bitty is so strong. and bitty is so, so angry.

these panels all occur four whole years before all the rage and frustration and trauma that bitty has been holding in erupt in that one symbolic check at the end of the comic. these panels are all bitty reacting to jack criticizing him, often loudly and publicly. these panels are all, as much as it’s painful to think of it this way, bitty reacting to someone who at the time was the manifestation of his fears and source of self-doubt. 

year 1 bitty often behaves timidly, and rarely chooses confrontation, so it’s easy to think that he was cowed by jack’s behavior. easy to think that he’s fragile. but the truth is actually hidden in the panels where no one but the audience is looking; that’s when bitty's true feelings shine through. 

bitty may have a lot of fears, but he also has a lot of fury. and bitty may let his fears urge him to get up and quit, but he never actually does. bitty doesn’t break when faced with his fears: bitty purses his lips and takes a deep breath and pretends he’s fine. 

and then he keeps going.