Oh Em Gee

I think I figured out Thomas Hewitt's disease

_____________________________

_____________________________

I just realised something, Thomas might have lupus (SLE). This isn't confirmed, nor do I believe that Thomas's disease is actually real. However, it's good to think of the idea that it was actually inspired by something or at least make sense.

The majority of lupus patients experience skin issues, including blisters or rashes. Sometimes, lupus simply affects the skin, while other times, it affects other bodily parts as well. Cutaneous lupus refers to skin issues that are unique to lupus patients. Three primary categories exist:

Chronic cutaneous lupus (also called discoid lupus) causes round, disc-shaped sores, usually on the face and scalp. The sores can cause scars or changes in skin color.

Subacute cutaneous lupus causes a red scaly rash or red ring-shaped sores. It usually happens on skin that gets sunlight, like the neck and arms.

Acute cutaneous lupus causes a butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose that looks like a sunburn (called malar rash). Sometimes it affects other body parts, like the arms and legs.

Other skin-related issues that people with lupus may experience include: Loss of hair Calcinosis: calcium accumulation resulting in hard, white lumps beneath the skin Mucosal ulcers (mouth, nose, or vaginal sores) Blood or visible blood vessels on the skin can also be problematic for those with lupus. Here are several examples: Raynaud's illness, which causes numbness and white or blue fingers and toes in response to stress or cold Livedo reticularis is a purple or blue pattern that appears through the skin and resembles fishnet stockings or lace. Palmar erythema (redness in the palms of the hands) Petechiae are little red patches on the skin that are brought on by thrombocytopenia, or reduced platelets in the blood.

A good thing to mention is that lupus skin problems are not contagious. You can’t catch them or give them to someone else. It only occurs when you'r body's immune system attacks its/your own tissue and organs. The thing about lupus is that it creates a slouth of unexpected symptoms. It can take a while for it to be diagnosed, and once you have done that, it can be incredibly stressful. Lupus is like a disease that can really flare up, physically and even psychological causes can cause lupus to flare up.

So here comes the question that people are first thinking about: Is it cureable? Unfortunately, lupus has no cure, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help treat and manage it.

See a physician on a regular basis. Seeing a doctor on a frequent basis rather than only when your symptoms get worse may help your doctor avoid flare-ups and address common health issues like stress, nutrition, and exercise that can help prevent complications from lupus. Be astute. Wear protective clothes, such as a hat, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants, and apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 55 whenever you go outside because UV light might provoke a flare. Engage in frequent physical activity. Exercise helps lower a person's chance of heart attack, maintains strong bones, and improves your general health.

Avoid smoking. Smoking can exacerbate the effects of lupus on your heart and blood vessels and raise your risk of cardiovascular illness. Consume a nutritious diet. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are the main components of a nutritious diet. One may occasionally be subject to dietary limitations, particularly if you suffer from kidney impairment, high blood pressure, or gastrointestinal issues. Find out from a doctor if you require calcium and vitamin D supplements. Supplementing with vitamin D may help persons with lupus, according to some studies. To maintain healthy bones, you can take a calcium supplement to help you reach the 1,000–1,200 mg daily dietary intake, depending on your age.

Now, I'm not a professional. All I have done is going through multiple sites for research purposes in order to figure this mystery out. If you don't agree with me, that's totally fine. I want to know your opinions and own theories/takes on it cause I don't think there's ever going to be a clear answer. Not unless the original directors or any actor from the remakes states it to us.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: the Beginning

×VSC×

Ahhhhh hello!!

I was wondering if I could request something for Thomas Hewitt? (Gender neutral reader ofc)

Perhaps after years of being with his s/o they just kinda- run away together? They pack some stuff in the middle of the night and take a working car with gas before driving to a house far away that his s/o had prepared to call home with him?

Just getting him away from the bad life he was put into and allowing him to start a new one in a much nicer environment. (Not a city ofc because I myself despise cities and I bet he would too)

Ahhh sorry it's so long!! If it makes you uncomfortable or you don't feel motivated to write it just let me know!! I don't mind!!

×Vexelier×

Me & You

Thomas Hewitt x GN!Reader

— Summary: After the passing of Luda Mae, you finish what she had started and give you and Thomas both a new start.

— CW/TW: explicit language, fluff, maybe angst if you squint, major character death (Mama Luda), loss mentioned, confessions of love, giving this boy all the love I can, I think that's it

— Word Count: 3.2k ish

— A/N: So sorry this took so long! I was really struggling with how I wanted this to go and I hope this did your idea justice! It was so much fun oml. Also the first time I've really written for this big man so I hope I did him justice as well. Sorta proofread, all mistakes are mine. Enjoy and thank you sm for the request!

You find yourself wondering late nights just how you’d got to this point in life. The simple answer could be that death trap you called a car four years ago, considering it’s the reason you landed in the grasp of the Hewitt family. Maybe it was all the things that caused you to go looking for a new life. A part of you liked to entertain the idea of some twisted butterfly effect where one small interaction years and years ago landed you here. The other half of you that grew tired of making sense of life simply wanted to call it fate.

Regardless of whatever it was, an invisible force or happenstance, it had come to learn you are a determined little shit. Not for your sake, but for his.

Thomas Hewitt had been the reason you avoided that table in the basement, but not the cause. Luda Mae had always wanted a happy ending for her boy, something far from where they found themselves when you fell into their laps. Call it old intuition or simple desperation, but Luda saw you as her last hope for her boy. She announced you as off-limits, struck a deal that bargained your life, and called it a day. The others were never given any insight as to what she had said to you in the room that shortly became yours nor would you ever share.

Even four years later, as you stood over her freshly decorated grave. You clutched onto her note, the equivalent to her will, and pressed your knuckle to your quivering lip. She had held up her end of the deal in her final days, leaving all details in the crinkling letter addressed to you. That night you would bury the hatchet and hold up your own.

