Envy Character Analysis PART 3

Envy Character Study Part 3

We meet our adorable sexually-ambiguous homunculus in volume 8, in which it doesn't do all that much. However, there are still goodies of character study to be found here!

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So, we finally happen upon Envy with his other homunculi siblings Lust and Gluttony as they observe the newly-captured Greed suspended and crucified on a cross-like rock slab (or iron pole in the anime or giant slab as in the religiously-sensitive Viz edition of the series).

Greed and Envy, as we veterans of the first series will already know, have never been bosom buddies. For how similar they are in their vices, they are also radically different, and difference, as the FMA series shows us, naturally causes conflict.
Greed and Envy, as individual sins, both reflect the desire to gain something of value, and in pursuit of this negatively affect others.

This is, however, where the similarities end. Greed focuses nigh-entirely on material goods, such as money, property etc. Envy on the other hand, seeks far more personal qualities, e.g: physical, mental attributes, successes, family, friends, lovers, qualities, all of which it is deprived of or lacking in. Greed wants, and it gets. Envy wants, but does not. Greed is all about living in the most and enjoying luxury, while Envy writhes under these unnatainable pleasures and hates and hates for it as frustration fuels an endless cycle of destruction. For Envy is a sin that, to quote Shakespeare's Othello in which envy is a predominant theme, "mocks the meat it feeds on" by denying its own existence and fooling its host into believing it does not need the above, all the while craving them. Because of this defensive tactic, used to shield itself from its own envious self, the envious individual makes no attempt to better itself in pursuit of what he/she wants--instead, it seeks to deprive others of what it itself lacks to assuge its own inner turmoil of rage and hatred, to all-too-briefly convince itself that it is perfectly fine as it is, while, deep down, it knows this is far from the case. Envy is entirely different from jealousy in that regard--jealousy describes the fear of losing something personal to the jealous person, i.e.: a girlfriend/boyfriend, while envy never possessed that key something in the first place, and is all the more destructive.

"What envy cannot have, it destroys."

Greed, therefore, is the absolute bane of Envy's existence, being the essence of gain while he is the essence of deprivation, unable to face its own shortcomings to further itself and become like Greed. Therefore, the two are naturally predisposed to hating one another, while at the same time acting as each-other's lighting rod, to absorb the worst aspects of themselvees. Envy uses Greed to distract itself from its own insecurities while Greed, I believe, uses Envy to distrsct himself from the notion of lacking/losing everything he has gained and becoming just like Envy. Thus, the two are like magnets, drawing and repelling each other at the same instance to fuel their own darkest secrets and distracting themselves from them.

Seeing Envy just sitting there all hunched over, glum and, quite clearly, not interested or impressed by seeing his treacherous older sibling rendered completely helpless right there above his head and in what most would regard as a seriously humiliating position, is interesting to say the least. Envy is the type to instantly mock anyone regardless of relation to itself, so why isn't it jumping at the chance like a rabid dog?

Even when Greed wakes up, Envy doesn't say a word, even when the former insults the latter's taste in dress (and, as we have discovered in earlier chapters, Envy is pretty particular about its appearance and has deeper insecurities that make it all the more defensive).

So…what's going on?

I believe that this is due to the aforementioned idea that Envy and Greed, while hating each other, simultaneously need each-other to suit themselves and their deepest, darkest selves. Therefore, Envy simply cannot enjoy Greed's capture and demise, as this is in itself the demise of the one thing to which Envy can vent and hide its own inner demons into, the one person whom Envy needs to save itself from the madness of being alone to confront its own un controllable envious feelings. The reason Envy wasn't far more emotional during this event is perhaps due to the fact that it still has Lust, the only other homunculus Envy is shown to interact with regularly, although this time in a far more friendly manner. Envy could still vent and confide to her, if it ever felt the need to, still had a close tie, a reigning hand, the final restraint, under which Envy could keep its emotions under control (as it did in the incident in Lab Five where Lust stopped Envy from going over the edge and revealing way too much, a tendancy that ends up killing it in the end).

