[EVA]Jesus, Jesus Everywhere was Re: [EVA]Gender/Sex

[once at ix.netcom.com]

-----Original Message-----
>From: Peter Svensson <sun1jack at hotmail.com>
>Sent: Aug 8, 2006 10:26 AM
>To: evangelion at eva.onegeek.org
>Subject: Re: [EVA]Jesus, Jesus Everywhere was Re: [EVA]Gender/Sex
>
>>I think Kaji is arguably a good father "figure" (the term seems to  suit 
>>him, as he isn't actually a father), and not only in the sense  of showing 
>>ordinary decency. Gendo is such a prick that he can't see  that his 
>>attitude towards Shinji is tactically dangerous, even to his  own plans. It 
>>was Kaji, not Gendo, who convinced Shinji to go back  and fight Zeruel; 
>>otherwise, the series would have been over at  episode 19. It's OVER, 
>>Johnny!
>
>Yes. And it's a sad state of affairs when you realize that the best father 
>figure in Evangelion is Kaji, and the best mother figure is Misato. Both are 
>incredibly screwed up individuals, who mean well but really aren't cut out 
>for the roles they play. Kaji does serve as a surrogate father for Shinji, 
>and for Asuka as well. Which of course makes Asuka's infatuation with him 
>even more disturbing.
>

This is something I very much agree with; and I think the series contrasts Gendo's creepy exploitation of his "daughter" Rei with Kaji keeping things appropriate with Asuka. Misato and Kaji are troubled people, but fundamentally they act with more decency and consideration towards the Children than their actual parents. In a human world, Asuka and Shinji could have grown up to be something like them--not pure, not diivine, but admirable and likeable. Again, the series contrasts these people against the hysterical, apocalyptic  models of motherhood and fatherhood represented by Yui and Gendo, which have no sense of human scale and are incapable of real compassion. 

—C.