❞ ❝ there ain’t no shame in looking for a better world. ❞ ❝ i can hunt, carry a knife, and use a gun. ❞   ❝ …is it too late for us? ❞ ❝ if the purpose of life was to be liked…it would be very boring indeed. ❞ ❝ i’ve been running for as long as i can remember. ❞     ❝ they turned me into a monster. ❞   ❝ i always wondered if i was unlucky…but maybe i’m just not very good. ❞ ❝ don’t kill yourself over pride. i’ve seen it kill too many folks. ❞ ❝ sorry if i seem a little desperate. i am a little desperate. ❞ ❝ if anyone gets close to me, they’re wanted too. and i can’t have you wrapped up in that. ❞ ❝ there’s all kinds of nasty people who want to speak to you. ❞ ❝ they won’t hear anything about you from me. ❞ ❝ tell me about you, darling and armed to the teeth like that. ❞ ❝ i also…found out some unsettling news about you. ❞ ❝ i don’t know how to say it…thank you. ❞ ❝ you…don’t like me much, do you? ❞ ❝ i can’t lie to you. i’m a wanted man. ❞ ❝ that’s quite a scratch you got there. ❞ ❝ take a gamble that love exists, and do a loving act. ❞ ❝ i’m seeing things a lot more clearly now. ❞ ❝ where are you? can you hear me? ❞ ❝ i think someone saw some wolves, not far away. you should watch out. ❞ ❝ guess all i got now is doubt. doubts and scars. ❞ ❝ it wasn’t me who went and shot him. ❞ ❝ will you dance with me? ❞ ❝ i like you. you’ve got a kind face. ❞ ❝ i’m not a good man. not usually. ❞ ❝ there’s a lot i should’ve done and even more i shouldn’t have done. ❞ ❝ you are a compulsive liar. ❞ ❝ next time, i’ll slit your throat myself. ❞ ❝ as long as we get paid or you get shot, i’m happy. ❞ ❝ i’m not designed for this snow. ❞ ❝ you don’t get to live a bad life and have good things happen to you. ❞ ❝ shut up you silly man and kiss me. ❞ ❝ who made you the messiah of these poor souls you’ve led so horribly astray? ❞ ❝ maybe it’s a sign. try to do the good thing. ❞ ❝ how many times do i gotta bury you? ❞ ❝ you are the only feller who could get half of their brain eaten by wolves and end up more intelligent. ❞ ❝ five thousand dollars? for me? can i turn myself in? ❞ ❝ if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is to stop digging. ❞     ❝ we ain’t both gonna make it. ❞ ❝ i gave you all i had. i did. ❞ ❝ if we have to fight, we fight. If we have to run, we’ll run. if we must die, we’ll die. but…we’ll stay free. ❞ ❝ people call me lazy. i’m not lazy, just don’t like working. there’s a difference. ❞ ❝ i guess…i’m afraid. ❞ ❝ oh, i didn’t know i was talking to a lady. ❞ ❝ i don’t feel too good. ❞ ❝ you have finally lost your mind. ❞

smoke and fire rage about,        deafening bangs sounding with the might and fury of all hell broken loose.        and for what one might mistake to be the gang’s customary way of bidding a town farewell,        THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE IS CUTTING IT TOO CLOSE,        even by their standards.        dutch’s eyes squint against the sun as dollar bills fall from the sky,        scattered to the whim of the breeze when his fingers squeeze the handle of his gun,        free hand pressing against his bleeding side but his head isn’t in it.        it’s hosea’s words that keep him distracted,        hammering with relentless fury        [[        alright,        you go on ahead,        then,        dutch.        you go on an’ prove whatever it is that you hafta to that cornwall feller but don’tchu go blamin’ anyone else if he unleashes the eighth plague of egypt like he threatened to.        ]]        well,        shit.        you savvy old goat.

