Forgiveness and Acceptance in Life is Strange 2 (Karen Reynolds)

SPOILER WARNING: The following focuses on a major plot point for Life is Strange 2, beginning with Episode 4: Faith.

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Game: Life is Strange 2

Episodes: 4 "Faith", 5 "Wolves"

Location: Haven Point, Nevada; Away, Arizona

Summary: As their journey approaches its final reach towards Puerto Lobos, Mexico, the Diaz brothers seek refuge with their estranged mother Karen Reynolds in Away, a close-knit, off-the-grid community nestled deep within the Arizonian desert. Karen's outpouring of support offers them the stability and comfort to rest and re-strategize - but confronting their personal baggage proves to be one of their most soul-searching tribulations yet. Can Sean reconcile Karen's "free spirit" with her past neglect now that he has a renewed perspective on life? Closure, acceptance, and a sense of forgiveness are instrumental in the future he strives to build for him and Daniel. 

Note there is no singular "key" decision-making point in this dilemma (except choosing to hug Karen), but the focus falls on an overall view of their interactions, especially throughout "Faith", and "Wolves".

More information: Karen Reynolds | Life is Strange Wiki | Fandom

On the run: The Diaz brothers navigate the wilds of Oregon. Screen capture: FetchQuester

Motherhood vs. Personhood

If there is one apt metaphor for Karen's life, Away symbolises the independence and free-thinking culture that Karen shares with its eclectic inhabitants. Though Away is a yearly settlement, it echoes the nomadic spirit that has been fuelled in part by America's economic crisis and a growing resistance to the capitalist crunch; ad hoc communities sprung up in the sprawling deserts and campsites that embody the hardy frontier attitude of innovation and self-reliance. Away is a small locale with a big heart - one which embraces the "outcasts" of society and celebrates life on the fringes. 

Though she does not share the same cultural heritage, Karen is not unlike Sean and Daniel: A restless soul traversing the corners of the earth until she finds her "place" and purpose. Yet their circumstances are drastically different; Karen is not persecuted in her own country, nor is she subject to the discriminatory practices of a government where fleeing the "law" is her only tangible option for self-justice. Her life on the road is built upon curiosity rather than necessity, a spiritual searching which carries the privilege and liberty that is denied her sons. Karen acknowledges this and is willing to sacrifice her own safety, anonymity and freedom in order to see Sean and Daniel cross the border safely - a price any mother would be willing to pay.

But how can Karen's identity be framed in terms of motherhood, and how does this resonate with who she is in "Wolves"? It's critical to note that the Karen of Away reflects on her role as a mother as another "stage" in her past which she painstakingly tried to fulfil but failed. Although the Karen of Seattle harboured a devoted love towards her family, she couldn't fathom the idea of her identity being suffocated by motherhood and all the limitations it imposes. 

Motherhood is a sacrifice which is all-consuming - one which supplants whatever definition of personhood we have evolved within ourselves with one which society dictates. When someone becomes a "mother", the rest of their life fades away. This is not absolute for all experiences, but for Karen, motherhood was simply not a state of being with which she could build an authentic union. Their father (Esteban) accepted this, but reaching the same sense of peace with her children has been understandably more fraught.

Sean helps Daniel harness his newly discovered powers. Screen capture: FetchQuester

Forgiveness

How does a child even begin to forgive a mother who abandoned them? Having been too young to implicitly absorb the trauma, Daniel's impressions of his mother are born out of an innocent curiosity (unlike Sean whose memories of heartache are vivid and present). Yet whether he wishes to do so or not, Sean has little choice but to interact with Karen when she steps in to help the boys in Haven Point. 

There are two major character trajectories in Life is Strange 2: A balancing act between doing whatever it takes to survive while being a positive role model for Daniel during his formulative years. Both have had to negotiate their innocence and care-free childhood for the life of fugitives, and the decisions Sean makes along the way are not always as simple as "right" or "wrong." Their growth and "gain" as individuals has been a struggle of letting go: Letting go of their father, their home, their friends, the lifestyle they knew, and any sense of faith/hope in their own country. Sean has already "let go" of his mother and instinctively protected himself from feelings of betrayal and hurt that occasionally resurface.

Forgiveness is a problematic term that encompasses several connotations: Acceptance, promise, grief, optimism, self-care, redemption, reconciliation etc. Often upheld (and misused) as a paragon of good virtue, forgiveness is a concept that should only be engaged with in the scope of the one granting it, whether it is for themselves or another. Often we attribute forgiveness to circumstances beyond our control like trying to forgive a loved one for passing away too soon, or ourselves for merely being human and coping with difficult situations.

