Ax Isn't Stupid

[Phoenix004]

If you've ever had a friend from a foreign country, you know that's just how they act sometimes.

Exactly, you don't lose your cultural identity over night.

[EmberGryphon]

I'm just going off on a random idea here. It's been a while since I read the books so I got nothing to really back this up. But if I remember correctly, Ax was always proud of who he was. Definitely had the Andalite pride thing going for him, I think.

What if (note the if) he was avoiding assimilating human mannerisms? Sort of like....what if he was afraid if he started acting too human he might start acting...less Andalite.

He was millions of light years away from home after all and for a while there seemed to be no hope of ever getting back to his own people. So it might make sense that he would be trying to cling to what he could.

*shrug* Just something I was thinking about.

Ooh, I totally dig this theory. =3 Sort of, continuing to act Andalite/freak out over taste and vocal sounds while he was in human morph so he intentionally wouldn't blend in with the humans.

Being uncomfortable with getting too cozy on Earth could also be one reason why he seems to revert back to "Extremist Andalite" near the end of the series- with his anti-vecol attitude, the thing with the "talking-to-my-Andalite-superiors-behind-Jake's-back", and the whole threatening-to-drop-warheads thing.

[fao13]

I'm just going off on a random idea here. It's been a while since I read the books so I got nothing to really back this up. But if I remember correctly, Ax was always proud of who he was. Definitely had the Andalite pride thing going for him, I think.

What if (note the if) he was avoiding assimilating human mannerisms? Sort of like....what if he was afraid if he started acting too human he might start acting...less Andalite.

He was millions of light years away from home after all and for a while there seemed to be no hope of ever getting back to his own people. So it might make sense that he would be trying to cling to what he could.

*shrug* Just something I was thinking about.

Ooh, I totally dig this theory. =3 Sort of, continuing to act Andalite/freak out over taste and vocal sounds while he was in human morph so he intentionally wouldn't blend in with the humans.

Being uncomfortable with getting too cozy on Earth could also be one reason why he seems to revert back to "Extremist Andalite" near the end of the series- with his anti-vecol attitude, the thing with the "talking-to-my-Andalite-superiors-behind-Jake's-back", and the whole threatening-to-drop-warheads thing.

majorly agree here. People talk about how Elfangor eventually turned into a basically normal human, but Ax didn't. i think the difference was that Elfangor actually CHOSE to become human, and that meant acting human. Ax never wanted to lose his Andalite identity, and becoming "too human" is an issue he deals with alot throughout the series

[Gaz]

Awesome! I'm glad that actually made sense to someone besides myself. lol.

But yeah, he never really chose to be on Earth like Elfangor did. Yes, he made friends, but for the most part seemed to be dealing with the situation until he could get home.

[SuperBlue]

Yeah I think ax is just pulling a Morf and pretending he doesn't understand stuff LOL

also....

"Ah." Ax nodded. "She does not understand
how menacing we are." He tapped her on the
shoulder. "You do not know me," he said, "but I
am a juvenile delinquent. I do not trust authority
figures, I probably will not graduate from high
school, and statistics say my present rowdiness
and vandalism will likely lead to more serious
crimes. I am a dangerous fellow, and I am causing
mayhem in this store."
He reached behind her and pulled three jars
of baby food from the top shelf. Shoved them behind
a box of macaroni. Shuffled the Cheez Whiz
in front of the Marshmallow Fluff. Tossed a bag
of lady's shavers onto a bag of hamburger buns.
"There. I have now shamelessly destroyed the
symmetry of this shelf, undoing hours of labor by
underpaid store employees. If you could see me,
you would be frightened."

That was the first time I'd ever laughed hysterically at a book LOL

[morfowt]

since when do I pretend (key word: pretend) I don't understand stuff?

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

Total necropost, but I'm surprised they never blamed Ax's behavior on Tourette's. Or they did and I missed it XD

I find that I understand Ax's point of view far better than the other characters. Or I can understand where he's coming from in terms of not understanding social behavior. I have a mental disability that affects social understanding and interaction, so I look at the world a lot like he does when he first came to Earth, and I've lived on Earth for 30 years.


And I'm sure Elfangor had trouble controlling his human morph at first, too. KA just glossed over that part of his life in the book.

[cams]

I'm just going off on a random idea here. It's been a while since I read the books so I got nothing to really back this up. But if I remember correctly, Ax was always proud of who he was. Definitely had the Andalite pride thing going for him, I think.

What if (note the if) he was avoiding assimilating human mannerisms? Sort of like....what if he was afraid if he started acting too human he might start acting...less Andalite.

He was millions of light years away from home after all and for a while there seemed to be no hope of ever getting back to his own people. So it might make sense that he would be trying to cling to what he could.

*shrug* Just something I was thinking about.

Ooh, I totally dig this theory. =3 Sort of, continuing to act Andalite/freak out over taste and vocal sounds while he was in human morph so he intentionally wouldn't blend in with the humans.

Being uncomfortable with getting too cozy on Earth could also be one reason why he seems to revert back to "Extremist Andalite" near the end of the series- with his anti-vecol attitude, the thing with the "talking-to-my-Andalite-superiors-behind-Jake's-back", and the whole threatening-to-drop-warheads thing.

majorly agree here. People talk about how Elfangor eventually turned into a basically normal human, but Ax didn't. i think the difference was that Elfangor actually CHOSE to become human, and that meant acting human. Ax never wanted to lose his Andalite identity, and becoming "too human" is an issue he deals with alot throughout the series

Is this the answer to why he always calls Jake "Prince"?

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

^It could be.

[CounterInstinct]

I remember a book (was it 18?) where in the end of the book Jake tells him one more time to not call him Prince. Ax adds "Yes, Prince Jake" silently. I think he calls Jake a Prince because he knows that Jake is capable and deserving of respect more than any Prince could have. Not only because he wants to remain Andalite. Jake became someone he looked up to.

[Darth Zakryn]

I totally agree. Ax was not Elfangor, and as much as he considered humans his allies he was still Andalite. That's a great theory.

Or maybe he had seen people on his TV who had tourette's and speech impediments and figured he wouldn't look out of place.

Dunno.

(shrug)