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tangent101 · 4 years

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Perceptions of Wealth with Max Caulfield in Life is Strange

One thing I’ve noticed repeatedly in Life is Strange fanfics (and in occasional commentaries elsewhere) is how people assume Max Caulfield comes from a wealthy family. And while I’ve talked about this in the past, it’s probably about time to mention yet again that Max is in fact from a poor family, and that her parents either live in an apartment complex or in her grandfather’s house.

It’s easy to claim otherwise, especially when you compare Max to Chloe, but when you look a little deeper, the signs are clear that not only is Max poor, but she may in fact be as poor as Chloe. We can start by looking at Max’s clothes. Let’s start by looking at Max’s journal entries on clothes:

My mom cried, and my dad laughed. They're so weird. But they're happy and this means extra financial support because they don't have to pay anything to Blackwell. This means new clothes and if I can work it, a new laptop.

Max’s journal entry for July 10th already lays the groundwork here. She believes that seeing her family doesn’t have to pay for tuition, she can get new clothes and maybe even a new laptop. And to be honest, I actually bought into this... until just now when I saw this August 25th entry as well:

That made me want to cry like a little girl. And never leave Seattle. So instead of packing, I feel like burning all my clothes, then just raiding a thrift store to build up a new Max wardrobe over my junior year. Not that I even have an old Max wardrobe.

First, do note that Max talked about “raiding a thrift store” to build up a wardrobe. Her comment here is so matter-of-fact that the point Max was thinking of going to a thrift store for her clothes slipped past my radar... but as a middle-class woman, I do have to admit that it wasn’t until finances got rather tight that I started buying at thrift stores myself. Given that clothes aren’t tremendously expensive at Walmart and the like (especially if you hit sales) that’s perhaps not surprising. But there are no back-to-school sales for Max mentioned or the like.

In fact, we see no signs that Max got a new wardrobe (and admittedly she doesn’t have a lot of outfits, even accounting for keeping jeans in the bureau). Her laptop also is a fairly small one and may in fact be her old laptop. I cannot recall anything Max says or does that genuinely states that anything Max brings with her is new. (This also is true for alt-Max, seeing alt-Max’s journal states on September 14th “Yes, I'm older and thanks to Vic and Nathan I'm now a bit more fashionable too.” In other words, the nice clothing alt-Max wore were gifts from Victoria and Nathan.)

Max even comments on this when perusing Victoria’s clothes. She comes across some socks that “cost more than my entire wardrobe” and given a nice pair of thigh-high silk stockings can cost $75 or more, this might not have been hyperbole. Given that if you’re very lucky on sales you could probably snag skinny jeans for $8 new, and designer t-shirts for close to that (and let’s not go into the hoodies)... and it becomes most likely Max’s wardrobe, with (as Chloe puts it) “chlorine brand [T-shirts] and generic jeans” is cheap used clothing.

Hell, even Chloe’s clothing is in better shape. Despite the fact Chloe’s “poorer” than Max, her clothes look much less shabby and worn. Her ripped jeans look designer. Her shirts are likewise in good shape, with any “damage” being strategic and done for looks. Admittedly, Chloe may prefer certain outfits over others, and thus the lack of wear is Chloe not wearing most of her outfits all the time... but if you put Max and Chloe side-by-side (without Max’s camera evident) and ask which girl is from a wealthier family... and people would probably think Chloe is.

This also helps explain why Max never visited her best friend even in the summer despite living six hours away. If Max’s parents lived paycheck to paycheck then the cost of fueling up a car to drive Max to Arcadia Bay would be painful. (I say this as someone who once had to put her last two dollars in her car so to have just enough gas to last a week, back when that would buy two gallons of gas.) Max didn’t fall out of touch because of stressing out over William or being a bad friend. Max probably didn’t have a cell phone for the first year she lived in Seattle.

Again. Max and her parents moved to Seattle in the middle of the Great Recession. Yes, that was 11 years back but a lot of people lost their homes. Some of those who become financially destitute never recovered, even today. Others were forced to move in with parents. So if Max is living in a house, it belongs to her grandfather. She probably lives in a two-bedroom apartment and one that’s not even in a good part of Seattle. (She most definitely never rubbed elbows with Victoria in Seattle and never met Victoria prior to Blackwell.)

