Okay so, I’m still early in, so apologies if I’m missing some other clues or interpretations, or if I’m just getting things plain wrong (anyone is welcome to correct me or just add their own takes ^^) - but; I noticed and wanted to appreciate how the concept of “stop” factors in to Cassandra’s origin. Like, communicating “stop” - telling something or someone to “stop”. For one, it’s the first word she successfully learns how to speak;
And she first spoke it when David Cain reunited with her;
It goes on to be the only word she can speak for a while.
Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61
And even prior to her first utterance of the word, Cassandra is shown to have learned how to express the idea of communicating “stop” in a language more comfortable to her - physicality.
It’s a phrase she’s taken to. And you can see why it would appeal to her. Why it’s so significant that the first word she speaks is one that is able to both disapprove of and order the ceasing of an action, after living a life deprived of that level of control.
After all, she first verbalizes it only after being reminded of what was the most traumatic result of this power imbalance growing up.
And when she repeats it, the comparison is made even more obvious; by placing it side-by-side with what was likely the biggest, and earliest, attempt to communicate that idea, using the only language she’d known - violence.
None of that is to say the idea of being able to just say “stop” suddenly came to her in THIS moment, at 17 years old. But it seems likely she picked it up only after leaving Cain.
Children are impressionable, and are going to defer to adults at a young age. As a parent, I don’t think Cain left any room for her to believe the life he was raising her for was optionable. And I believe the significance of this moment is that Cass has come face-to-face with him, and is now able to tell him to stop - to impart her disapproval, and demand adherence. Using both languages.
There lies the difference between these two scenes. Cass isn’t a confused child anymore, her escape from Cain isn’t defined by impulse, and certainly not misunderstanding - all of which are what David Cain seems to assume of her in the way he approaches her. She knows what she means to say. And why she’s saying it. She knows she doesn’t want to be deprived of control any longer. And her expression as she repeats it seems to be at peace in finally relaying that to him.
It’s Cass who’s internally comparing the events. And it’s Cain who can’t see the difference, still chasing after that wounded dove he can coax back into a cage.
And it’s also not a purely verbal idea! With the way things go, I don’t see it as a case of “speech is the pinnacle of expression”. Cass continues to communicate “stop” through physical signals, because at the end of the day, that is more natural for her. And it’s perfectly capable of communicating the same thing. For example, her continued use of the raised hand gesture;
As well as other gestures she’s picked up throughout her life. One comes specifically from David Cain’s training, in fact; which provides a perfect example of how Cain methodized control over people in his time - and how Cassandra has flipped that around and taken control of herself. All so she can communicate that there’s nothing anyone can do to stop her from doing what she’s going to do. Which, in this case, is stopping Cain himself from hurting more people.
And by the time she does just that, even David Cain is starting to realize this. By her own volition, Cass tracked him down - foiled his plans - and once again, said “stop”.
And for once, David Cain realizes she means it. There’s nothing he can do.
Cassandra has outgrown him.
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