Jervologist

More madgoose art, I love them dearly. Edit: my bad the name was Madberry but call them however you want

It seems a little on the nose to do so. Initially, I had speculated that it had something to do with his upbringing, presumably being born in the 50s or earlier, and how Western attitudes were biased towards foreign cultures during that time. However, I was informed that the most plausible explanation was that the 90s were more lax when it came to portrayal of stereotypes. Such depictions wouldn't be nearly as acceptance by today's standards in media.

What surprised me is that only the shaman seems to be a native of Central America. The rest of his henchmen he mind-controlled appeared to be ordinary Gothamites, given their more casual speech patterns and American accent. In other words, this wasn't their culture. It was merely how Jervis wanted them to appear: menacing.

I found that to be very interesting because it's further evidence of how Jervis views other humans as characters he must fit into a role in his story instead of being unique personalities. He does the same with his co-workers and citizens in 'Mad as a Hatter'. He dresses them up as roles from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' according to how he dictates, not for any other quality other than superficial.

It's all about theatrics and presentation. This is just another way for Jervis to exert power and control, by imposing his fantasy and will onto others, dressing them up in costumes that disregard their humanity.

He doesn't value people for who they are, he finds use in their potential to emulate symbols or roles in his Wonderland fantasy. Alice isn't the person; she's Alice from the novel. His henchmen aren't so much more than "savages" for him to assert his own image of refinement as a classy Englishman. Even his lab rats don't escape the same treatment, being used as dolls to play out a little tea party.

What I find fascinating is the way he implies the rats' ethology is "uncivilised", and only through his intervention—the manipulation of the animals to re-enact rituals such as orderly drinking tea—may they be civil.

I was reminded of how Jervis refers to Billy in the following quote:

"It would be so easy to make her forget her boorish beau and love me."

To be boorish is an antonym of civil. So not only does Jervis view Alice's partner as a romantic rival, but he actively suggests that he himself is superior to Billy on the basis of his "refined" manners.

He assumes that is what will serve Alice better in a romantic partner. He knows nothing of their connection or their love. He dismisses anyone who is less than proper as almost beneath consideration. He internally believes himself to be better than Billy, not only as a product of his own yearning for Alice, but also because he thinks that he will serve her better as a "gentleman". He confuses manners with morality and equates his own understanding of civility with worth.

Even before he became the Mad Hatter, there is underlying arrogance and superiority that only amplifies once he reaches his metaphysical transformation. The flaws were always there from the beginning, they were just a lot harder to detect, especially considering how isolated he was from society.

That's what makes his juxtaposing uncouthness as the Mad Hatter, such as his smug comments and rage towards his henchmen's shortcomings in 'The Worry Men', so intriguing to me. It's hypocrisy. He was like this the whole time; he was just good at hiding it beneath his meek and proper façade. He slams his fist into the benchtop his rats are on when he is showing them the circuitry cards. The aggression was always there.

This wasn't a metamorphosis. It was a revelation of the parts of himself he had concealed from the world.

There was a quote I discovered recently, and in essence, I believe it is what Jervis and his true self, the Mad Hatter, represents at its core.