Speaking of Victoria, this gives another reason for Victoria’s harassment of Max and that is classism. Victoria acts like the typical snobby rich girl who sneers at those who struggle financially. Add in that Max has actual talent despite her lack of wealth, and she becomes a prime target for Victoria (along with Kate for her religious upbringing and lack of “shame” over her religiosity).

There’s another aspect of this “economic value” with Max that you might not expect, and that’s behavior. When you’re poor, you tend to become invisible to people wealthier than you. In return, some poor people will try and avoid standing out and drawing attention to them. Max has this in spades. She is a “shy cliched geek” who hides behind a lens rather than interact with a world that judges based on appearances. Well, Max appears as shabby and without value.

She is treated as such by various people as well. And trust me, if Max dressed like Victoria or Juliet, she would not be treated as dismissively. Appearance and behavior are reflections of each other, and we again see this with alt-Max with her nice clothes and more assertive personality, compared to the original Max who feels out of place.

Amusingly enough, as she starts wearing Rachel and Chloe’s clothing she increasingly becomes assertive and willing to take a stand. A good part of this lies with Chloe’s confidence with her, but we the players get to see this as well with Max’s clothes changing and becoming more vibrant.

So, why do people think Max is financially comfortable? I suspect it’s primarily because Max uses an instant camera. I once calculated out the financial value of the Caulfield Photo Wall, and came to over $100. Admittedly, that may have been all of Max’s photos (outside of ones that Chloe or other people had claimed over the years)... but when you also account for however many photos get rejected for not being good enough (and Max rips up several photographs in Life is Strange) and you’re left with the possibility Max has taken probably a thousand dollars’ worth of pictures.

That said? This doesn’t mean Max has spent a thousand dollars on film. Don’t forget, Max starts out with a battered camera that despite the design being extremely sturdy falls apart when it is knocked off a desk. Polaroid Instant Cameras are much sturdier than that, so the only way that camera fell apart that easily is if it had been broken in the past (which would explain why Max knows how to repair the camera). And with Max’s own journal, we know that Max is perfectly willing to buy and utilize previously-owned items.

In all likelihood, Max lucked across an estate sale or yard sale where someone was getting rid of an old camera they didn’t know the value of and all the film with it and Max walked away with $500+ of film and camera for $10 or so. If she bought more film via eBay and was lucky? She could very well be getting more film for only a couple dollars per cartridge of eight shots. It is also noteworthy to state Max doesn’t have a backup camera. She doesn’t have a digital camera on the side for most of her shots. She uses her phone for some pictures but mostly it’s that old beast of a camera that barely is holding together.

There’s another reason why a lot of people just assume Max is from a nice middle-class family and that’s because many gamers are from that setting. Who wants to think of Max as a poor girl who is only attending Blackwell because of a art grant? Especially when you add in shabby clothes that highlight Max’s shy and withdrawn personality... you end up with someone that people can have difficulty connecting with. So it’s understandable people just assume the best for Max. After all, they are Max in the game, and who wants to be poor?

#life is strange #lis #max caulfield #chloe price #victoria chase #kate marsh #alt-max caulfield #recession #polaroid instant cameras

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singlethread · 4 years

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you totally don’t have to do it, but every even number for the ask prompt?

You are chaotic but i have nothing better to do

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? Apple Music actually

is your room messy or clean? Clean

what color are your eyes? Blue

do you like your name? why? Yes because I like how it sounds

what is your relationship status? So fucking single

describe your personality in 3 words or less. Loud if I know you, passionate, and caring

what color hair do you have? Dark purplish red like merlot

what kind of car do you drive? color? A black denali envoy

where do you shop? Online right now, but normally my local thrift stores

how would you describe your style? I like mixing hard with soft, I ever tend to dress in blacks or pastels both mixed with whites. Also I will always be wearing weird dangly earrings

favorite social media account. Tumblr

what size bed do you have? Full

any siblings? 2

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? Just like in the forest in Norway, it just looks pretty and peaceful

favorite snapchat filter? I don't use snap

favorite makeup brand(s). I like Stilla’s eyeliner and also anastasia’s eyeshadow and highlighters

how many times a week do you shower? every other day bc I’m not going anywhere, but I only wash my hair once a week

favorite tv show? I watch too much to pick, I’m currently rewatching Teen wolf so I’ll say that one

shoe size? 9.5 or 10

how tall are you? 5′11

sandals or sneakers? I like both equally, but in the summer I mostly wear sandals

do you go to the gym? no

describe your dream date. Picnic in a park where we end it stargazing

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? like 12 dollars

what color socks are you wearing? none

how many pillows do you sleep with? three

do you have a job? what do you do? not currently with school, I just pet sit during the school year for money

how many friends do you have? irl probably like 12?

