On: Peanuts and Linus
If you ask me what my favourite fictional universe is, I would answer without hesitation that it would be Peanuts. This, I have come to realize, is in itself an anomaly. No one around me — as far as I know — was a fan of these comics growing up. Most people’s earliest memories of Peanuts did not move past the TV specials A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. The crowd that actually grew up with Peanuts were those born in the 60s and 70s when reading newspapers was part of the morning routine and Peanuts was at the height of its popularity in the comic section. The late Mr. Charles Schultz passed away in 2000 and so ended the daily strips, but even back then, Peanuts has not been a staple in the mainstream childhood for a very, very long time.
So how did I first become introduced to Peanuts? Frankly, I can’t recall. But some time between coming to Canada in 2008 and getting my parents to buy me my first Peanuts books in 2010, I have somehow become irrevocably hooked onto this adorable world. Since then, I have probably read through all 50 years’ worth of strips for a minimum of 10 times.
The natural question: why did I like these comics so much? This seems incomprehensible for most people unfamiliar with the Peanuts universe. The strips are not particularly funny, they are only about a bunch of kids doing kid things, and most importantly — this is the most common complaint I have heard — the punchline never seems to make sense. In fact, not a single person I know that I have recommended Peanuts to has told me they have liked it — which makes me, imaginably, very sad :(
For myself personally, there are severe reasons why I find these comics so addictively fun:
- It’s the most wholesome thing you will ever read. While the comic strips will have all sorts of references to the Bible, the World Wars, philosophy, contemporary affairs, etc that perhaps only adults will get, they always remain wholesome. The humour is never based on political satire or anything inappropriate. After being burnt out from the real world, reading Peanuts empowers you in the same way playing with a puppy can.
- There’s never a punchline and the intention is never to make you laugh. I admit it, these comics are not funny. I don’t think I have ever burst out laughing while reading them, but that’s the point: they are meant to be heartwarming, not cheap attempts at making you laugh. Peanuts is never meant to lead up to hit-or-miss humour culminating in the last panel of each story. For me, every single panel within a Peanuts story strip is equally valuable for this precise reason. And let’s face it — for the comics that do try to get you to laugh, when was the last time that ever succeeded?
- Considering this is a fictional universe that’s intended for adults, these comics are exclusively about kids doing kid things. I do not think there’s any other fictional universe intended for a mature audience that does this. Sure, the kids in Peanuts are certainly precocious and demonstrate wisdom well beyond their years, but at the end of the day their concerns never leave the confines of their age: it’s always about school, daydreams, sports, summer camps, and preadolescent romantic interest. Their concerns over these juvenile issues can turn out to be quite philosophical and reflective of society, and this is what I loved about these strips as a kid: Peanuts offered me insights into what adulthood would be like in the most G-rated way possible.
- And lastly, these comic strips can turn out to be downright ridiculous. Let’s face it: I have a pretty ridiculous sense of humour, and Peanuts matches well with that. For example: a boy scout crew where Snoopy the beagle is the scoutmaster and birds are the scouts? How do you not find this absurd premise hilarious?
Like most people, I have always resonated with Charlie Brown or Snoopy. Being the most important characters of the Peanuts world, their spotlight naturally lends to their popularity. But even outside of their significance as the protagonists, people naturally identify with these characters because of how universal their traits can be.
Charlie Brown has characteristics that remind most people of themselves: he rarely succeeds in any of his endeavours despite alwaystrying his very best, and he has complex self-esteem issues that necessitate frequent trips to the neighbourhood psychiatrist Lucy. When he falls in love, he stumbles hard and lacks the courage to pursue his romantic interests. At the same time, he never fails to be upbeat and despite leading the worst baseball team of any fictional universe, he is endlessly optimistic about his ability to turn things around. He is also a great dog owner and a great friend; overall, just a solid dude that everyone likes. I think everyone can find themselves in Charlie Brown.
Snoopy’s traits are universal in the opposite way: not many people find themselves in him, but everyone certainly wants to be him. He is mysterious, funny, cultured, charismatic, fiercely independent, and always ends up saving the day in one way or another when his friends are in a jam.
I have certainly always thought of myself as a Charlie Brown that wishes he could be a Snoopy. Very recently, however, I have begun to think of myself as more and more of a Linus instead.
This is interesting because Linus was never a particularly interesting character in my opinion. Just as how he is the middle child of the Van Pelt family, his characterization screams “middle child syndrome” simply because of how his siblings overshadow him. His older sister, Lucy, has hands down the strongest personality of the whole series, and unlike his younger brother Rerun, who became Schultz’s favourite character in the 90s, Linus never got that much spotlight dedicated to himself. In most cases he is just the supporting character, whether it is in helping Charlie Brown become less sad, persuading Sally to hate summer camp less, or being reluctantly involved in Lucy’s latest fancies.
But I think the biggest reason it is hard for most people to appreciate Linus is that his characterization…is so ambiguous. Unlike most other characters with defining features, Linus’s personality is frequently conflicted. He is meant to be the wisest and most well-read character of the whole comic, yet he is also the dumbest at times: he is fanatic about the idea that a certain “Great Pumpkin” deity would rise during Halloween, and as result of this belief, he sustains significant ridicule from others. He himself never participates in Trick-Or-Treating, spending the whole night in a pumpkin patch instead to wait for the ascendance of his Halloween god.
