Curate, connect, and discover
Many people on this new fandom have the audacity of demonizing Alma without even trying to look deeper into her story. Tell me, have any of you:
•Had your hometown burned to the ground and escaping within an inch of your life. Probably lost the rest of your family to the flames?
•Ran into the wild unknown for weeks while making sure your newborn triplets are all fed and healthy while constantly checking your surroundings and provisions, having little to no sleep?
•Had the love of your life stabbed to death in front of your eyes and being physically incapable of doing something, not only for the mere shock, but also to protect the lives of your children?
•Been saved by a miracle out of nowhere, and whoops! You, a newly widowed with 3 children, are now the chosen leader of a community of hundreds of terrified people?
•Had no option to give your beloved a proper funeral? Had no way to express your grief, pain or fear for the responsibility and image bestowed upon you can't allow any cracks? EVERY. SINGLE. THING. YOU. DO. is going to affect the people around you. You're the one that holds the magical candle. You have to be strong, for everyone, for the people, and for your offsprings
•Had no idea how to relate or help your magical 5yo, having no other guide but your gut instinct? Consider:
-One of your daughters can't feel negative emotions, otherwise someone will get struck by lightning. Better to teach her to repress feelings
-Your son seems to predict only bad things. Self-explanatory why people doesn't like him. Also, he strongly resembles your dead husband
-Your other daughter now has to wake up before the sun rises to make tons of healing food. There's no break, and you can't stop her from helping people. Why would the miracle give them gifts, if not for aid the community?
•Wrongly believe that your family's role in life, the only reason you were saved, was for helping others; and slowly accommodate and settle in that lifestyle. Silently burying your troubles behind a smile. Years start passing by, your daughters get married and you get grandchildren. The town gets bigger. Everyone has to work harder for things to go smooth
•Suddenly had one of your granddaughters turn up giftless. Why? What does this mean? The people are panicked, you're at lost of what to do. You can't move, just like that time many years ago. You ask your Brunito, the only sort of lead you have for an explanation, and he disappears, not even saying goodbye.
•Feel like you have to make up for it, like this is your mistake. You already lost your husband and son. You're not going to lose anyone else. You have to take control.
•No idea what to make of Mirabel. She made the candle flicker. Could she be a threat to the magic, to the family, to Encanto? It can't be, she's innocent, isn't she? But Luisa loses her gift. But the marriage proposal is ruined. But you finally get the explanation you asked ten years ago. But the cracks are appearing everywhere around Casita. But Isabella's plants invade town in middle of making amends with the Guzmán. But her perfect grandchild is a mess. Once again everything is chaos, and you're angry
No, you haven't, and it shows.
Does it justify the harsh treatment at Mirabel? No. Neither does it justify your attempts to dehumanise her.