whats the worst thing you have ever done? gosh idk, I had a really big problem with stealing when I was little, and I was apparently good at it because when we got home from a trip to Canada when I was five my mom found like 20 things I had stolen from different gift shops skdfjkdsjfjsk

whats your favorite candle scent? Coffee anything

3 favorite boy names. (boy and girl names are a social construct so I'm just gonna do six of my favorite names) andrew, percy, oliver, anastasia, taylor, rosalina

3 favorite girl names, see above

favorite actor? I don't have one but David Tennant is good

favorite actress? Anne Hathaway

who is your celebrity crush? Halsey

favorite movie? my fave comfort movie is the princess diaries 2

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? yes, but I haven't had the time lately, and the martian by andy weir

money or brains? brains

do you have a nickname? what is it? Lia or Emmie are my most used

how many times have you been to the hospital? uhhhhh at least 7?

top 10 favorite songs. Im doing taylor songs: peace, daylight, idsb, komh, safe and sound, treacherous, I know places, haunted, my tears ricochet, and the lakes

do you take any medications daily? Wal-phed

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) dryyyy

what is your biggest fear? I wont have mattered to anyone

how many kids do you want? 3

whats your go to hair style? down with my natural curls

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc), like a 1500sq ft home with a wrap-around porch

who is your role model? My college advisor

what was the last compliment you received? “your ass looks great in those pants” from my best friend

what was the last text you sent? “yessss”

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? like 8

what is your dream car? honestly l love the car I have

opinion on smoking? cigarette: no, weed: I would if it was legal

do you go to college? yes

what is your dream job? Small animal vet

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? Rural

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? no

do you have freckles? a million

do you smile for pictures? yes

how many pictures do you have on your phone? 15,230

have you ever peed in the woods? yes

do you still watch cartoons? yes

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? Wendys

Favorite dipping sauce? Ranch

what do you wear to bed? shirt or nothing

have you ever won a spelling bee? no

what are your hobbies? painting, playing video games, reading, and doing puzzles

can you draw? yes

do you play an instrument? yes, 2 mediocrely and cello really well

what was the last concert you saw? the 1975 on dec 13th

tea or coffee? coffee

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Starbucks

do you want to get married? Yes

what is your crush’s first and last initial? J.D.

are you going to change your last name when you get married? yes

what color looks best on you? I like blues on me

do you miss anyone right now? yes

do you sleep with your door open or closed? open bc cat

do you believe in ghosts? yes

what is your biggest pet peeve? toothpaste dried up in the sink

last person you called` my mom

favorite ice cream flavor? coffee or chocolate chip cookie dough

regular oreos or golden oreos? i hate oreos

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? chocolate

what shirt are you wearing? dbatc shirt

what is your phone background? A painting I did of Taylor

are you outgoing or shy? shy

do you like it when people play with your hair? only if I really like that person

do you like your neighbors? no

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? yes and in the morning

have you ever been high? no

have you ever been drunk? yes

last thing you ate? grilled cheese

favorite lyrics right now I want auroras and sad prose, I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet, 'Cause I haven't moved in years, And I want you right here

summer or winter? Summer

day or night? night

dark, milk, or white chocolate? dark

favorite month? May

what is your zodiac sign aquarius

who was the last person you cried in front of? my mom

#amelia answers asks #tw food #Anonymous #long post

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librarianqueen · 7 years

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20 Things to Maybe Do by 25

I’m sick of these lists that tell you to fly out to other countries and learn which form of exercise you like and find your ‘style’. Most of them assume you have way more money and time than you do. Here’s my sweary alternative.

1. Realise that living in a rented room, possibly still studying, possibly with only a part-time job, is perfectly normal these days. A lot of people are still doing it by 30. The notion that you either have to be a family unit or live alone should just go, please. Living with friends, living with other people your age, living with your parents or other family members because it’s cheaper is totally okay. Also more people to contribute to the pizza-pot.

2. Thrift shops are your friends. I mean it, seriously. If you go the first time and don’t find anything you like, look for ones in areas where wealthier people live. They’ll donate stuff and you can get nice things. By nice, I mean good quality, not necessarily designer. Thrift shops are savvy and will auction off designer donations. But higher-end high street shops are a lot cheaper when you buy them second hand. And also remember to check regularly because new stuff gets donated like every day.

