Hello, back from the grave(briefly)
I know I said I would be taking a break from posting analysis of the episodes and scenes but I've been thinking about this for weeks and I can't get it out of my head so might as well write a post dedicated to Don Hermes.
In order to really understand this character, once more, we have to look at the dynamics, culture, era, and context of cause and effect of this character, his motives, reasons, and effects not only that affect him but effect Betty.
In this post I will be discussing the following:
Actions don't tend to only affect those who cause and those who are direct receivers of said actions; contrary they are a domino effect.
We have to look at the consequences of daughters who grow up with and without a father.
As I've mentioned before in order to write good characters you have to understand your characters. It's not a maybe, a possibility, or a perhaps in the choices your characters make, it is a 100% understanding of the choices your characters make.
Feelings and emotions are something that contribute a lot in the way we behave, react, and deal with things, if we didn't have emotions than it would be a warning to seek professional help.
What does this have to do with a fictional character?
The lure of watching TV is that it's meant to be mindless, numbly, and just something to fry your brain so you can escape reality. Unless you set out to watch a real life event made to movie based on facts or a documentary you expect that everything you watch is meant to not make you think. It's the appealing factor of watching TV instead of reading. With reading you're more aware of the dilemas, action, cause and effect, as well as see the world through the main character's eyes.
It's sort of a manual that guides you right through this story you've jumped in to see. You become the main character and see the world just as they see it. However with TV, that's not something you truthfully get[to experience] and the reason being is that even when there is a main character being the voice of guidance like in books, you really get to see the main character for what they are. You aren't vividly in the main character's train of thought like in reading, you're only watching it, not living it, so small details in movies and tv shows can be greatly missed, unless if you're like me, who obsesses over small tiny details, than you aren't going to pick up on it right away, or maybe never.
We know one film snobs who think certain movies are the epidemy of art and commentary of society norms and that mundane movies and tv shows based on clichés are boring and braindead excuses that only people who can't think watch, yuck.
Suspenseful, detective, crime, and thriller movies have an advantage, you as the viewer, know that something is up and that the character's can't be trusted, even the main character, so you as the viewer, make the extra effort to pay attention to small details. It becomes a conscious effort, just like reading.
When you're reading you make the conscious effort to pay attention to detail because you know that in order to really enjoy the book you must immerse yourself into that world. I've seen memes where people say: When you're reading and you're the director, the producer, wardrobe/set designer, and main actor on set so you have to cut the scene, go back and re-read a sentence until you imagine it just right.
When you're watching TV all of that is done for you. It's why many times when novels, trilogies, or books are turned into movies we're left disappointed because it's not what we imagined.
What does all of this have to do with domino effect and Don Hermes you ask?
Well simply put: he's a character that is just as wonderfully written as the rest that people just lump with a bad father and I am here to clear his name.
To watch Yo Soy Betty, La Fea and really understand the moral of the story you have to pay attention to detail because it gives a broader understanding of the characters, moral, and overall the point of the story we're being told.
These details if ignored, distort the story we are hearing. It gives it a false narrative and takes away the reality that Fernando Gaitan was writing and that's another thing; YSBLF is based on the logic of that world and it closely if not, is a mirroring or resemblance to our real world and the commentary of FG on it.
In Latine America men are raised to be mentally, emotionally, and physically strong and that they are stronger in all those aspects to that of women. The consequence of this is that it builds a culture of machismo where the translation that men and women are different means that women are lesser than men, in that culture and that women need men to live and cater to men.
noun strong or aggressive masculine pride. "the exaggerated machismo displayed in the tango"
Machismo is deeply imbedded in Latine American culture and taught to boys as they grow up. Nowadays that's changing and the idea of men being machistas and that being acceptable is being challenged but we're not talking about nowadays, we're talking about the past.
YSBLF came out in 1999, Betty is roughly around 23-25 when the novela starts, her father and mother are much older than her(DUH)and very old school however a bit open minded in some things. In Betty's birthday episode the way Don Hermes was dressed and the music he selected gives an understanding that he most likely was born in the late 40's or 50's and that he lived long enough in those decades to see the consequences of war, the importance of being ethical and having a good moral compass, idealizing "Simpler" times and so forth.
He is very old fashioned in the understanding that what makes a well rounded person is the family they have and how much of a reflection it is of their parents that their child is a good person. However, idealistically speaking, he goes against the grain of what a machista is, therefore he isn't a machista.
Now you may ask: "But he constantly yells at Betty and her mom!" and yes, he is a crappy husband, but we're not talking about that, just yet.
