It’s really notable to me that Crowley, who is based on aspects of Gaiman, is the one who Falls for asking questions and (I assume) challenging God and the ineffable plan, mainly because Gaiman comes from a Jewish family (he doesn’t identify as Jewish himself according to interviews) and so much of Judaism and Jewish culture is questioning stuff
I mean, not to trivialize things, but whenever people are like to me “Well why are you supposed to question all of it??” my brain automatically goes to Fiddler on the Roof when Tevye goes “Would it spoil some vast eternal plan if I was a wealthy man?” And that’s just like. How he operates as a Jewish person. He accepts the answers, he struggles with them sometimes, and sure, he lives with them, but he asks.
I don’t see Crowley intending much differently at first. It’s frustrating not to know what’s going on - he even shouts something to that effect at Aziraphale when Az is like “I’m talking to an higher power” and Crowley just is like. HOW WILL THAT HELP? THINGS ARE HAPPENING BECAUSE OF A HIGHER POWER WHO IS NOT TELLING ANY OF US ANYTHING. What if they ARE supposed to stop the apocalypse? What if THAT’S the plan and everyone else is just accepting that the apocalypse is going to happen and scoffing at them for thinking otherwise when that’s NOT what they’re supposed to do? (Which I suspect is what’s “supposed” to happen, and then look at how much trouble they get into!!)
He doesn’t even want answers all the time, he just wants to ask and think and have options. It’s very human to ask questions; it’s very natural to be curious. It’s only when he’s punished for it that he gets bitter and almost starts asking questions in spite.
My thoughts on this are all really muddled (like, I’m still sorting out how I feel about asking questions aka a very Jewish approach to faith = demon even when written by an man who was raised ethnically Jewish) but it’s something I’ve been chewing on for a few days now.