❛  here,  lean  on  me.  i’ll  support  you.      /      @dsrtrose​​     ☞       ELIZA      +      DUTCH

he hadn’t noticed her joining his side WHEN HE RAISES HIS WEAPON AND FIRES at an o’driscoll aiming their way,        flaming eyes shifting toward her features,        as wild as his own,        hand gripping her arm when he looks back at the scene,        pulls her to him.        ❝    wait        ...        arthur !        we can’t leave arthur.    ❞

𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇   𝐕𝐀𝐍   𝐃𝐄𝐑   𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄   𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧 ☞   𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝   𝚢𝚘𝚞   𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛   𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎   𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎   𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎,   𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚛.   𝚒𝚝'𝚜   𝚊𝚕𝚕   𝚠𝚎   𝚐𝚘𝚝.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007) dir. Andrew Dominik

      ❝  arthur.  ❞      the glance he casts then conveys the same profound affection it always did but the tension formed in his brow overshadows the honesty.      he’s become wary,      searching for THE WOLF AMONG THEM,      cowardly disguised as friend to better cover his wretched scent.      but despite third party’s ceaseless warnings in his regard,      arthur morgan’s always been dutch van der linde’s MOST TRUSTED LIEUTENANT,      and even if he’s but the ghost of the strong man he once was,      dutch’s eyes linger on his shaking form when he approaches @redempting​.      ❝  arthur,      will you ride with me?   ❞

Dutch, after briefing another one of his insane plans: Thoughts?

Arthur: And prayers. Holy shit.

𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇   𝐕𝐀𝐍   𝐃𝐄𝐑   𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄   𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧 𝚠𝚑𝚘  𝚊𝚛𝚎  𝚢𝚘𝚞? ☞   𝚊   𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍   𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚗.

w0lfbite·.

 @0ldwest··   :    I’M   GOING .   ARE   YOU   COMING   WITH   ME   OR   NOT ?     &.      ARCANE .

skin    and   hair   scrubbed   clean ,      days   worth   of   dust   and   dirt   long  gone   in   lieu   of   his   new   scent .    clean   and   musky   like   the   pinetrees ,   far   too   fancy   but   that’s   what   the   job   required   ( or   so   his   mentor   said   before   sending   miss   grimshaw   armed   with   a   bucket   of   clean   water   and   tonics   storming   his   way ,   a   sight   far   more   terrifying   than   any   amount   of   bounty   hunters . )     his   dark  hair ,   usually   a  tousled   curtain   obscuring   his   face   was   clean   and   pulled   back ,   combined   with   his   clean   shaved   features   all   too   exposed   for   his   liking .  

  ❝   i’m   comin’  ,   alright ?    just …    ❞     he   groaned ,   dragging   his   feet   behind   dutch  .   despite   his   elegant  ensemble   cotton  and   silk ,   his   slouched   posture   and   clear   discomfort   adorning   scarred   features  made   him   look   more   like   an   animal   forcefully   dragged   on  a   leash   when   compared   to   the   man   clad  in   a   stylish   mirrage   of   black ,   red   and   gold   striding   pridefully   before   him .     

❝    dunno   why   didn’t   ya   take   hosea  on   this   job .   the   two   of   ya   seem   to   love   this   playactin’   business .    ❞   john   tugged   at   the  tie .   the   material   felt   more   like   a  noose   and   it   made   john   shift   unctrollablly   as   the   other   man   helped   to   tighten   it over   the   white ,   cotton   shirt   that   seemed   to   scratch   his   suncut   skin   with   every   move .     ❝    hell ,   even   arthur   would’a   been   fit   better ,   dumb  an’   ugly   as   he   is   at   least   his   face   don’t   look   like  it   went   through   a   meat   grinder   or   somethin’ .    ❞    a   fancy   colar   didn’t   make   a  coyote   into   a   poodle  just   as   a  suit   and   tie   didn’t   make   greasy   johnny   marston   fit   to   act   a  businessman .  

      he walks to the pace of confidence, comfortable in his environment & attire of choice, SHARP IN HIS LOOKS AS MUCH AS HIS WITS, knowing full well john is already dragging his feet, rolling his eyes and scratching his skin.   it’s a routine he’s come to master in hosea’s prized company, but the man’s failing health’s required of dutch that he allows him a few days rest   ((  and he’s always enjoyed those special occasions where it was just him and his protégé, raising hell  )).   ❝  oh, we do !   and we’re not beyond hopin’ you and arthur will someday develop the same taste for finesse, son !  ❞

      HE’S SMILING, NOW,   ...   craning his neck to gaze at the man in his shadow, all manners of greatness reduced to none by a slouched posture, an obvious distaste in the look.   so dutch stops in his tracks, turns around and reaches for john’s collar, SWATS THE BOY’S HANDS AWAY.   ❝  will you leave this alone ?   your tie looks fine as is. don’t need you twistin’ it left an' right.  ❞   he dutifully rearranges the garment, pulls on the collar of john’s jacket, brushes away the dust already accumulating upon fabric,   ...   combs a loose strand of dark hair, unable to keep from noting he’s rarely ever seen it shine.