Don Hermes pushed his daughter to study, and in a field were women aren't really welcomed, especially in Latin America in the 90's(especially if you're "ugly"), constantly told her she didn't need to depend on anyone, that she didn't need a job, especially work in a place where they humiliated her, because he'd always take care of her, however, he always encouraged her to be hard working and put all her degrees to work.
That goes against the core believe that machistas have.
Now that we know he isn't a machista, let's take a look at another part of his character.
Don Hermes is very old school with the way women compose themselves. He looks down upon Betty's friends because they have "libertinaje" meaning they live a immodest lifestyle. Divorced, single mothers, separated, out without her husband, drunkards', loud, dressed in tight clothing, and "looking fervently" for a man. All things he believes women shouldn't be.
Understanding the domino effect is important here because this is something that Don Hermes has tried to shield Betty from, from a young age.
Wikipedia: Domino effect: A domino effect or chain reaction is the cumulative effect produced when one event sets off a chain of similar events. The term is best known as a mechanical effect and is used as an analogy to a falling row of dominoes
In the late 70's and 80's the world faced the epidemic of AIDS, at that time there wasn't a broad understanding of what AIDS was and how you got it however, it was something, that to this day, is understood to be a desease one gets from unprotected sex , multiple sex partners and a wild social life.
Yeah I know, what does this have to do with anything?
Imagine hearing in the news that globally, a desease that affects both women and men, particularly, from what I've read, AIDS was more prominent in the years of 1993-1997 in Colombia, AIDS was at it's highest rate of infection, in your country, that doesn't have enough research or treatment, is affecting the younger population. Nowadays we understand that men are at a higher risk of AIDS than women. However this type of information wasn't so openly out there in the past.
So in conclusion: There's a sexually transmitted deseas with no cure, no real understanding of how you can get it, and people who have a "Wild and free" life seem to be the most affected: My daughter will not be influenced by people to live a "wild and free" life at the risk of dying.
Yeah Don Hermes was also old school and believed that women who had relations outside of wedlock were not pristine and a bad reflection of moral teaching.
However and I will get to this later on in this post, you have to understand your character's fears and worries.
I'm trying to paint a picture here, of an example that is not at all factual in the show but just to give an understanding of what could have caused this man to be so overly protective of his daughter. If you grew up with old school traditions and teachings, with a daughter that was bullied for simply existing, in a world that didn't accept your child as is, that lives in a country where drug wars, civil wars, and epidemics of deseases with no cure are prevalent, would you not be an over bearing parent?
The domino effect of the world that Don Hermes grew up in and watched his daughter grow up in affected him to be over bearing, over protective, and a strict father.
Lets not forget that to Don Hermes Betty was his most precious possession and that he strongly believed that the best inheritance a father could leave their child was good moral conduct, modest, and ethical example.
He wanted his daughter to stay inside his house, where he could keep an eye on her, because he wanted to keep her safe and protect her from the world. Were his methods not the best? Yeah.
Due to this over protectiveness of his, Betty grew up shield from the real world and naïve to an extent, of the dangers of it and how deprived men can be. This does have a domino effect in Betty's life-when it comes to being social.
Was he at fault for his daughter's low self-esteem and self worth?
No and you can catch these hands if you think otherwise.
Lets now jump into the subject of understanding of:
What are the Consequences of growing up with and without a father for a girl?
When we get flashbacks of Betty's childhood her dad is very present in those flashbacks, overbearingly so. In the first topic we understood why he was overbearing, the reasons why, and what the domino effect of his life experience had on him as a father, however in this section we're still dealing with the domino effect of his parenting methods, but it isn't the main focus.
In the Armando post where I briefly talked about the subject of a parents roles in their child's development I said something along the lines of how children are a reflection of their environment and that parents are a huge part of their child's development.
Betty as well is a reflection of her environment and the role her parents had in her life.
We love Betty, she's sweet, caring, kind, loving, "innocent", always trying to see the good in people, and intelligent.
Father figures are an extremely important role both for their sons and daughters but especially in the role of their daughter's self-esteem.
Self-esteem isn't only based on your looks, it's a broader understanding of you and what you are as a reflection of how you feel about it all, if that makes sense.
Studies show that girls who grow up without a father tend to have more problematic relationships, low self-esteem, low self-worth, battle addiction, depression, suicide, eating disorders, etc.
Though Betty does have low self-esteem and absolutely no self-worth, she doesn't have it as a result of having an absent father and like I said in the Armando post: an absent parent doesn't always mean that the parent isn't physically there. It can mean a parent who isn't there for the emotional and mental growth and development of their child, however obviously some parents aren't there for all three things.