And despite being always independent and calm, Linus’s attachment to his Security Blanket can only be compared to a hard drug addiction.
So: he is smart but also dumb, confident but also insecure. What is he exactly? This is why, in my opinion, most people cannot exactly describe his personality; and if you can’t describe Linus, you certainly won’t bring up Linus when asked to be compared to a Peanuts character.
This is how Schultz thinks of Linus:
“Linus, my serious side, is the house intellectual, bright, well-informed which, I suppose may contribute to his feelings of insecurity”
Linus is intelligent but, as with many well-educated people, he can be stubborn in his factually wrong beliefs, perhaps even more so because of his self-diagnosis as an intellectual. He is confident and outspoken, a development that may have been caused by his upbringing as the younger sibling of Lucy. But, as we all know, these people tend to be the most insecure deep down. This is why Linus clings on to his blanket as it fuels him to harangue on topics such as the Great Pumpkin and the existence of all kinds of undiscovered animals, against the opposition of everyone else.
Schultz may have created Linus with this intent, but my interpretation actually differs. I do not see the blanket as a sign of insecurity. Linus is, in my opinion, the most authentic and unapologetic character in the entire comic.
Outside of Schroeder and Pig Pen — both of whose characterizations are too one-dimensional for this discussion — every major character in Peanuts deals with issues of authenticity. They either prefer to hide away in a secret persona or feel severely inadequate with their real selves. Charlie Brown is a great example of this — the pinnacle of his social success only came after no one knew what he looked like when he ran for summer camp president as the kid with the sack over his head.
Lucy is supposedly the most confident character of the whole series. Yet, she is also the most ego-driven. Her confidence is fueled by self-aggrandizement and the putting down of others. That is far from being authentic.
Peppermint Patty, the tomboy of the series, is seen by many as the most genuine and carefree character. But where she falls short is in her self-acceptance. She does not have the unapologetic qualities of Linus, evidenced by her shame of receiving poor grades and body-image issues.
And lastly, Snoopy himself — he who constantly lives in his fantasy land and lacks the courage to deal with the many challenges of real life, such as the cat next door. We love him for his alter egos and other terrific qualities, but being authentic certainly is not one of them.
Linus may not be as interesting or have as memorable of a personality as any of these characters. But when it comes to being comfortable in his own skin, no one can compare with him. He and Charlie Brown are the two most ridiculed characters in the entire Peanuts universe, but unlike Charlie Brown who mopes and stays miserable, Linus is not only able to shrug it off, but even actively seeks to educate and change his naysayers. He is truly passionate when it comes to what he cares about and opens it up to the whole world, even if these passions reveal his insecurities and controversial beliefs. This is something few among us can say we are brave enough to do.
For example, take in one of my favourite Linus storylines: his attempt at running for school president. Outside of just having an awesomely kick-a$$ speech that leaves the adults squirming in their seats, Linus uses this opportunity to openly talk about the Great Pumpkin — fully knowing that he may very well be ruining his odds of becoming school president. But between being the school president and revealing his true thoughts to the world, our main man does not hesitate in choosing the latter.
Linus also displays his unapologetic confidence when he is ridiculed for his security blanket. Instead of hiding the blanket as anyone else would in his shoes, he stands up for himself and openly challenges his bullies. Beyond that, he is unapologetic enough to display the blanket to even his love interests, knowing that it will probably have a negative impact — but our man does not care because he does not hide who he is. If the love interest cannot accept the blanket, he moves on and does not doubt himself. This is evident when he found out his crush, his teacher Miss Othmar, detests security blankets.
The fact that Linus is so comfortable in his own skin is probably why Sally has always had such a crush on him, as she is also a very straight-up person. Unfortunately, Linus does not reciprocate her interest.
Despite his awesome qualities as a straight freakin’ alpha, Linus does have his downsides. He is passionate to the point that he is incredibly stubborn, and he does not change his mind even when proven wrong, whether it is with the Great Pumpkin or with the exotic animals he imagines that do not actually exist. This is probably the biggest issue most people have with Linus as it is a pretty damning weakness. I personally do not have a problem with this, though — the fact that this is such a glaring weakness is because Linus does not bother with hiding it — unlike other people. At least you will never have to worry about this guy backstabbing you or lying, very much unlike his older sister.
I have always thought of myself as a Linus. Like Linus, I am nerdy in my own ways and generally do not shy from demonstrating my awkward side to the public. Just as how Linus relies on his blanket to provide his sense of security against his naysayers, I rely on a series of rituals in my life to maintain my happiness, from my diet to my strength training to my career objectives. Perhaps I am not as unapologetic as Linus can be when challenged by the world and love interests, but at the same time, I am also not as extreme in my beliefs.
If you have read through all of that just now, I want to say that there’s absolutely no message to take away from this blog post. It’s just me rambling about as I read through all the Peanuts strips that I used to love and think about the feelings I used to have. If you weren’t a Peanuts fan before, I hope this post may spark your interest in the series now. If you are also a Peanuts fan and we have never talked about this before, feel free to shoot me a message :) It’s a wild world out there for wholesome people like us.