It makes sense that when Lust is killed, Envy plunges into a downward spiral of degradation that ultimately means its downfall. Its emotions become far more erratic, its actions unrestrained by Lust's guiding words and presence. Lust is the final barrier to insanity and ruin for Envy, and it is fitting that Envy remembers her in its final battle with Mustang.

Getting back to things, Envy is strangely quiet through most of the exchange between Lust, Greed and Wrath. That is, until it butts in with: "What are you talking about? "Nothing is impossible"! You always used to say that. Did you forget?" and finishes off with the jibe: "Are you getting senile in your old age?"

So Envy's back in its old mocking self, grinning all over its face and all-too-happy to have a joke at Greed's expense.

However, he was unprepared for Greed's blunt response:

"Shut the hell up, you ugly shit."

Envy doesn't react initially—perhaps because the insult hasn't quite hit home yet…but when it does, BOOM! Its expression could kill the world's population of puppies. It's boiling with fury that's as plain as the nose on its face. Envy's lack of control on its emotions is, as I've said in the previous parts, the key to its downfall.

And, naturally, Greed takes advantage of it just as much as Envy did to him…and everything else. "Ooh yeah, I like that face! Why don't you show your true self? Envy the freak!"

Now, anyone's blood would be boiling at this point, but this is Envy we're talking about here. We're talking about a creature who is, in the manga at least, over a hundred years old, and in that time has nursed a self-loathing so extreme it would alter its entire appearance to be rid of the humiliation and shame connected with its so-far-unknown true form. But even this isn't enough to assuage its own insecurities—in fact, it only worsens them; further imbedding the root of its own rage and hate deep inside itself and covering it up with an all-too-fragile wrap. It increases the complex of harbouring self-loathing while denying it through brash arrogance and channelling all its energy into hating and wreaking havoc amongst humanity. The unbelievable strain this false pretence must have had on its already disturbed mind accounts for Envy's short fuse and unstable emotional state.

Envy's reaction to Greed's taunts—rubbing salt in the open wound—is thus perfectly understandable. It prepares to attack (perhaps even transform into its giant monster form and eat Greed right there and then), and its nigh-totally black shading in the manga indicates pure, unbridled fury while threatening to destroy its sibling.

Greed should've thanked his lucky stars Father had stopped everything before things got ugly…so to speak. Immediately Envy turns, and the sweatdrop coming off it (an indication of apology or meekness) implies a sincere obedience that all homunculi (barring Greed) share towards its parent. It is the only one of the homunculi that ever showed such blatant misgivings on making its parent discipline it. It would make sense that, out of the homunculi, Envy was the one who most openly or at least inwardly craved Father's affections, knowing the kind of love humans thrive under with their own parents. This is shown again in this volume when Father raises a toast to his children, and the next panel shows Gluttony, Lust and Envy, with Envy in the direct foreground, smiling proudly at its parent's blessing, formal as it was. There is another instance that occurs in far later chapters, but I won't discuss it here—that's for later. Envy's craving for affection from Father (or indeed, anybody) is arguably one major reason it killed Hughes. In the manga, the disguised Envy treads upon a photo of Elicia, Gracia and Hughes together—the perfect happy family, far from anything Envy ever had, what with the cold, distant and cruel relationships of its siblings and Father.

The last piece of analysis in this volume comes in the form of Greed's 'meltdown' into the Philosoper's Stone for digestion. As Greed is screaming in pain, and bearing it with a grin and yelling "Come on in, brothers and sisters, the water's fine! And I'm sure the flames of hell are even hotter!" etc. etc., finally laughing his head off as he's liquidised. Envy's expression (shown as Greed yells "And I'm sure the flames of hell are even hotter!") is given special focus—it's not beaming in triumph or sadism, as one might expect from a sadistic individual such as itself. On the contrary, Envy looks angry still.

As I have emphasised above, Greed's death was less than satisfactory for Envy. It needs Greed as a distraction, as an object of obvious comparison to vent to, to hate without imploding on itself with self-loathing. No amount of death and destruction, even from its worst and most hated enemies, can ever truly satisfy Envy until it faces itself and its own inner demons, both of which it goes to extreme lengths to ignore, to its own fatal cost.

Envy Character Analysis Part 3/End