      ❝  arthur’s a brute.  ❞   the admission is voiced in a soft tone, and yet entirely matter-of-factly, lacking any kind of shame that john might expect of him. but dutch never shied away from the truth, he knows that.   ❝  this job’s gonna require your perception, john. or should i say, silas,   ...   unless, for the purposes of our lil charade, you’ll prefer to be called gavin ?  ❞

tre1awny·.

❝ you have quite the price on your head, dearest dutch. ❞     josiah knows, of course, that he’s stating the obvious. he’d said much the same back in valentine, when bounty hunters were after the van der linde gang for what had happened in blackwater. now, entrenched in the high heat and humidity of clemens point, with the bounty higher than before, he’d like to gauge how dutch is feeling about things. he can’t see well out of his left eye. the bruises have yet to fade entirely. he keeps hoping that he’ll wake up in the morning, and the tooth the bounty hunters took from him will have magically returned to him. it hasn’t.

such is the price josiah pays, gallivanting about as he does, for days or weeks or months at a time, in hopes of bringing something back to the van der linde gang that will get them something. he, after all, is only one man, and they’re fearsome for a reason — there’s only so much josiah alone can do. how naive he’s been, he thinks, to have forgotten what this kind of pain feels like. ( it isn’t a debt he’s had to pay in some time. ) he lifts a hand to rub at his jaw, squinting in the bright midday sun. dutch’s phonograph croaks out a symphony in the background. ❝ the men who caught me, they had a remarkable interest in you. i find myself wondering — have you ever been caught by people like that, before? ❞

— @0ldwest !

      he is a poor sight, his friend. a mess of bruises and reddened cuts, the look all but suiting the gentlemanly demeanor, accent still dripping with the customary hint of wealth and taste, SOUNDING ALMOST EXOTIC deep in the moist of the old south   ...   it’s a look that better suits arthur, he finds, but can’t resist the amusement at the thought, cigar brought to his lips as he observes josiah’s contused visage. can’t do much more than solemnly nod his head at the comment.   AND TRELAWNY’S RIGHT. bounty keeps raising. dangerously.

      ❝  hosea and i broke each other outta jail, once. you can practically say that was the start of our careers !  ❞   he’s probably heard the story a hundred times, already,   ...   either directly from them or a novelized version of facts from one of their gang members.   ❝  but   ...   back then, it was just your average lawman tryna enforce order in some ghost town out west.  ❞   THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT. this time feels for real.   ❝  mr. milton and mr. ross   ...   those pinkerton fellers. feels like they’re the real deal, josiah.  ❞   a heavy drag of smoke, lungs welcoming the strong tobacco over the asphyxiating, stale humidity of the air around them. he gestures to trelawny’s general appearance, the bruises.   ❝  i’m sorry that this happened to you, my friend. how have you been feelin’ ?  ❞

there’s a lot to be said about dutch and his downward spiral into an abyss of blinding paranoia, so i wanna preface this post by saying that none of his actions are meant to be excused here but because his character is so widely interpreted, i just wanna put in my two cents, as applicable to my portrayal.

first of all, i think it’s important to keep in mind that at the start of the game, the gang is already tangled in a web of trouble, with dutch forced to kill an innocent woman during their latest heist. this means that, when the player encounters him, he’s already burdened with fear that the law might catch them, as well as probable guilt over killing a bystander   ((  he does relentlessly advocate a no-killing attitude  )),   not to mention the deaths of some of his friends during said heist. taking these factors into account, most of dutch’s core personality (read: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐋 𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇) is by that time already only hinted at through lines of dialogues.   he is the man who raised arthur, and even if the player decides to play a low honor version of the game, it will inevitably end in arthur redeeming himself for his actions and wrongdoings. MEANING THE VALUES DUTCH TAUGHT ARTHUR WERE FUNDAMENTALLY GOOD, despite the outlaw ways that he helped develop.

van der l1nde gang members are the living embodiments of dutch’s teachings and education. and in that regard, hosea, arthur and john, who have ridden with him the longest, are the best outlook we can base ourselves on to judge his character. we are talking about three people with wildly different personalities, who all spent decades of their lives with dutch, who have come to know him inside and out, and who have made the the personal decision to stay with him. this applies to any member of the gang.   because beyond being the man who rescued john from hanging, who saved tilly from years of abuse, who took javier in despite the language barrier and happily assisted in his learning english, beyond being the man who took in minorities and women regardless of their background, gave to the poor and donated money the gang stole to orphanages, he is the man who gave them all a second chance. in that day and age, it truly meant something.