3. You don’t have to give up shit. You watch anime and make cosplay and write fanfiction and still freak out over YA books? Awesome. There’s no fucking reason you have to put that stuff away just because you’re reaching 25. Or 30. Or 73. After 73, we do ask that you refrain from doing the Naruto ninja-squat however. It’s hard on the hips.

4. You don’t have to know how to host a fucking dinner party. Who cares about dinner parties? Have you ever even been to a dinner party? If you really wanted to know how to host a fucking dinner party, you would already.

5. You don’t have to know which style works for you and stick to just that. I read an article that said ‘build your whole wardrobe around this one style.’ Yeah, that’s great if you only have one facet to your personality. Most of us have more. Some days you want to wear the green tartan dress with the black combat boots and the floral lace tights (go you, that look is bomb af) and other days you want to wear jeans and a hoodie with pizza on it. Wear what the fuck you want.

6. You might want to try new hobbies and stuff, but only a couple of them will really stick. For example: I tried to learn Dutch, start making clothes, start making plushies, watercolour paint, learn guitar, dance etc. A year later, I still make plushies, my guitar has had a broken E-string for six months, and I can say ‘mijn Nederlands is slecht.’ You will find a couple of things you really enjoy, but don’t feel pressured to master everything because a Buzzfeed list is telling you to.

7. This article says you should keep a couple of houseplants that aren’t cacti. Excuse me? What the fuck is wrong with cacti? Get a cactus, just to spite this list. Cacti rock.

8. You do not have to pay any attention to those 100 movies/100 books to read before die lists. Go ahead if you want to but there’s literally no point to sitting through hundreds of hours of films you don’t like and books you don’t want to read, just because some anonymous list of people decided you should. By 25, you should know that if someone asks ‘What’s your excuse for not having watched Citizen Kane?’ the proper response is: ‘What’s your excuse for being an elitist piece of shit?’

9. So many lists are telling you to travel to another continent. Either they are in their late 30s and got all this done before the recession, or they’re wealthy and can travel wherever they like. Find anything cool in your hometown/city and visit it. Everyone is focused so far away they never see the cool stuff around them. Maybe there’s a junk shop you want to see inside but never have. Shit like that.

10. You don’t have to go bungee-jumping, rock-climbing, hiking etc. and all those other granola-bar, gluten-free, blue-sky-dreaming things. A relaxed life is still a life well-lived. Also, yes, do try that new flavour of blue Fanta. Be wild, live free. (And it’s tasty.)

11. You should have tried at least two or three weird ice-cream flavours by this age. You’re simply not living if you haven’t. No, mint chocolate chip doesn’t fucking count as ‘weird’. It’s delicious.

12. It’s nice to give to a charitable thing just once. It doesn’t have to be a lot. There are other ways to do it than just handing over money. Buy a muffin from a bake-sale. Buy clothing at charity shops. It feels good.

13. For god’s sake, learn how to shit properly. You’ve been on the internet for at least ten years, twenty-five-year-olds. You’ve seen that ‘You’ve Been Doing This Wrong All Your Life’ article at least ten times. Get a fucking step stool, put your feet on it when you go to the toilet. It straightens out your colon. You’ll be in there for five minutes less (unless you’re on your phone) and feel less like Sonic the Hedgehog just crawled out of your backside.

14. Okay, so I agree that you should be able to change a lightbulb, wash your own clothes, use the microwave, and clean the loo by this age, if you’re physically/mentally in a state to do so.

15. Know someone who owns a dog or a cat...so you can have a pet-by-proxy. I’m only half-joking.

16. Know how to run an antivirus scan, use incognito mode, and delete your browser history. Also, probably change your passwords.

17. Order a pizza to your house just once. I didn’t do this until I was 22, and it was fucking exhilarating. Yes, I’m a sad little hermit. I felt so POWERFUL. I press a few buttons and they bring food to my house.

18. Just own a pair of black shoes that aren’t trainers/sneakers. You can get them from the aforementioned charity shops/thrift stores for a few dollars/pounds. They’ll go with literally anything.

19. Learn how to do an Irish accent. It’s just a necessary skill everyone should have. If you are Irish...well done.

20. Realise that you have other stuff to do than writing a 25 by 25 list and retroactively change the title to twenty so you can go back to laughing at Youtube videos. Just me?

#librarianqueen #25 by 25 #20 by 25 #tips #bullshit

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