True to your word, as the majority of the house settled in for the night you went to check on your getaway car. You packed light, taking only what you and Thomas needed including a few keepsakes from Luda that Thomas would appreciate having. It was all shoved into an old SUV you and Luda had kept under the illusion of you learning how to fix up cars for Hoyt’s sake. You took the wad of cash you earned selling prescription pills you found on victims and tucked it in the center console. Luda hadn’t been entirely impressed with your methods but wasn’t ignorant to Hoyt scavenging your paycheck from work like a vulture. You dig the note out of your pocket and fold it to show the small letter she addressed to Tommy.

Closing the driver’s door silently, you leaned against it with a deep inhale. It was now or never. Quickly, you rush to the house before making your way leisurely to your shared bedroom, noting Hoyt’s unconscious form on the couch.

Thomas sat on the bed, his head in his hands and his hair still somewhat kempt from the ‘funeral’ earlier in the day. Immediately his head snapped up at the sound of you entering and a whine escaped his throat, reaching for you instinctively. His eyes were bloodshot and his face caked with dried and fresh tears. A pang of guilt shook your chest before settling in your stomach. He needed you now more than ever but you’d been busy finishing what Luda started.

“Oh, Tommy…” You quickly walked into his arms, curling your own around his head to cradle it against you as you stood between his legs. He continued to let out broken sobs and groans, muffled by your clothed torso. His hands found the small of your back and he gripped onto the fabric tight enough that you worried it’d tear.

You remained like that for a few minutes, shushing him and kissing the top of his head when a particularly harsh sound would rip from his throat.

As he began to calm down he started to lay back onto the bed, pulling you with him. Planting your feet on the floor and resisting his pull you’d so often fall right into made him pause, scared and sad eyes looking up at you through wet lashes. Slowly you kneeled and took one of his hands, kissing his knuckles, up his arm, his shoulder, leaving a few nibbles on his neck and jaw, before giving a chaste kiss to his lips. You had his full attention now, his cheeks flushed from what you could see around the mask.

Your voice was hardly a whisper, almost competing with the AC down the hall Hoyt had purchased with your paycheck. “Sweetheart, do you trust me? I mean wholeheartedly trust me.”

He blinked then nodded quickly, his hair bobbing along.

You leaned closer and looked him straight in the eye. “Do you know that I love you? More than anyone and anything in this world? That Luda Mae did too?”

His lips quiver and he nods again, more subtle this time.

Slowly you reached in your pocket and offered him the note. He looked down at it and gave you a confused look before recognizing the writing. He took it with shaking hands and read quietly.

Out of respect, you hadn’t read what was meant for Thomas. You just hoped whatever she put would be enough to convenience him to leave with you.

Thomas’ face went unchanging as his eyes scanned the page. Then without warning he stood and walked over to the nightstand, pulling it open and searching frantically. You rushed over to his side and placed a hand on his arm, soothing him. “Shh, you have to be quiet Tommy. Everything we need is already packed. All I need now is you, Thomas.”

He looked at you with surprise and shook the letter in his hand, his voice rumbling in his chest. “Mama said help ya leave.”

It took a moment for you to collect yourself after hearing him speak. Even after years, you had come to learn while being fully capable of speech, Thomas was much more comfortable communicating, frankly, in any other way. Which was sometimes not at all.

You nodded and turned him to look at you, taking his face in your hands and brushing stray hairs out of his eyes. “With you Tommy. You can read what she wrote me while I drive okay?” You kissed his masked chin and took his hands. “We worked really hard for this. To give me and you a fresh start. We can leave, go to a place I’ve already rented, make it a home, make a whole new family if you want. Me and you, Tommy.” You looked into his eyes, attempting to pour every ounce of love into him. “I could never leave you here and I won’t stand for you to be used and mistreated anymore. Luda didn’t want this for you and neither do I. You deserve to be happy, sweetheart.”

The look in his eye could only be described by poets; someone with a lexicon larger than your own and even then would they struggle to capture the utter adoration and love that shone in his eyes. All of it was overshadowed by the overwhelming hope and desire to have a life like that with you.

Thomas leaned down and kissed you fervently, his arms slipping around you to lift you off the floor a little.

You hummed into the kiss and curled your arms around his neck, scratching gently at his scalp. If time would have waited for you, you would have happily stayed like that for the rest of your life. However, with your newfound confidence and reassurance to take your lover somewhere safe, you were ready to spring into action.

Both of you snuck hurriedly out of the house, allowing Tommy to take a detour to Luda’s grave for one last goodbye before making your way to your escape.

You situated Thomas as comfortably as you could in the passenger seat, covering him in one of Luda’s quilts to prepare for a long ride then running over to the driver’s side to climb in. You leaned over and gave him one last kiss before turning on the engine and pulling out like a bat out of hell.

For the first hour of the drive, Thomas kept looking behind the car in fear of seeing that damned cruiser. Not that you blamed him, you would be too if you hadn’t known that every tire on the property had been slashed but half an hour before your departure. You wanted to reassure him but a part of you felt it was better left unsaid, instead, you settled on comforting him every so often.

“It’s okay. He’s not coming. I’m not going to let another soul ever lay a finger on you. No one else gets to treat you like that again, not gonna be used anymore.” You attempted to keep a gentleness to your voice but you both could hear the anger that threatened to boil over at the thought of the years you witnessed Hoyt twist Thomas’ loyalty for his own benefit.

It distracted him momentarily, looking at you in awe and amusement. You were capable, that much had been proven during your stay in the Hewitt residence. Regardless, it gave Thomas an unfamiliar warm feeling when you’d stick up for him; someone left to fend for himself and used as a weapon by others. It was a feeling he’d decided that he wouldn’t mind experiencing more often.