"Fathers provide their daughters with a masculine example. They teach their children about respect and boundaries and help put daughters at ease with other men throughout their lives. [...] So if she didn't grow up with a proper example, she will have less insight and she'll be more likely to go for a man that will replicate the abandonment of her father."
— Caitlin Marvaso, AMFT, a grief counselor and therapist in Oakland, CA
source: https://wehavekids.com/family-relationships/When-Daddy-Dont-Love-Their-Daughters-What-Happens-to-Women-Whose-Fathers-Werent-There-for-Them#:~:text=To%20summarize%2C%20depression%2C%20suicide%2C,effects%20of%20an%20absent%20father.
Has Don Hermes been an emotionally/mentally absent father?
Again the flashbacks we get don't point to that. In fact it's a father who is present, in mostly every flashback, and one who takes the lead of it. Betty often talks about him with endearment and even names him as her most precious possession, which mirrors Don Hermes sentiment towards her. He is her pride.
He constantly is seen being protective of her and while not the most emotional guy, he showers her with positive attention and reaffirming her worth by reminding her that she is well educated, academically educated, has good moral and ethical standing, and should be respected because she is deserving of it, not only because of all the above but because she is his daughter, his pride and joy.
So then, what are the consequences of having a present father, who is both mentally and emotionally present in a girls life?
For one self-esteem and self worth are a lot higher, expectations of men and long lasting relationships with them are healthier, they are not afraid to set boundaries, self-respect, lower chances of risky behavior etc.
Speaking from experience of being a daddy's girl: a father's role is extremely important to building healthy relationships with not only men but people in general(I was gonna make a personal experience joke but it was outta pocket). My father taught me how to read, draw, write, count, and how to cry it out. There wasn't a bad day in school that I didn't go to my dad to cry and vent and he'd always gift me something afterwards be it a fancy eraser or a doll. My father in some ways reminds me of Don Hermes so my opinion could be a bit personal lol.
Authoritative parenting style is the best style of parenting because it is both teaching of moral conduct and consequences as well as catering to the emotional and mental needs of your child while still teaching them natural consequences and how to rightfully deal with problems.
Don Hermes has that style of parenting. He often sets rules, expectations, boundaries, and goals for Betty. He encourages her and is there to celebrate her and there to hold her hand when she fails.
Ironically enough, writing this post I realized that Armando has daddy issues, like I knew he had parental problems and how they shaped him but It hadn't hit me how deeply affected he was because of his father's absence :(
I bring Armando up right now because even though he isn't a girl he is the perfect example in the show of a child who grew up without a father's love while Betty is the perfect example of someone who did.
Why do I say all of this?
This brings us to the third and the final topic of this post:
You Have To Understand Your Characters:
In order to write a four dimensional character you have to know them, like you would a friend or family member, through and through. I'm more likely giving too much credit to FG as Don Hermes was a secondary character, albeit one of the most important secondary characters, so it's likely he didn't really sit there and think about this mans childhood, how it affected him in raising a child, how he met Julia his wife, how he reacted when he found out he was going to be a father; in reality he probably based Don Hermes's parental and loving qualities around his own personal experience as a father and tried to understand where Don Hermes was coming from but again I don't know FG lol or seen any of his interviews, except for one, regarding YSBLF.
Personally how I go about writing and fleshing out my OC's is that I interview them. I come up with the concept of my character, you know the basics, goals, ambitions, fears, insecurities, description and so forth and then I go about asking them personal questions, from there on I go and think of their most traumatic experiences and how that shaped them, their best memory, do they have siblings? If they do how close? Are they close to their parents? What is their family life like? Lastly, after I understand these characters backstory I ask myself: What is the purpose of this character in this story? Do they play a vital role? Could I take them out and the story would keep going as if nothing or would it move the story?
When you understand your characters you understand why they behave a certain way. Being a writer who knows their characters pretty well makes writing the story in it of itself pretty easy because you understand where they are coming from. You understand the purpose of their words, why they stand the way they do. You understand in completion what makes the character themselves and in order to do that you must be well versed in their behavior.
What does this have to do with Don Hermes?
Simple: Don Hermes isn't a one dimensional, two dimensional, or even a three dimensional character. He is 4D.
What is his fear? That his daughter suffers.
What is his motivation? Being a good example to his daughter, leaving her with the best inheritance.
What is his ambition? To be a good member of society who upholds principal and ethical actions despite that not achieving riches.
What is his goal? To be a good father who sets a good example for his daughter so she may follow in his footsteps.
These are the basics. They give us a basic understanding of Don Hermes, right?
Now the final questions are:
If he is a good father why is Betty insecure? and how is it possible that his overbearing parenting style didn't negatively impact Betty?
