Fridge / Weight of the World

Warning: Spoilers Off applies to Fridge pages. Proceed at your own risk.

Fridge Brilliance

• Atlas' responsibility and part in America and Canada's situation was hinted in the first book's title. What is Atlas from mythology known for? Bearing the weight of the world.
• Crossed with Fridge Horror. The title of chapter thirteen of The Atrocities of Atlas (named Cycle) likely refers to the "Cycle of Abuse", a behavior pattern theory where an abuse victim finds themselves trapped or drawn back into an abusive relationship. During the chapter, Ironwood is trying to convince America— a character who has been repeatedly captured, tortured, and abused by Ironwood, Atlas and their men— to trust and come with him. See the Does This Remind You of Anything? entry on the main page for a more detailed explanation.
• The Anti-Grimm Taskforce is officially named the Anti-Grimm Alliance of Transoceanic Enforcers aka AGATE. Agate (the gemstone) is believed to bring spiritual protection from negative energies (which Grimm are attracted to).
• Polendina's eyes are green. He's jealous of America's Semblance and wants it for himself.
• There is a double-meaning in Chapter Twenty's title, "Iron Heart". Someone with an iron heart is said to be cruel, heartless, cold, and unfeeling. Ironwood tries to be this (like Atlas wants) but in the end he follows his heart (and his morals) and turns against her and her doctrine. The Tin Man has a heart after all.
• The code to get through the Transformation Institute is "Prometheus." Not only does it fit with Atlas's Greek Myths naming theme, but Prometheus is known for his intelligence and for being the "champion" of humanity. It further shows how Atlas views herself.
  • Prometheus also represents the folly of overreaching and unintended consequences. Guess what happens because of the Transformation Institute?
• Throughout the series, hits to the head cause characters to become disoriented despite the existence of Aura. At first it appears to be Fridge Logic, but then Winter falls unconscious when her head smacks into the stone floor. It isn't a convenience: the head is a weak point in Aura's defense.
  • It makes even more sense when you consider that Aura may be a "force field", but that external shield doesn't stop their brains from bouncing against their skulls. It's that jostling that often causes concussions.
• A majority of the Grimm on Earth are Beowolves and Ursa. Not only are these Grimm the most common and easiest to produce, but normal people may mistake them for their mundane animal counterparts. This helps Salem maintain The Masquerade, which keeps Earth's public from discovering her and potentially uniting against her.
• England gives Ruby a talisman meant to help her suppress Silver Eyes. The talisman is made from moonstone. Not only are Silver Eyes connected to Remnant's shattered moon, but moonstone represents inner growth, strength, and helps suppress emotional instability and stress, (bringing calmness to its wearer). It's a good choice for preventing Silver Eyes, which are activated by outbursts of emotion like anger.
• Romano names his weapon Gladiolus. Gladiolus flowers symbolize strength, faithfulness, and honor; all things he aspires to be.
• Other than Ruby, it is Weiss that takes Ozpin's true nature the hardest. Seems odd until you think about Weiss's background and where she comes from. Ozpin's readiness to let smaller people suffer for the good of something bigger, and his (albeit reluctant) dismissal of their safety and lives, reminds her of Atlas and her father. Weiss went to Beacon to get away from those kinds of people, and when it turns out the Headmaster of Beacon thinks just like them, she's shaken.

