OH SHIT. I didnāt even think about this.
so I actually did a lot of research into how children with terminal illnesses react/how parents and caregivers should comfort them for a fic a couple of months ago, and this post made me see a lot of connections between that research and Peterās reactions in That Scene. and, because I hate myself and everyone else, I thought Iād share that with all of you.
from this perspective, letās analyze Peterās dialogue in That Scene:
āMister Stark? I donāt feel so good.ā
children are like adults in the sense that, depending on their personality, they will either withdraw from their loved ones or become very clingy and attached as they near death. to me, Peter has always come across as the clingy type. in this moment, he is naturally reaching out for a trusted adult: Tony.
āI donāt⦠I donāt know whatās happening. I donāt know whatās-ā
I canāt imagine that Peter, who is a literal genius, hasnāt actually understood whatās happening to him at this point. heās just seen multiple people dissolve around him. his spidey senses must be supplying him with the knowledge of an imminent threat on his life. Iām, like, 80% sure heās already connected the dots by the time he says this. he doesnāt say it because heās actually confused, but because heās looking for reassurance. you have to take into account Peterās borderline unhealthy hero worship for Tony to fully understand these lines, too. Peterās realized heās about to die, but that doesnāt fit into his worldview because heās so freaking young, so he looks to Tony, his idol, to give him a better explanation.
āI donāt wanna go. I donāt wanna go. Sir, please. Please. I donāt wanna go. I donāt wanna go.ā
something that popped up continuously during my researchĀ was that children will try to ask questions about death through roundabout ways.
for example: children will often ask about their upcoming death by asking about a deceased loved one instead. a kid might say āwhere did grandma go?ā rather than straight up saying āwhatās going to happen to me when I die?ā itās part of the whole fear of death thing. if you donāt acknowledge it, it isnāt true.
hereās the moment where Peter starts to distance himself from the concept of death. heās pleading, but in a roundabout way. in the entire course of the scene, he never actually talks about life or death. he doesnāt say āI donāt wanna die.ā he says āI donāt wanna go.ā itās a really classic thing for a kid to do in this situation. heās trying to create euphemisms to mask a more unpleasant truth. thereās a reason kids tend to say things like āwent away,ā āpassed on,ā āwent to heaven,ā or even more crude things like ākicked it,ā or ābought the farm.ā itās a lot easier to talk about death when you arenāt actually talking about death.
fun fact that isnāt fun at all: a lot of terminally ill kids actually go through a shit ton of guilt over leaving their parents. a lot of kids are actually more distressed by their parentās distress than the fact that theyāre literally about to die. thereās been a lot of discussion in the fandom over exactly what Peterās apologizing for here, but I really believe itās that heās straight up apologizing for dying. we donāt actually see Tonyās face from the moment Peter stumbles into his arms until right after Peter fades away, but I image that he looks pretty freaking wrecked. acting under the assumption that Peter and Tony have grown closer since Homecoming, Peter can almost certainly tell that his death is going to tear Tony apart. so, in his final moments, Peter apologizes for that. his last emotion is guilt.
Peter Parker is so young. heās only 16/17 in Infinity War. thatās literally the peak age where youāre the most terrified of death. itās instinctual. the youth has to be petrified of dying because if theyāre not, the next generation wonāt actually grow old enough to reproduce.
and i genuinely think all of that explains why Peterās death hurts the most. because of his spidey senses and his advanced healing, he has time to panic and realize whatās about to happen to him. and because heās just a baby, heās the worst character for that to happen to. almost everyone else is confused and a few, like Wanda, are accepting, but Peter is scared. Peter fights. which makes sense, of course. heās the youngest. emotionally, logically, and instinctually, he has the most to lose.Ā
for Tony, and for the audience, there is a visceral reaction to watching Peter reel against the fade. because we donāt like death, but we take comfort in the concept of our loved ones ādying peacefully.ā when my parents put down my childhood cat, one of the first things they told me was that heĀ āwent quietly.ā and you know what? it helped. my barn recently lost two older horses in the course of a few weeks. one we had to euthanize and the other we found in his pasture, already dead. everyone agreed that the former was a lot easier to process because we knew he didnāt suffer. we ensured it. but for the latter, however, weāll never really know if he died quickly or if he was in pain. and thatās upsetting.
humans take comfort in the concept of a peaceful, dignified death. but PeterĀ doesnāt get that. he gets torn out of the world kicking, screaming, and very,Ā veryĀ afraid. there isnāt anything peaceful or dignified about it.Ā
(P.S. if all of this didnāt mess you up you enough, something else I found during my research was that grief is actually helped a ton by viewing the body after death. itās actually suggested for parents to allow siblings of a terminally ill child the opportunity to spend some time with the body after their sibling has passed. i know it sounds kinda morbid, but it helps start the grieving process if you can mourn over something solid.
but Peterās body disintegrated. Tony doesnāt have a body to grieve over.)