I was lucky to see The Peanuts Movie the other week. I liked it a lot. I was just a casual reader of the newspaper comic strip. I never realized before that the Peanuts characters were actually deep. Take for instance Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is always anxious and depressed, is insecure and views himself as a failure (kinda dark for a character from a comic strip for children, don't 'ya think?). He can't fly a kite, can't win a baseball game and can't kick a football. He also constantly worries if he is liked by his peers. He needs constant validation. He has a perpetual crush on the Little Red-Haired Girl but he doesn't have the courage to talk to her (unrequited love, I could totally relate to that).
Good ol' Charlie Brown has some positive traits though. He genuinely cares about those around him. This was displayed in the movie when he decided to help his younger sister Sally during a talent show, sacrificing his chance to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl in the process. Charlie Brown is also hopeful and resilient. He knows that someday he would fly that kite, would win that baseball game and would kick that football. He never gives up.
With that, let's take a look at some of the other characters from Peanuts.
Linus - The philosopher of the group. Charlie Brown's best friend. Often depicted with a blue security blanket in hand. He is alawys there to encourage Charlie Brown.
Lucy - is bossy and loves to mock Charlie Brown. She finds it hard to believe that Charlie Brown could ace a test. She is also Charlie Brown's psychiatrist. She gives out 5-cent advice from behind her "psychiatry booth".
A recurring gag in Peanuts is Lucy pretending to hold a football for Charlie Brown to kick, and then pulling out at the last minute. Charlie Brown falls and Lucy laughs.
Snoopy - Charlie Brown's dog and pal. He is friends with Woodstock, a bird named after the '60s music festival. Snoopy flies gallant missions against the Red Baron in a setting which only he could see. He's also a would-be best-selling author.
Schroeder - The musician of the group. Associated with a toy piano. Lucy's crush. Plays classical music.
References:
The Charlie Brown Theory of Personality | Psychology Today
Meet the Gang - FiveCentsPlease.org
Credits:
The Peanuts Movie
Photos from all over the internet