DUTCH IS DRIVEN BY LOVE. he is motivated by love. twisted as they are by manipulation and paranoia by the end of the game, his actions can all be traced back to his will to protect the members of his gang. and because he loves them, he is also prone to forgive them.   which notably also applies to the worst people in the gang in terms of personality such as bill, whom dutch is often seen reprimanding for his comments, or micah, to whom dutch gave the same chance he gave everyone else when they first joined the gang, BECAUSE HE SAW IN HIM THE POSSIBILITY FOR SOMETHING BETTER, room for him to grow and become a better person.

because he’s been depicted a manipulative sociopath, i also wanna point out that he never forces any member to stay. SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY LEAVE THE GANG, LEAVE THE CAMP. it hurts him, of course, he cares for them more than anything   ((  always all comes down to LOVE  )),   but he lets john --his son, the one he watched grow from a very young age-- leave, he lets hosea --the man who stood by his side for so many years and whom he always sought for advice-- leave. he missed them incredibly, but they eventually come back, which stands as another sign of the emotional and personal gratification that they find, not only in the gang, but in its leader as well. beyond the sense of loyalty, it’s a proof of the respect and admiration they hold for him.   [[   ARTHUR   M0RGAN   TO   BROTHER   D0RKINS   :

and when they come back, he welcomes them home. i think it’s important to mirror his behavior with another gang that the game makes a point of presenting as the complete opposite of the van der l1nde gang, perhaps to insist on dutch’s status as leader, regardless of his downfall, i give you, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎'𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐒. unlike colm who takes no interest in the members of his gang   ((  up to the point where he ignores their names  )),   dutch strongly encourages the expression of individuality as well as creativity, a quality that, again, takes even more meaning in those days.

all this to say that, for all his misguided decisions, his general decline and crippling paranoia, he never intended to and was never actively trying to use anyone in the gang, never took advantage of anyone   ((  if that had been his goal, he’d have picked up random folk here and there and hired guns and outlaws to better discard them once their job was done  )).   HE COULD HAVE, AT ANY TIME, LEFT WITH THE MONEY of which only he knew the hiding place, BUT HE NEVER DOES. his actions were never self-centered like that. and deep down, surely, he hoped things would get better. that he’d find a way to sort their problems out, that things would go on being the way they used to be.

there’s a lot of indecision in dutch after hosea’s death, and micah saw the opportunity and took it. there’s a greater sense of fear, too. fear because the law is hot on their trail, because the entire gang   ((  including --and especially-- arthur, who relentlessly complaints, questions, doubts  ))   is leaning on him, relying on him, COUNTING ON HIM TO HAVE A SOLUTION FOR EVERYTHING, but he doesn’t. not anymore. and the pressure is definitely causing him to doubt himself, believing any lie micah whispers in his ear to twist his perception.   he doesn’t have a plan, anymore, because he’s noticed that every decision he’s made, lately, has led to the death of a member of his family. some people he’s known nearly all his life.   and his refusal to go rescue john from sisika is purely justified by fear that he’d further endanger the entire gang if he did. they’re already wanted in so many states.

this could go on for much longer but i’m gonna conclude with mount hagen, where, in the end, dutch saves john and sadie, shoots micah, leaves the blackwater money behind for the marstons. abigail, jack. it’s probably easy for him to imagine uncle is with them, too. in the end, he never actively hurt any member of the gang by his own hands except for micah.   and by the very end, he chooses to sacrifice himself to avoid the burden of guilt to john. because john is like him, the child he’s proudly watched grow into a valorous, loyal father who’ll sooner avenge his fallen brother than surrender to defeat, traits he fondly recognizes as his own, for the very last time.

[[   LIT   ]]    ☞   @h0sea​ lighting a cigar for dutch. 

      frost bites through the thick fabric of his gloves, hands brought to his lips to exhale warmth & keep the momentary heat alive. but for all their years spent in the hardship of wilderness,   ...   DUTCH VAN DER LINDE’S DISTASTE FOR SNOW has never been greater, & yet for the sake of keeping everyone safe, he’ll endure,   ...   with the support of his closest ally. the cigar is a welcome comfort he’ll take without hesitation, INHALES A LONG DRAG OF TOBACCO.   ❝  thank you, old girl. we should ask arthur to go get more wood for that fire if we wanna see another day   ...   how are you holdin’ up ?  ❞