What "forgiveness" means to Sean may be too intimate for the player to wholly know, but it is built largely on collaboration between him and Karen - the tiny but meaningful interactions found in small pleasures like sharing a smoke, helping the residents of Away, or more profound gestures like signing his final letter with "Dear Mom". As the transformation of their relationship manifests itself they undergo a deeper understanding of one another; if the player is open and welcoming, they will find someone who nourishes Sean's values and independence, encouraging him to find who he is and never give up on himself.

Away: An oasis in the desert for soul-searchers. Screen capture: FetchQuester

Detachment

The Diaz brothers' gruelling saga may have drastically changed their outlook on life, but Sean is driven by one constant goal: Protect Daniel's interests at all costs (if following a "selfless" playthrough). Though Daniel's innate need to bond with Karen can be nurtured, Sean may feel that towing a "safe" distance over the course of his relationship with Karen may establish boundaries for his younger brother - a cautionary practice for those he perceives untrustworthy. Helping Daniel to harness his feelings is at the core of reining in his supernatural abilities, and another fallout from familial tragedy is never far from Sean's long list of concerns. His protective nature reinforces their strength as devoted brothers, a connection which has helped to heal their anguish and drive their cause.

Sean fully grasps the repercussions of what he and Daniel are about to do in illegally crossing the US/Mexican border with a string of "accidental" crimes trailing behind them. To distance themselves from Karen may be a selfless way of shielding her from the authorities, and also reduce the emotional risk to Sean and Daniel as they start a new life and sever any bonds which they cannot renew (at least for a time).

From an honest point of view, it could be possible that Sean is not ready to forgive - or even accept - Karen's failure as a mother. This doesn't negate how her desire and method of "survival" became central to her life, but it revalidates Sean's own process of working through his trauma. Just as Karen staked out her destiny on her own terms, so too must Sean - as well as reconcile the pain caused to Esteban and Daniel which he carries on his shoulders.

At the end of the brothers' daunting coming-of-age experience where the most resilient bonds have been forged by the people they meet on the road, Karen is more a fleeting moment in their odyssey - an ally who provides a key yet non-permanent role in their salvation.

Karen, Sean, and Daniel make up for lost time. Photo credit: FetchQuester

Building Bridges

Sean never gets to "make up" for all the lost time knowing Karen as a mother, but because of the emotional distance he has pushed between them he is able to "reconnect" with her as the compassionate and reflective free-spirit that she is: Karen on her own terms. For the first time in her life, Karen bears up to the consequences of her actions and opens her consciousness to Sean and Daniel's pain. She knows neither remorse nor explanation will endear her to them or earn redemption, but their defining experiences have allowed Sean and Daniel to understand that life is lived and felt in myriad ways that claim their own path. 

This brief and cathartic window into Karen's life serves as a culmination of sorts: Of their exhausting trials of perseverance and alienation, occasionally broken by an illusion of the wonderous nomadic life treasured in its precious intervals of joy and mystery. They come to know Karen the outsider, wanderer, artist, rebel - and finally, mother. Karen is deeply attuned to the renewed moments of connection they share, from illuminating lanterns against a starlit sky, scaling the trails of Arizona's blazing desert, or philosophizing into the silent hours of a slow-burning night. They live, learn, and become a fixture in each other's lives with an intensity and quiet revelation that eludes most troubled relationships. 

And when it comes to crunch time, Karen commits to an act which fully embraces motherhood and friendship, an antithesis of her earlier years. Beckoning the entire community to rally behind Sean and Daniel, they leave with her truck, her blessing, and a covert operation to delay the feds and see their ultimate goal through.

Does this render Karen worthy of forgiveness? The scope of how we interpret and interconnect with these concepts are too expansive, too layered, too fragile. But through seeing Karen and her personhood - even in such brief moments - relieves Sean of the self-inflicted sense of never being "good enough" for her to stay, absolving him of one less burden and forging an invaluable bond for the future. There would be no bitterness on Esteban's part in realizing this, and Sean and Daniel can gain a sense of closure to put behind them as they set off on their final journey with no regrets harboured - a true blessing for this short life we live.

- Lucy A.

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Sources: 

Life is Strange 2 (Dontnod Entertainment/Square Enix); fandom.com