Around the second hour, he began to doze. He took his mask off after a little encouragement to settle in for a nap. You reached over with your left hand to trace lazy shapes onto his scarred arm as he fought sleep to continue gazing at you lovingly.

You avoided taking your eyes off the road but stole quick glances at Thomas every once in a while.

“Tommy?”

He grabbed your hand and gave it a small squeeze, his way of responding.

“Get some sleep, sweetheart. Your eyes look like they’re a second away from rolling into the back of your head. I promise, no one’s gonna get us. No more killing or yelling or hurt, Tommy. I just said so, didn’t I? I’m gonna take care of you. Give you the life me and Luda worked so hard for.”

You slowly moved your hand to cup his face, almost getting whiplash from jerking your head toward his direction when you felt tears in your palm. “Tommy? Tommy, baby what’s wrong?”

You slowed the car, taking a quick glance to ensure the road was still empty for miles to come. He shook his head and made a noise of distress. You frowned and pulled off to the side of the road before throwing the car in park and leaning over the center console, wrapping as much of your upper half around Thomas as possible.

You kept your ear close to his face to listen, coaxing him to speak if even a little.

“Talk to me, Thomas, yeah? You don’t gotta say much, just tell me what’s got you upset.” You scrambled for a notepad and pen in the glovebox before he grabbed your hand to stop you, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck.

You heard him let out a quiet rumble, his words slurred. “‘M happy.”

Smiling big and pressing gentle kisses against his temple you whisper. “I am too. I’m happy with you.” You pulled away enough to look into his eyes, not missing the way he ducks his head in an attempt to hide his marred face. Chuckling softly you kissed his forehead and spoke softly. “I’ll let you get away with hiding that handsome face from me this time, okay? Get some sleep, we’ll be there in a little over an hour.”

Reluctantly, he let go of you and settled back into the seat that didn’t quite fit all of him. You pulled the quilt over him a little and smiled at the faint blush over his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

At the four-hour mark, you pulled into the driveway of a small two-bedroom house some lawyer had been dying to rent out. The place had character, certainly in need of a little love, but miles better than where you’d come from. It wasn’t entirely secluded either, unfortunately, but it had enough space to give you breathing room between your neighbors down the road. The big selling point was that it was partially furnished. Sure, you had managed to pay a couple of months in advance with rent and had enough to cover bills and groceries for one, but that didn’t mean you were well of enough to furnish the place.

With a content sigh, you exited the car, leaving the door open as to not startle Thomas, and began unloading as much as you could into the house without waking him.

He was a heavy sleeper, something you contributed to him never quite getting the rest he needed. You stifled your giggles at the roaring snores as you walked between the house and the car. It didn’t matter if you struggled with any of the boxes, you’d rather kick the bucket than disturb him out of any semblance of peace for the first time since you left.

So with the last of your few belongings piled in the living room, you made your way over to the passenger seat, opening it slowly as to not have him tumbling out.

You shook him gently, bringing one of your hands to brush his hair out of his face as he began to stir. “Tommy? Wake up, sweetheart. We’re here.”

His eyes fluttered open before he sat up a little quickly, reality crashing back down on him. He made a small grunt in panic before quickly easing again into your touch, although you could still tell how tense he was.

You had well over two years to prepare for this, poor Tommy would need time to adjust.

“Hey, I gotcha.” You smiled and gave him a tug which caused him to huff and give you a small mischievous smile. Rolling your eyes and dramatically groaning as you pretended to pull him out of the seat, you whined a little, “Argh— C’mon you gotta help me out a little!” Thomas let out a rumble, the closest thing to a chuckle he seemed to manage at the moment, and ducked as he exited the car. You grabbed his mask off the dash and offered it to him which he gratefully accepted.

It was endearing to see the way he clutched onto his mother’s quilt as he shuffled up to the house. You walked next to him after shutting the doors and trunk, keeping a hand on his back afterward as he surveyed the surroundings. It wasn’t hard to see the nervousness on his face when he caught sight of the houses that peeked through the trees. He looked to you for some sort of reassurance which you happily gave in the form of a gentle kiss to his shoulder and a small pat on his back.

“It’s okay. They’re all far away enough and I don’t think anyone is gonna bother us much.”

He turned to look at the car, then to the house, then back at you.

You shook your head. “I already moved everything. Didn’t wanna wake you.”

Thomas frowned a little and hummed in displeasure.

“Yeah yeah, you can scold me later, okay? ‘M tired and I’m willing to bet you are too. Let’s go look inside.”

He couldn’t disagree there, yawning a little as if to confirm your suspicions.

The hour or so spent getting settled was, well, odd. You were already well acclimated to your new home but Tommy seemed to be still accepting everything. While anyone could say you had become legendary at reading the man, you couldn’t begin to follow his train of thought right then. He’d gone from losing his mother to moving four hours across the state, more than he’d ever thought possible in this lifetime.

So you started small. Convincing him to leave the majority of unpacking for the morning and deciding to start job hunting in a couple of days as to not leave him alone first thing tomorrow morning.

You pulled out some lunch meat of the non-human variety you had stored in a cooler Hoyt had pulled out of some victim’s van, among other small condiments to make you both some sandwiches while Thomas went to enjoy a bath.

After making a small grocery list to attend to tomorrow, you left ‘dinner’, truthfully closer to breakfast at this hour, on small plates and went to join him. You both sorta fit in the small tub but neither of you minded the squeeze. Washing him off best you could while making a mental note to add extra-large towels to the list in hope of finding a cloth big enough to wrap around your lover comfortably.