When I write my analysis of scenes/episodes and focus on body language I always remind y'all that context is key. It is for absolutely everything in life.
By solely blaming Don Hermes for all of Betty's problems in reality you're taking away the responsibility that society has and plays the role of, in a young person's life.
What do I mean by this? And what does this have to do with understanding your character?
Well we're about to talk about my dear and sweet Betty and this is a part of her character I've been dying to talk about!
I, again, can speak on experience. As mentioned above, I grew up with a present father in my life. I am a daddy's girl. However I too grew up insecure.
Society has a lot to do with it.
Just like Betty, my father was over protective of me as a child. He wouldn't let me handle anything dangerous, would constantly tell me that people in the world had bad intentions and most importantly after a good cry he'd kiss my cheeks and tell me that he loved me very much and then shower me with surprise toys or crafting supplies.
Betty's dad was the exact same. When we get the flashback of him pulling her towards the house so she wouldn't play with the neighborhood kids he tells her: "That's why I bought you all your toys, so you can have fun. The devil is a pig, remember that." the meaning behind that wasn't only to tell Betty she'd be tempted to do something bad in reality he used it as telling her "The world is a terrible place with terrible people who will hurt you."
side note: I want to make it canon(now that I know what that means) that Don Hermes had a Corn collection. This doesn't really have anything to do with this post except it's about Don Hermes but that one day when he was telling Betty that she had her own kind of beauty and that men liked exotic beauty, after she left he told Julia that he was well versed because he kept up with the times and that's why he had that collection[of magazines] in their room, so he could keep up with modern days.
He knew the kids in the neighborhood bullied Betty, they didn't involve her in their games and he heard the whispers from parents around the neighborhood as well so in his own way, in his own terms, he protected Betty from rejection by taking the burden of being the one who prohibited her from mingling with the outside world, however the damage was there because in school Betty still had to deal with those rats.
In one of the first episodes, when Roman asked Betty to go out, Betty, giving the benefit of the doubt, agreed to go out however Don Hermes didn't want her to go out with Roman and Co. for two reasons: Betty could do better than him and his loser friends and to protect her from rejection. However the reason I bring this up is because Betty mentioned that Don Hermes took her out of public school and placed her in a convent when her friends started to get boyfriends. (I only saw the final episode, I skipped all the way to the end, so that I could be prepared to deal with the emotional pain of their breakup but I still haven't seen the second part, anyway)Don Hermes mentioned that he always wanted his daughter to be pristine(a virginia) and that he raised her to know that the most integral part of her was the center of her family.
For one I mentioned the AIDS epidemic for two reasons: that it would be a motive for him to be so, extremely, sheltering of Betty in regards of her socializing with people who could lead her down a path that could affect her in her health as well as ruin their moral and ethic standing(we see the way he scorned her when she was offered the commission). Not to mention that parents in countries that have a lot of conflict are often very strict in regards of their child's social life in fear that they could wind up dead, drug addict, delinquent, victim of human trafficking, and other things on the likes. I recently found this out while doing some research of El Salvador's music scene(there's some really good bands out there but bc of the conflict younger generations aren't active in the scene back there due to parents restrictions out of fear.). So while Don Hermes is old school in regards of his daughter maintaining her virginal status because it reflect good on their family and she is in god's grace, as well that keeping her away from people who could corroded those principals he's instilled in her, he also has other motives as to keep her on a short social leash. This reason and the one mentioned above in regard of trying to save her from suffering rejection and this is what I'll stress out in the following.
Both socially for their reputation, her mental, physical, and emotional protection, Don Hermes doesn't let Betty out of the house with anyone unless it's Nicolas because Don Hermes has practically watched him grow and in some way he's also been like a father figure to Nicolas. We understand where he's coming from now.
The reason I brought up what the effects of growing up with and without a present father in a girl's life is because we need to really understand the root of Betty's self-esteem and self-worth issues and to debunk the idea that Don Hermes is behind all of that we need to see and understand how a character with fatherless daughter disorder would be written and presented by understanding the effects of the child into adulthood. Seeing as Don Hermes was an active father of Betty's life in all three aspects of: Physically being present, emotionally, and mentally as well, which means he set up a good example of being a man, which is also a reason why Betty is attracted to Armando's personality because it is a love she knows, which doesn't cause her to be as afraid of him(I've explained this in previous post but I can't remember right now what they're titled, sorry.) So not only are we told from Betty's own words that her father is her most precious possession we also have facts to prove why that is and how much Don Hermes loves Betty and in his own way tries to protect her and shield her from danger and pain.
I'll answer why she's insecure in a bit.
