My Oc Drawings Would Be So Incredibly Fire If I Didn’t Have The Art Skills Of A 2 Year Old

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🫀

you captured his eyes and expression so well

pookie <3

Thomas Hewitt appreciation, he's so precious(*´꒳`*)💗💗💗

HE'S SO PRECIOUS I THINK I'M GOING TO DIE

This is a confession, I absolutely adore Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Tommy specifically is one of my favourite leatherface depictions

The original is and always will be my favourite tho

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING

🤭🤭🤭🤭

self indulgent sketches ft. Tommy going to texas disneyland

(I am a certified texan hehee)

he can literally do no wrong

Still not over the fuckin. headtilt he does near the end of part 2.

LIKE ARGH. STOP STARING AT ME WITH EM BIG OL EYE!!!! Looking all innocent like he didnt just kill like. 9 people 😭😭

ok WHERE exactly is this pic from?? there wasn’t a scene like this in the movie, nor the director’s cut, so is this a deleted scene? if so, where can i find it??

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."