Long after the water had run cold and you felt content with the number of kisses you showered him in, you both dried off and got dressed for bed. You ate in silence, for the most part, not wanting to unload all your plans for the upcoming days on him as his eyes drooped with every other bite. He was reclined a little too happily on the old couch with you situated in his lap. His free hand rubbed circles on your hip as you attempted to finish your own food before you passed out on him.

“Ready for bed there, sleepyhead?”

He nodded and smiled lazily with his cheeks full and a few breadcrumbs on his mouth.

You stood and waited for him to get to his feet before taking his hand and leading him to the bedroom, shutting the door before climbing onto the bed with him.

Immediately, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you flush against him.

You allowed your body to move however he wished, curling yourself around his large frame as much as possible. It wasn’t uncommon for you to cradle him to the best of your ability at night. Normally, however, he felt the need to shield you from whatever nightmares he worried could steal you from him in his sleep.

Tonight was different though. Tonight Thomas needed to feel safe, to feel comforted and cared for and loved. He needed to know he wasn’t alone in these new surroundings.

So that’s what you did. You snaked your arms loosely around his neck as he pulled you higher to be slightly situated above him. He looked up to you, the moonlight from outside just barely catching the tears in his eyes, but before you could say anything he spoke quietly.

“I love you.”

Your lip trembled as you took in his confession. One you had only heard a handful of times. You kissed him softly, your lips moving together slowly and tiredly for a while. Despite wanting nothing more than to never have your lips leave his, you pulled back to whisper, needing him to hear you before sleep took you both.

“I love you too, Thomas.”

Knowing what's canon with Thomas Hewitt's real face

_____________________________

_____________________________

This is the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Andrew Bryanowski Leatherface makeup bust replica production material. That's a mouthful. Apparently, this is what Thomas is supposed to look like under the mask, which makes sense but also dosen’t. Thomas was known for cutting his rotting flesh away, so it's understandable to at least see some degree that there are scars there, but other than that, I just see veiny rotting flesh.

To be fair, though, the prequel wasn't considered to be made during the production. Marcus Nispel was only planning on making a single remake. Which was why, later on, the director and writers changed. It only was after fans demanded an anathor film. They wanted to see more of the family, understanding how they ended up like this, how different they are from the Sawyers, and also how some events occurred. Like Monty losing his legs, for example. The point is that Thomas's scars and disease spreading have always been inconsistent between the 2003 version and the 2006 film.

_____________________________

_____________________________

Young Thomas is a good example of this, and although some of the major scars, like his nose being affected and then later on, cut off, are accurate. The rest just dosen’t add up to the bust replica. It's even more confusing when you recall that this photo existed in the 2003 remake. It has always been there. This was a photo that Erin had touched and picked up, it is also seen in the menu screen if you paid attention to the details.

_____________________________

_____________________________

So either this was a last-minute change, or they didn't like how the final product looked once Andrew was supposed to have it like child Thomas, so they tried to hide this mistake by never actually showing Leatherface fully visible when he was unmasking himself in the dark. It could be that the bust replica was just a concept art, too. Who knows, I'm just throwing theories out there. I think it's interesting, though, to mention this, not just because of film errors, but for the reason that knowing what's canon or not. None of them is wrong, but they do clash with each other, so at the end of the day, it's all about preferences, really.

If you have any thoughts regarding this post or want to mention something that I could have potentially missed. You're more than welcome to comment about them, I'd love to read your thoughts concerning this topic.

wait how did he go from having curly/wavy hair to like completely straight hair

someone explain

{Thomas} Hewitt Family Dynamic/Psychology Analysis

TW: Canon-related dynamics/activities, Incest, Rape/SA, Pedophilia, Abuse {Mental, Psychical, Emotional}, Discussions of mental health, extreme language, Usage of R!slur, War, Hoyt {Biggest warning of them all}

Yapping session again, I apologize {Wrote this whilst listening to Preacher's Daughter, GOATED ALBUM} Poorly edited, a bit more coherent than the last post 🩷

The family dynamic seems to be very..unconventional yet unsurprising. It’s a family of traumatized, traumatizing, enablers who’re struggling to survive both in spirit and in actuality. This post was intended to focus mainly on Thomas but I dove deep into Hoyt and the other family members as well because I feel they have such a big impact on Tommy:(

___

Thomas is obviously a very closed-off and introverted individual. His childhood was full of ridicule, cruelty, and abuse. His main father figure was and still is Hoyt - Charlie, but his biggest influence is his Momma, Luda Mae. I’ve seen multiple people paint Luda as a saint when in all actuality, she’s not. Although she may not be as malicious, she’s an enabler with intense family pride and protectiveness. Her automatic dislike of Erin is proof of this. She assumes Erin {and her friends, brother, boyfriend} are judgemental and arrogant ‘city-slickers’ who’re out to get Thomas. In all actuality, Erin never comments on Thomas’ looks besides her small conversation with Henrietta: “I couldn’t, I couldn’t look at him.” Even in this segment, she never says anything bad about Thomas except warning Henrietta and the Tea Lady {we’ll just call her ‘Kathy’ based on her actor} of his arrival. During this segment, we learn additional information about how the family views Thomas, as well as his general behavior. Dialogue from family members include:

“He knows better than to be messing around here…Poor Sweet boy--He’s no harm; Always keeps to himself.” - Henrietta, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003--1:02

“I know your kind--Nothing but cruelty and ridicule for my boy, all the time he was growing up. Does anybody care about me and my boy?” - Luda Mae, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003--1:06

“He ain’t retarded; He’s misunderstood.” - Sheriff Hoyt / Charlie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--16:30

“You don’t like playing with me anymore because I’m a pussy, that’s what you said. Well, my nephew Tommy ain’t no pussy; Maybe you’d like to play with him for a little while.” - Sheriff Hoyt / Charlie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--51:35

“You beautiful bastard, you!” {Honestly this entire scene could be used here} - Sheriff Hoyt / Charlie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:01:21 - 1:02:40

