Coontails
What is the world as the coontail brothers know it? What are the brothers? From reading the book I have, the way I see it is the brothers are an unconventional specialized “special forces” team who have often found that their ‘unconventionalness’ made it hard to remain employed in a conventional system. They had plenty of work while the world was turned upside down but when things normalized their services were no longer needed nor wanted. So the boys struck out on their own in the mad and vastly transitioning world in which they lived. Here they were; highly-trained military roughnecks, tough hand-to-hand combatants, employed from time to time by various governments in irregular fighting and warfare, direct action, foreign infiltration, intelligence collection in deep battle-space areas, sabotage, raiding, and special reconnaissance operations, now finding themselves without a mission or purpose. When the government and society found stability, the brothers found themselves on the other side of the tracks, their methods in direct opposition to the establishment.
So what did they do? They worked as soldiers of fortune. They hired out and did the job moving items that no one wanted to touch and acknowledge existed. They were good at it because they were trained to work as an autonomously group in any environment, be it air, land, or at sea who can used and repair almost any form of transportation they can get their hands on. They were as tough as nails and could typically be found armed to the teeth. In the beginning, their purpose in taking a job was ultimately to earn some badly needed cash, but over time they all seem to have learned that money comes and goes as fast as the hot woman they meet at the local bars and it had about the same results; a night of frolic and fun to awake with realization that your head is pounding, your wallet is missing, a knife is sticking out your back, and you have a funny feeling that you better go get checked for an STD.
So as ‘Americorp’ stabilized more and more, the brothers found it harder and harder to keep doing what they did and stay anonymous from the law. So we find Rick and Utah heading south to try their luck in the land of the Mexican sun, Barett heading up north and finding that he somehow slipped into being accepted into the social establishment, and Dave getting lost to take a deep soul-searching look for some kind of meaning to everything.
This leads then to what is going on and were are they going? The brothers are in the jungle of
1 comment:
I see the brothers as representations of the usual masculine hero archetypes. There is the cowboy, the rebel, the spy, and the strong and silent type. However, an underlying flaw underscores all the heroics and many adventures of at least three of the four brothers.
Utah Blaine suffers from an obsessive compulsive personality (not to be confused with the cleaning disease). This disorder is marked by an unrealistic pursuit for perfection, an absolute dedication to a particular task, and a stringent moral code that no one could possibly follow consistently. It is no wonder that Utah experienced occasional fits of frustration. I believe this kind of mental illness was once called monomania. However, after a nervous breakdown (inevitable really), Utah has improved.
Rick Coontail (despite being charming, attractive, intelligent, fit, and highly skilled) suffers from an inferiority complex. Unable to attain the outlandish physical traits of Utah Blaine, the coping skills of Barett, or the self-confidence of Dave, Rick believes himself to be lesser than his brothers. In truth, Rick's abilities simply lie elsewhere, yet he compares himself to the best traits of his brothers and finds he falls short. Therefore, he overcompensates. Everything with Rick is supersized. Big guns, big vehicles, and big plans. In his mind, Rick is doing what it takes to break even with his brothers. From an outside perspective, though, Rick must come across as a larger than life character.
Dave suffers from an antisocial personality disorder. This is the direct opposite of Utah, hence the frequent conflicts between them. Dave does have ethics, but only insofar as it applies to the situation at hand. This adaptable outlook is far from a moral "code" as can be. Dave's disorder is marked by an inability to connect feelings with actions. This explains his fearlessness, shamelessness, and general isolation. He doesn't get the rush of adrenaline quite like the other brothers. Though he can get angry, combat is often perceived somewhat like an out of body experience. Typically Dave does not connect his actions with the adequate emotion. Luckily he is improving. Furthermore, it is fortunate that he takes pleasure in the small things. He is downright scary when angered or bored.
Barett is the most stable of the brothers. At most he suffers from mild paranoia and perhaps he may be somewhat of a conspiracy nut. However, this is most likely a result of Papa Rick's preparedness training. Barett errs on the side of caution if he errs at all. Since Barett is the most stable, he is likely the one first sought out by prospective clients. However, like Dave Barett tends to keep to himself. He only shares his innermost thoughts and feelings with close friends and family.
Anyhow, that is how I see the brothers, as traditional hero types, but with a central flaw that ironically is also the motivating factor behind the heroics. I think this makes them more real, more well rounded than the average action star. It is interesting to think that such awe inspiring characters stem from a deep seeded flaw, most likely insecurity. I hope I'm not too far off base with this little theory. Please advise me if I strayed too far.
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