Now in regards for understand characters, which brings this whole post full circle is very easy: Even if there wasn't a backstory written for a character, simply by understanding the basics of your character you can make a compelling character that is 4D, all by making his goals, fears, motives, ambitions, and desires realistic and it leaves just enough room for the reader to interpret and understand what the meaning of that character is for the story and the purpose it serves. That alone allows us to determine whether the character is good, worthy of redemption, and the lesson they are trying to teach us.
I rave about Armando, Mario, and even Marcela's(tho her not too much) and Betty's complexities but Don Hermes is a character who deserves to be defended! He is a good father who loves his daughter greatly.
Which is why we get such a contrast with Roberto. Roberto wasn't an emotionally or mentally present father in Armando's life. His love was always conditional. The day that both fathers find out about their children's borderline illegal business activities they both react so differently. Don Hermes decided that while he won't act like he approves or is okay with what Betty has done that he'll show face for her and that he'll make her deal with the consequences, however, that among all of that, she will always have a shoulder to cry on and lean her head on. While Roberto tells his son, who is in the brink of tears(I'll talk about that scene in due time cause boooooiii I gotta a lot to say!) that he never wants to speak to him again and basically that he's dead to him and walks out of the meeting room, he doesn't even tell him: What you did is bad and you have to face and deal with the consequences on your own but I still love you. Nah homes legit just said "Bye ur ded 2 meh."
Fernando knew his characters and their moral standing as well as purpose for the story and that alone is what separates these fathers and allows us as viewers to interpret their lives outside of the big screen(ikik he didn't expect it to be such a huge thing but let me boost this dead man's ego, too soon?).
And for the closing argument:
Betty's insecurities were not in part or any part, due to to her father. Who had an authoritative parent style —y'all should look those up if you want a further understanding of parental styles and what roles they have in the development of their child. While yes her social awkwardness is a consequence and domino effect of Don Hermes short leash, it is not fully and completely his fault.
They are in part and completely due to society and their treatment of her and that's the moral of showing a loving father and an insecure daughter.
Society rejected Betty for simply existing, without giving her the chance to be herself, to give love. Society taunted, teased, bullied, traumatized, and abused her and for what? To show power over her? To take out their own insecurities onto her? No matter how much her father could love her, how much he told her she was beautiful in her own way, who adored her and encouraged her to achieve her goals and set high expectations for herself, it was never enough because the outside world hated her for simply and only breathing!
Trying to blame Don Hermes, trying to point the finger to him is rejecting and neglecting the vitality of Fernando's commentary on society and the way it treats women, especially women who are not the status quo. Betty is only treated well, respected, and not made fun of by society when she no longer is "ugly" while she is still the same person within that she was from that start(more confident and sure of herself as a professional and a woman) society doesn't care, now she's pretty and it isn't until then that they think and believe she is deserving of human decency.
That's the whole point! That's the whole reason of Betty's role in the novela! The purpose of her character! That while she was ugly she was still so kind, loving, pure, and trying to see the good in others, despite the trauma she's faced in life. Society still deems to dehumanize her and cause her harm and it isn't until AFTER she has a physical transformation that they decide to treat her like a human!(I'm not directly talking about Marce, Patty, or Hugo and especially Daniel but rather society outside of Eco Moda.). The commentary of how society prefers mean, rude, selfish, and arrogant beautiful people rather that good, kind, loving, and selfless "ugly" people and if that moral of the story, which is the biggest reason of the story existing, doesn't translate to you, what are you doing?
Her lack of knowledge of men while is also a domino effect of her father's over protectiveness it also and in part the trauma of it, is because of society. Little girls who grew up being teased, bullied constantly over our looks that grow into teen and women hood still being bullied over our looks makes us feel un-womanly and undesired that even the small gesture of affection makes us believe that maybe we are worthy, not of love, but attention not only as women but human, is damaging! Again, dismissing this and blaming Don Hermes ignores the issues that society has and it takes away our responsibility and accountability in this issue.
Don Hermes is a good father who is not to blame for Betty's insecurities or self-worth issues!
Husband... he isn't the best one.
I'd need to make a part two for that part of his character and right now I'm beat, sleep deprived again and my head and neck hurt as well as my back.
Again ignore any grammar mistakes.
[EDIT: There is so many obvious examples in the novela that prove how loving Don Hermes is towards Betty that I didn't mention in the post. Understanding the culture, the era, and his dynamic was a lot more important imo to talk about so it could explain his irrational behavior and the process of writing a character. It's a lot of research and really important to be able to have well written characters. If any of you would like to comment an instant in which Don Hermes showed how much he loved Betty, feel free to comment it :)]