“Thomas, quit playing with your fucking dolls and get up here!..Hmm, I like your new face.” - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:06:15 - 1:06:35

“There you go, nice work, Tommy.” - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:09:55

“There’s a time when every boy becomes a man.” Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:17:53

As you can see, most of the praise Thomas gets is from Hoyt. Honestly, reviewing Hoyt’s character on his own, this may seem surprising, but diving past face-value, this isn’t surprising at all. Hoyt is a sadistic, impulsive, traumatized veteran who very clearly values his family. I think both Thomas and Hoyt have the same thought{s}: “Family is all I’ve known, family is all I have consistently. Therefore, I need to protect it.” This is very apparent in Hoyt’s speech in The Beginning 2006: “Us... we're staying right here. The ashes of six generations of Hewitts have been tilled into the soil of this farm. We will never abandon the place of our birth. We're on our own now, people. And alone... we will rise above it all.” Both Hoyt and Thomas value family so much, and this is apparent in their immediate protection of them; As well as how violent they get once the family's safety is in jeopardy. The family also heavily depends on both of them, Thomas more than Hoyt. Luda Mae immediately calling out for Hoyt once Eric throws a brick through their window {48:25}, relying on Thomas to chase down Chrissie, ordering Thomas to ‘wrap things up’ after Monty’s amputation, Thomas being the main source of income prior to the meat plant shutting down, Hoyt Charlie being the one to protect Thomas from the original Sheriff Hoyt, the deleted scene where Charlie protects Thomas from malicious classmates, Thomas protecting Hoyt by killing the biker {1:01 - 1:03}. 

I’d also like to add; As someone with multiple military family members, the military changes you. War changes you. Considering Charlie is a POW, his trauma has to be so deep. {I’d like to make this clear: !!I’M NOT DEFENDING NOR SYMPATHISING WITH HOYT!!} His lust for violence, domination, control, and protection is most likely a combination of his personality, growing up dirt poor, his relationship with Luda Mae + other family members {which I’ll talk about below}, the war, and their current situation. He definitely gets defensive of his country, the military in general, the South, and his family. I.E: “Ain’t nothing I hate worse than a draft-dodging hippie protester.” - The Beginning 2006--40:30. He most likely has the same views on “City-slickers” as Luda Mae, just more extreme. In fact, I think it’s safe to assume the entire family has that view, maybe even Thomas. {Though his would be more protection-based as opposed to politically divided.} *cough-cough, Hoyt*

Going back to Thomas’ “father figures”, Monty and Hoyt were the only men in the house for Thomas to look up to. Hoyt was gone when Thomas was around 13, meaning during his very “experimental” years, he only had Monty to look up to. Both Monty and Hoyt are sexual deviants with no shame at all; Monty very openly gropes Erin in the 2003 remake whilst calling her a “Good girl.” {I almost turned off the movie, I kid you not} Whilst Hoyt very openly gropes Bailey multiple times, and even toys with Erin. It’s also heavily implied he raped Bailey {poor girl, this entire movie was so poor to her and Chrissie.} And whilst Luda Mae does get Hoyt to calm down with Erin, she still actively enables this behavior and completely ignores it. Now, I don’t think Thomas would replicate this {fingers crossed}; I’m sure Thomas has ‘urges’ but he has so much to do, such little extra energy, and a shit ton of {religious} trauma which would most likely coerce him away from sexual activity. He also very obviously wants praise. The more Hoyt praises and encourages Thomas, the more sadistic he gets. And yes, Thomas is sadistic. Sure he’s trying to survive, protect, and feed his family, but he also actively tortures his victims. I.E; skinning Eric’s arms, bathing Andy’s amputation in salt, ect. And I don’t wanna blame this on his ‘mental deterioration’, because that’s not it in my opinion. Thomas has crossed the threshold of  “I’m doing this to protect my family / because I’m forced to.’ No, he’s violent and angry. He’s so done with everything. He needs an outlet to take his anger from him, and the victims are practically begging him with how infuriating they can be. Also, wearing Kemper’s mask to catch Erin??? Jesus Christ, Thomas, that’s traumatizing. And he knows he’ll get away with it. The law enforcement is gone, Hoyt has done worse, Momma doesn’t seem to speak on it, why not continue? And I’m sure he feels powerful when he finally gets the chance to bite back. This is exactly the kind of manipulation Hoyt did to get Thomas fully on board with this killing-spree shit; “It’s one of those assholes who used to fuck with you in the schoolyard, Tommy!” - The Beginning 2006--1:01:40. This brings me to my next point - 

The family is immensely good at manipulation. Kinda by default, too. I know Southern hospitality can be viewed as passive aggressive and unnecessary depending on where you’re from, especially if you’re from up North; And I can’t disagree in some instances. Luda Mae is the MOST likely to use her ‘Southern hospitality’ as means of manipulation. Her little coo to Bailey about “We got to get you cleaned up, you don’t want to look dirty for company, do you?” at around 42:30 {Which by the way, was Marrietta Marich’s [Luda Mae’s actress] idea apparently.} It was not only a way to distract Bailey from the torture below them, but to indoctrinate herself into believing everything was fine. This was their life, and Charlie Hoyt knows what’s best, doesn’t he? I’m sure this was really difficult for her; Truly seeing who her son was and how the war affected him so deeply. Her seeming so closed off to Bailey and Chrissie at the community center was a result of the intense lifestyle change. Hoyt is EXTREMELY manipulative as well. I mean, he was a POW, you need a lot of skills in pattern recognition and psychology to survive such things. The way he speaks to everyone; Beginning slightly rational and neutral, only to quickly be angered and intimidated by his lack of power in the situation. This is especially prominent when he speaks to Morgan, Erin, and Pepper; But mostly Morgan. In the first movie, when the car breaks down and he tries to “calm Erin down” only to scold all of them for possession of drugs and such; Trying to convince Erin that Kemper killed the hitchhiker when he knew what really happened; Making Morgan reenact the scene whilst threatening him with an unloaded gun, pressuring him into “shooting” whilst taunting about how they’ll be “accomplices to murder.” Smashing the bottle in Morgan’s face when he says Hoyt can have the Skynyrd tickets. The way he kisses and rubs on Bailey during the dinner scene in The Beginning?? How he coos and taunts Erin once she wakes up from the poison?? He’s a master in manipulation and puts on a damn good show at that. Henrietta and the Tea Lady / Kathy are also extremely manipulative. When they force Erin to drink the tea, blame her for the baby crying, saying that she “looks tense” and “needs to relax”?? Yeah, this family is full of manipulative and emotionally abusive cycles. Anyway, back to how this affects Thomas.

