Evan Hansen Is NOT a sociopath

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 12:21pm

So strange to keep reading here that Evan Hansen is a sociopath- c'mon- he was a high school student with a difficult childhood to overcome- he learned some life lessons- and got on with it. To call a 17 year old student a sociopath- especially when he seems to overcome and grow- is missing th point of adolescence- a time where we begin to sort out who we are and what we want to become- and this is just the beginning of the trek to adulthood. Who hasn't been an adolescent riddled with angst, devious deeds and self-doubt?

Updated On: 2/5/18 at 12:21 PM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 12:23pm

It's Hansen, not Hanson.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 12:28pm

You are right- I corrected. Sorry.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 12:28pm

Life hack: He's not real.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 12:52pm

Uh oh, TotallyEffed, now you've done it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 1:23pm

God lord, did this really need another thread?  At least address it in whatever thread is offending you.

 

BTW....people are allowed to have different opinions. That's the beautiful thing about art...it's up for personal interpretation.

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 1:25pm

Yeah he is.

[PatrickDennis92]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 1:38pm

I think the fact that he came clean shows that he is not. I remember thInking why can’t you just get out of this without it being so messy, meaning not totally coming clean.... I thought it unnecessarily ended up hurting people, including himself... perhaps I am a sociopath.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 1:50pm

A sociopath has no feelings of guilt or remorse over any wrongdoing. Even before the truth comes out, I think it's pretty clear that Evan is at least somewhat conflicted about his situation. He's not a sociopath.

[phan24]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 3:23pm

He may not be a sociopath, but he’s a scumbag and should go to prison for fraud

[Andy51]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 3:25pm

This discussion is so 2016-2017.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 3:54pm

When the show ends, Evan grows up and moves to NYC and changes his name to Patrick Bateman.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 4:31pm

I don't think he is, but I do think the idea that he is one is pretty entertaining.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 4:35pm

I think Evan straight up murdered that kid and made it look like suicide.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 5:02pm

Kad, I want to see the sequel where the family starts to put those pieces together.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 6:23pm

The reason I posted this was because I noticed that on unpopular opinions- a lot of people did comment about Evan being a sociopath. It is not so 2016- or 2017- we have a true sociopath in the White House and it is 2018- and he truly illustrates the traits and behaviors of a sociopath. So it is a relevant topic.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 6:55pm

Wow...congratulations, I believe you now hold the record for longest stretch used for a defense.

 

People are allowed to have their opinions -- you saying otherwise doesn't change anything.  (And in case you care, I don't think he's a sociopath nor do I think he needs to be punished.  But I'm a relatively rational human being and can't get upset by the way folks "think" about a fictional character.)

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 7:11pm

TotallyEffed and dramamama hit the nail on the head. He's a fictional character.

[Mike66]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 8:02pm

BroadwayRox3588 said: "TotallyEffed and dramamama hit the nail on the head. He's a fictional character."

Right again.  Of course, he's a fictional character who fabricated a huge lie and extended coverup  in order to get his object of desire into bed. So there's that to consider.

And no, he didn't just "tell a lie" and got caught at it.  He told a lie, then got his friend to engage in an extended series of lies (and perhaps crimes) in order to keep bedding her.

Theatre is full of fictional character (and fictionalized characters, ala Hamilton).  That doesn't mean that we cant gain through considering their (make believe) behavior.  

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 8:09pm

The musical tries its damnedest to get us to side with Evan and his many anxieties, but for some people (myself included), that just didn’t wash. His character may not be a sociopath, but he’s gross and extremely unlikable. The only thing I learned from watching the show was that some people will fall for anything if you pull hard enough at the heartstrings.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 10:11pm

Everyone entitled to their own opinions- but characters in books, theater, movies, tv,- are frequently dissected- to suggest that because Evan Hansen is not a real person- the plot of the show cannot be analyzed- we certainly did it for Nora- in Doll's House Part 2- Scarlett and Rhett- and many people- not me- are obsessed with Game Of Thrones and Star Wars characters- every revue of a movie or play analyzes the key characters- and the messages they telegraph- and what the writer was trying to communicate. My point- that adolescent behavior- as a teacher of LD/BD students in high school- can be transitional- many life lessons are learned during this period of development- and many times- even when mistakes- some really big mistakes- these mistakes lead to reckoning and self awareness.Judging kids too harshly- generally speaking- is not always best- though young people certainly have the ability to be really dangerous to society- particularly when violent crimes are committed- snd it cases like this- leniency and patience does no one any favors..

Updated On: 2/5/18 at 10:11 PM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 10:35pm

...who cares? Fictional character in a musical.  It's not real.  Everyone has the right to their interpretation - that's what makes it art. People on both sides need to chill, move on, etc.   xo 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 11:31pm

Wow. It’s unsettling how many people here are saying who cares and everyone has a right to their opinion. Arent we here on this board (at least partially) to argue sound opinions? These are the kind of remarks that I get from middle school students the first time they have a Socratic seminar and they can’t get past the “everyone’s entitled to an opinion” nonsense. If you have a sound opinion to counter the OP, then go for it. Otherwise these other posts are just taking up space.
Back to the thread topic, I find the real objectionable character in DEH to be Alana. The way she immediately turned the suicide into an attention-getting ploy for herself sickened me. I wish she had a song about how empty she felt inside because of her actions.
Lots of people are like that though. In the weeks after 9/11, a friend was visiting me in New York City and she saw firetrucks racing through Times Sq with their lights on. She immediately called her mom back home and asked her to turn on the news to see if they were heading to another terror attack and I could tell she was actually disappointed when there was nothing on the news—-no way to finagle a tragedy into attention on her. Needless to say we aren’t friends anymore.
Evan Hansen had so much happen to him and he passively let it happen. The icky part for me was how the writers were trying to make us pity him when I just wanted to tell him he is a jerk if he doesn’t speak up now before this goes a second further.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/5/18 at 11:47pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "The musical tries its damnedest to get us to side with Evan and his many anxieties, but for some people (myself included), that just didn’t wash. His character may not be a sociopath, but he’s gross and extremely unlikable. The only thing I learned from watching the show was that some people will fall for anything if you pull hard enough at the heartstrings."

Phantom4ever said: "The icky part for me was how the writers were trying to make us pity him when I just wanted to tell him he is a jerk if he doesn’t speak up now before this goes a second further."

^^^All of this.

I'm forever baffled by the love for this show.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 12:38am

Phantom4ever said: "Back to the thread topic, I find the real objectionable character in DEH to be Alana. The way she immediately turned the suicide into an attention-getting ploy for herself sickened me. I wish she had a song about how empty she felt inside because of her actions.
Lots of people are like that though. In the weeks after 9/11, a friend was visiting me in New York City and she saw firetrucks racing through Times Sq with their lights on. She immediately called her mom back home and asked her to turn on the news to see if they were heading to another terror attack and I could tell she was actually disappointed when there was nothing on the news—-no way to finagle a tragedy into attention on her. Needless to say we aren’t friends anymore."

I know this isn't really on the thread topic, but...SERIOUSLY???? That's just a disgusting attitude for her to have. 

Updated On: 2/6/18 at 12:38 AM