Thomas was most definitely manipulated in multiple ways. I’m sure Luda Mae has manipulated him into ‘doing what's best for the family’ and all that bullshit. He definitely has some religious trauma and sure as hell has endured abuse of many kinds.

To tie this all together, I present to you: The Family Dynamic. 

I saw a post by I believe Scrapnick?{Their art is so so appealing} Anyway, someone had asked why Thomas and Hoyt are both “brothers and uncle/nephew.” They responded with something like: “Luda Mae most likely got assaulted by her father as a child.” Their post was more detailed than that but that was the main point. And honestly, I agree. At first I thought Hoyt was Luda Mae’s husband, and then I heard him refer to Thomas as his “nephew”, and then I heard him call Luda Mae “mama.” I went researching on wikis and such only to find results such as “he doesn’t view Thomas as a real brother, therefore he uses uncle/nephew.” Whilst this may be true, Hoyt and Luda Mae only have at MAX a 15 year difference. The actors {Marrietta Marich, R. Lee Ermey} only had a 14 year difference. Considering he also calls Monty his uncle, I think it's safe to assume Luda experienced assault from her father during her teens, resulting in pregnancy. Tying this back to religious trauma, I think this fact really upsets Hoyt. He loves his family, obviously, but I think the idea of him being ‘born of sin,’ I.E: Out of wedlock, incest, pedophilia; most likely affects him. I wonder if he ever thought “Well, I’m going to hell anyway, might as well sin.” I’m rambling right now, I apologize; Welcome to my blog {Yappville.}

Now, this dynamic obviously affected his relationship with Luda Mae. I doubt she loves him any less, but I think it was definitely difficult considering A.) Growing up religious; B.) Being such a young mother; And C.) Growing up and continuing to be excruciatingly poor. I think Hoyt gets a bit jealous of Thomas, surprisingly. He’s jealous of how much Luda Mae adores him; How he really gets to have a mother instead of a struggling sister/mother who was trying so hard to get by. Hoyt seems to have a closer {yet still distant} relationship to Monty than Thomas does. I think Monty is just a distant, miserable old man whose patience is low and tiredness is high. He’s worn out, especially after the amputation. The entire family is worn out; Slowly losing their grip on humanity with each passing day. The only consistent thing they have is each other, and yet still their relationships escape them. I think everyone, but especially Thomas {and Jedidiah, poor baby} just want a home to feel safe in. Really, just a stable income, stable food supply, and the ability to rest both physically and mentally. He wants to be able to have a purpose; To work again without needing to worry if his family will be okay. Being able to walk around the house without having to shut himself in the basement to avoid scoldings, demands, or endless calls. This entire family is really fucked up and in need of some rest, family therapy, maybe some physical therapy, and some damn prozac. 

Okay, yay!! You made it to the end; I apologize for the long post again, I get so into analyzing things and I couldn’t resist looking into the Hewitts. Tommy needs some prozac and some Southern cooking {He’s just like me fr}

Love you all, thank you so much for the support on the previous post 🫀

Thomas didn’t just kill his boss for firing him. That job was all he thought his life was worth. He was rejected from the army in the beginning of the movie if i’m remembering correctly, and he started working at 12. That job was his entire life, and the only time anyone had ever told him he was useful.

We can also see this in the way he composes himself. In The Beginning, he’s a lot more physically put together. His clothes are still filthy but it’s nothing compared to 2003, where his clothes are literally black with grime and ripped all over. He’s also much quieter in the Beginning, but in the 2003 movie, it’s like he’s lost all sense of normalcy and just embraced absolute insanity because that’s all he can do.

Now, he sees killing people as his only purpose, just like he saw the butcher job as his only purpose before. Because that’s all he is treated as, a weapon or a tool. He is never treated like a person, not even by his own family. And so he doesn’t see himself as a person. He stops trying to even act like a person.

He literally became the monster everyone told him he was.

In honor of my last post about Thomas Hewitt I will now empty my camera roll🫶

I’ve been saying this omg!!

Every time I listen to Inbred by Ethel Cain I think of TCM; Specially the 2003/2006 franchise but I guess the others work just as well. Especially:

"You get off on innocence, so you savor this Does your baby know her daddy's a rapist? He hates the way you look at me You're already dead, you're already dead

If he wakes up, he'll show you what I'm talking about

You can't win 'em all Who knows how much longer I'll lay on the floor? Touch me 'til I vomit I'm not scared of God, I'm scared he was gone all along (oh, oh)

Who will take the fall? Who of us is stronger? You'll just want it more If you could, you'd have fought it, but you know you're not From the start, they knew you were wrong, you were wrong"

____

IS THIS NOT TCM?? HELLO?? DOES THIS NOT AUTOMATICALLY REMIND YOU OF HOYT AND THOMAS??

The section mentioned above really really reminds me of Hoyt. The line "If he wakes up, he'll show you what I'm talking about" reminds me of the distinction of Hoyt versus Charlie. @demphen hints at this in their fic, Darkest Hour {which is phenomenal, it's a good read🫀,} Hoyt and Charlie are almost two "entities" living in one vessel. Charlie's vessel. I like to think Charlie was permanently altered after the war; As would anyone after experiencing such trauma. I think the town dying, Thomas losing his job, and killing the sheriff was what finally did it. What finally "killed" Charlie. Charlie was hanging by a thread; clawing at the shell which once was his, desperately trying to restore the lifeline only to be shut out and 'killed' once the sheriff was too. The one thing keeping the town inline; Keeping Charlie inline, was gone. Hoyt realized {and maybe always knew} that the "protectors" never cared about his family. Back to how this relates to the Inbred lyrics; It almost feels like Hoyt waking up within Charlie. Charlie is in there, we can see "him" when he talks to the family. But as soon as things go rogue, Hoyt 'awakens.' If he = Hoyt; Wakes up, he'll show you what I'm talking about = you'll die. This is LITERALLY like the hitchhiker scene in the 2003 remake !! "He's a bad man, he's a really bad man -- you're all gonna die."

This song also reminds me of Thomas; Specifically:

Older brother made a name for himself with the cops Scumbag fuck, but I swear that he's not He's so good to me and to nobody else So you should watch yourself

Mama's comatose, she can't leave the bed Something smells rotten and it starting to spread I'm bad, he's worse, we're already dead We're already dead

____

"Older brother made a name for himself with the cops - Scumbag fuck but I swear that he's not" reminds me of Hoyt and Thomas' relationship. For one, Hoyt not only "became" part of law enforcement, he was a POW. Now, a POW is not someone who gets "involved with the cops" per se, but he did get involved in serious warfare which for some reason reminds me of this line. The following line "Scumbag fuck but I swear that he's not" reminds me of the intense family pride. I think Thomas knows Hoyt is a bad person. Hell, aren't they all? But at the same time he loves his family; They're all he has. Continuing with this narrative; "He's so good to me, and to nobody else - So you should watch yourself." We know Hoyt cares for Thomas, but he's definitely 'tough-love' and judgmental. So this line reminds me of them more because of the essence: He treats us {the family} well, no one else gets that privilege. Watch yourself :)

Now, the line "Mama's comatose, she can't leave the bed" reminds me of Monty, as opposed to Luda Mae. Monty really can't do anything anymore. He used to help tow the victim's cars and help with mechanic repair; But he obviously can't do that now. So it's more the essence of the line as opposed to the line itself. Following up with "Something smells rotten and it's starting to spread" has always reminded me of Thomas' skin condition. His condition caused his skin to rot to such an extreme that he amputated his nose. His condition obviously spread throughout his face, causing him to cover it fully. I guess the anxiety of "it's starting to spread" reminded me of Thomas in a way. How anxious he must've felt seeing his condition worsen over time; Taking more and more of him until it's all he was. His one defining feature.

"I'm bad, he's worse, we're already dead - We're already dead"

We're already dead.

"Anyway, staying around this town, there's no more jobs, no more money, no more food. It's down right suicidal."

We're already dead.

"You can't have a creature like that around normal folk, that's what I'm saying."

I'm bad, he's worse, we're already dead.

"People may not remember what we say here tonight, but they sure as shit gonna remember what we do. Thanks to the good sheriff here... We ain't gonna go hungry tonight. Matter of fact, we ain't never gonna starve again."

The over-simplification of Thomas Hewitt

TW: Self-harm, Self-mutilation, Rape {only mentioned twice, and very brief}, Hoyt warning, TCM-Canon-Typical Violence

Thomas {Hewitt} is such a complex character that I feel is taken to such extremes - he's either oversimplified or outrageously radical. For example: The two most-common tropes I see for him {which I'm not demeaning, just critiquing} are A.) He's an extremely sadistic, unforgiving maniac who has no form of empathy or depth to him {this trope usually makes him a rapist, sex-fiend, or someone who uses sex as a way to resolve disagreements.} B.) An extremely-traumatized individual who can do no wrong, doesn't understand the weight of his actions, a consistently-scared man who's socially unaware of EVERYTHING, and just generally a character with no depth. {This trope ALSO usually portrays Thomas as a sex-fiend as well as someone who uses sex as a form of apology.} The truth is - Thomas is such a complex man; Not only in his character but truly in his nature {which I guess is another word for character but whtever.} YES; He is sadistic. YES; He's traumatized. Yes; He's socially unaware at times - But he's NEITHER of those extremes - at least not by default. I understand the first trope , considering he does appear that way to victims - especially Kemper and Bailey. That being said, he {in the mentality of Thomas} had "valid" reasons to target those two: Bailey referred to him as a "what" {"What is that?"} and Kemper barged into the house uninvited. Thomas knows Erin was invited, he was watching through the basement peephole. He knew Andy wasn't invited based off the way Monty treated him. Also - let's address an obvious-but-often-overlooked aspect of Thomas' "killing patterns": The men he kills - the masks he makes - the way he treats the "masks-to-be" all seem to hint at his potential jealously and envy. He tortured Eric by skinning his fuckin arms - he knocked Kemper out with a sledge hammer and presumably {implied by him picking up a chain of meat hooks} attaches him to a meat hook. Kemper's WAKING UP on a meat hook just to get killed and skinned. Thomas' forms of catharsis are destructive in nature - which seem to extend beyond his victims. In the unrated version of the film, during the "first supper" scene, as Thomas rests his arms against the head crest of the dining chair {this is the most popular GIF of him}, there's multiple scars around his arms - all which vary in size, depth, and location. Sure, these could be work-related accidents, which I'm sure some are, but some seem to be a form of self-harm as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority are self-inflicted; Considering Thomas has no other outlet of emotional regulation or consistent support system. To get into further detail, let's break down his prominent character traits individually:

Protective + Family Oriented {and Selfless}

It's very obvious that Thomas is protective, both of his things and his people. He's not possessive, at least not in my interpretation. His devotion to his family comes in selfless ways; Including sacrificing his own safety just to keep the family alive and well - Together. He refused to stop chasing Erin; Even after injuring his leg and losing his arm. He killed the slaughterhouse manager because he insulted his family; Insulting him and his family's hard work to survive. He lost not only his job and his purpose that day, but his family's main income. His selflessness often leads to him getting taken advantage of and overworked. For example; The family fully relies on him and Hoyt for their survival; Though mostly Thomas. Hoyt can do enough, sure, but if Thomas was gone, the whole family would go with him one way or another. I find he genuinely doesn't view himself "on their level." As in he's subservient to them. This post is essentially the essence Im hinting at. He focuses on his purpose - If that purpose isn't fulfilled, "I haven't done enough - I'm not trying hard enough - The family's not proud of me - They shouldn't be proud of me - ect."

Reserved / Distant

Thomas is very reserved which is very obviously a defense mechanism developed in early childhood. He's distant not only because of his trauma, but his personality as well. I've always interpreted him as a natural introvert - which would've been amplified if he so happens to be autistic. Of course, not all autistic individuals are introverted, I just figured because of his predisposed characteristics. Thomas prefers to observe rather to interact; Almost acting as a shadow amongst concrete - Or a fly upon the wall: Watching every movement and discerning every sound. I talk more about this in a previous post.

Cautious {and Selective}

Adding on to the previous segment, Thomas is very cautious {and selective} with the people he surrounds himself with. Strangers? Absolutely not - unless it's obligatory. His family? Yes. I think this traces back to his trauma and social anxiety; His speech impediment makes it excruciatingly difficult to socialize, further isolating himself and his family from 'evil outside' civilizations. Hoyt's consistent hatred for 'hippy' city-slingers and the family's already-biased ignorant and overly-traditional values make Thomas' social pool a drying puddle.

Judgmental, Envious, {and Violent}

To add onto Hoyt's hatred for city-slinging, draft-dodging, hippy protesters; This hate definitely rubs off on Thomas. He's judgmental - both for survival and out of envy. His momma's "Christian teachings" about how full of sin the world is surely don't help the judgment issues. It's a calamitous cycle which gets worse with each year they spend in solitude. Their fear of society - fear of judgment - keeps them hidden from the rest of the world: Abandoned by the government as they're forced to fend for themselves. Forced to lay low within the shadows so they can remain together, as opposed to rotting in separate jail cells. In a way, it's their own "solitary confinement." Solitary confinement can cause an increase in violence / violent tendencies - Which is no surprise in the case of the Hewitt family. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,

"Those with mental illness are overrepresented in solitary confinement, despite the vulnerability and threats to the mental health of those incarcerated. Research shows that the effects of solitary confinement on mental health are often fatal, both during and after incarceration. Half of all suicides in prisons and jails occur in solitary confinement. A recent study shows the long-lasting effects; that any amount of time spent in solitary increases the risk of death in the first year after release. Individuals were overall 24% more likely to die in the first year after release, including from suicide (78% more likely) and homicide (54% more likely). They were also 127% more likely to die of an opioid overdose in the first two weeks after release."

How does this relate to judgment and envy? I'll tell you:

Thomas is so conspicuously envious - We can see it in every scene with Eric. When we beats the shit out of Eric whilst caressing his face in admiration - Only to calculatingly caress his own in desperation. The way he gasps once he sees Kemper's wedding ring {for Erin} - Only to follow it up with wearing his face to visit her?? His envy comes out as judgment; His anxiety comes out as judgment. His judgment comes out as violence. It's a continuous cycle which he's learned over time from multiple sources.

Creative, Appreciative, Resourceful

Do I even have to explain this one? Nah I'm kidding.

Thomas is a creative and skilled individual who knows taxidermy, sewing, patchwork, leather-working/smith, all that jazz. It's not only a form of catharsis, but a form of hiding himself from the world. He takes pieces of what he finds beautiful, stitches them together, and presents himself as that "collection" of beauty. It's his way to turning himself "beautiful." This leads me to believe he finds beauty in the smallest things. A decaying carcass? A new mask. Withered and rusting jewelry? A new accessory. Left-behind tools? His tools now. He takes care of the things he loves, and loves to take care of what's been forgotten. He's appreciative of small things; Especially considering the Hewitt family didn't {and still doesn't} have much but themselves and their old farm. He notices the small things. The usually insignificant, under-appreciated, forgotten things. Maybe it's out of necessity; Maybe it's because he feels he's one of those things - Just not one deserving of the same grace.

Reliant {and Independant}

Notice how the family always calls for Thomas? They call multiple times, sure, but that seems to be more out of annoyance than worry. They know Thomas will get the job done - He always does - and he does it damn well. He works hard; He was quite literally one of the slaughterhouse's hardest workers. He worked 'till he was forced out of there. Thomas is stubborn, sure, but it helps get his work done. And - it keeps him safe.

Besides meal-prep, housing, cleaning, and transport, Thomas is very independent. He can hunt forage his own food; Protect himself and others; Make his own clothes; Hell, he'd learn how to cook and clean if he needed to. He doesn't really need transport - at least not in his mind. He's content - He'll make do with what he has. It's like the quote from 'Pearl' "One day you will understand that getting what you have isn't what's important - Making the most of what you have is."

___

Apologies for this being relatively short compared to my other previous analyses; My brain's been kinda fogy recently but we're recovering!

Tommy my beloved socially awkward {autistic} Texan🫀