Fridge Horror

• America is willing to endure physical and verbal abuse if it makes his friends and family willing to keep him around. After everything he has gone through, his sense of self-worth is so low that rather than fight back against insults and violence perpetrated by a loved one, he braces himself and will let the aggressors do what they want. He also often blames himself when things go wrong. It would be easy for certain types of people to take advantage of that mentality...
  • This has become Ascended Fridge Horror. America does not fight back when Russia hurts him and tries to rationalize his attacker's actions. It is implied he does not fight back because he thinks he deserves it.
• Ilia became badly ill between The Depths of Deception and The Atrocities of Atlas. She collapsed with white skin and violet eyes (like Canada's), becoming feverish and babbling about being cold. This happened right after the Haven fight, which is also when Canada's connection with Mantle's people was severed. Ilia was originally from Mantle but now sees Menagerie as her home. It is implied this illness is what happens when people lose their personification. If so, it puts England's intentions for Vale in a much darker light.
• Pyrrha's mom is a Huntress and is currently on a mission. If what happens to all the Huntsman and Huntresses from Mistral that went on missions remains unchanged from canon, Pyrrha's mom is likely dead.
• After America makes a deal with Ironwood in order to keep Canada safe, he tells Canada he made said deal. Canada questions what Ironwood could want from America in exchange for Canada's safety, and America says "What do you think?" Canada's skin goes white and his eyes flick down America's body as he begs America to tell him he "didn't." America goes on to explain he offered his organs and Canada briefly relaxes before tensing up again, demanding clarification. America obliges and asks what Canada thought he meant. It's implied Canada thought America was forced to offer his body in a different way.
• The now ex-soldier was hired by Atlas for his "unofficial" interrogation skills. What was Atlas planning to do to Canada and America if they did not escape the lab when they did? What will she do to America if she gets him back?
• The ex-soldier seems pretty turned on by America's pain. Who's to say he won't take things further in order to break his captive?
  • Depending on how you interpret the scene of America's last encounter with the soldier, the soldier may have planned to do exactly that. He ran his hands over America's body and kissed the side of his neck for crying out loud (which is sexual harassment at the very least). However, it might not be driven by lust. The soldier might only act that way to terrify America.
• Mixed with Fridge Brilliance: Pyrrha only survives her fight with Cinder because she is at the base of the tower instead of on top of it like she was in canon. If she was at the top of the tower, Canada and Prussia would not have reached her in time.
• America is optimistic and believes in fighting tooth and nail until he can no longer stand. Vale is cynical and tends to give up when faced with seemingly-unbeatable odds. While they are attempting to escape Ironwood and Penny 2.0, Vale insists America use the cyanide ring, which would knock them out for longer than other wounds would and at best delay when they would wake up in captivity. America refuses over and over, while a resigned Vale says they are going to be captured and have no hope of escaping. It is a really good thing Vale can't take control of America's body like Ozpin can to Oscar.
• The way the sleazy man talks to and looks at America indicates he is a gang member looking for some muscle, a recruiter for a Band of Brothels, an abductor working for a Human Trafficking ring, or maybe a Serial Killer. He stares at America like he's trying to see through his clothes.
  • The author stated she doesn't have a specific "occupation" in mind for the man and is leaving it to the readers to fill in the blanks when it comes to his intentions. Thanks, author.
• The guard at the park likely grabbed Canada because he initially thought Canada was America.
• One of the Institute guards mentions a few Institute prisoners having "one-on-one time with the guards". Did he mean they're randomly picked to be tortured or beaten by the guards (likely for their entertainment), or are prisoners used as Sex Slaves?
  • Ironwood certainly did not authorize such actions, but if they did happen, it's likely he knew about them and turned a blind eye. No wonder he refused America's offer of redemption.
• America becomes quiet and uncomfortable when he is called an idiot by France or Vale. "Idiot" is one of England's most common insults for him.
• During their confrontation, Atlas menacingly says that once America is captured she will order her men to "keep [him] company". Was she implying she would order her men to torture him to insanity or something else…? Considering her desire to completely break America, it's not much of a stretch.
• Atlas claims she "gave America a soul." during her rant. By saying that, it's implied she sees the people of Earth as so subhuman that she thinks they don't have souls. The only other creatures that don't have Aura/souls are Grimm. That's how she views the people of Earth: as soulless husks.
  • It's even worse. Atlas's claim about supposedly giving America a soul is not out of misguided ignorance. If she does believe that the people of Earth are soulless, she's willingly ignoring how nations like France ^note  who do not have a Remnant nation's Aura along with their own clearly have Aura, and how America and Canada also had their own Auras before receiving Vale and Mantle's respectively. This means Atlas sees Earthling's as so far beneath her that she purposely denies their humanity and that they have souls in order to stroke her own ego.
• Canada has no reason to believe what Atlas claimed about Ironwood torturing America is a lie. Ironwood might want to avoid Canada for the rest of eternity.
  • For more horror, pretend you don't know what really happened and look at Atlas's dialogue. She says Ironwood personally took America to his office and drugged America until America begged Ironwood to stop, saying he would do "anything." She then claims Ironwood stripped, tortured, beat, and strangled America, and by the time he was finished, America was grateful for death. She also says America "didn't fight back"...
  • Technically, Ironwood did everything Atlas said. He drugged America, stripped him, beat him, strangled him, and nearly shot him. Sure, it wasn't nearly as bad as Atlas made it seem but none of her claims are technically a lie. (Minus the death part. And America definitely fought back.) But there's another thing to consider. Did Atlas actually see the footage or were those things that she intended to do to America if she got hold of him?
• When America is hesitant to tell his brothers what Ironwood did to him, Canada says that it cannot be worse than what he is imagining. Canada saw footage of Ironwood drugging his brother, laying him on a table, and stripping him before the recording abruptly cut off. It's not hard to imagine what Canada feared might have happened after the screen went black. Canada doesn't have America's insight and only knows Ironwood as a vile tyrant who captured the twins, took part in terrible atrocities, and approved of the Transformation Institute. Not to mention Ironwood's personification would probably encourage or order such behavior.
  • Others who saw the footage do not have America's explanation of what really happened.
• After the searchers return from the Grimm-filled forest around Frontier with America, one of the citizens says "At least they found this one." How many people have disappeared in those woods? How apathetic are these people that they don't step in to stop someone from going in there and hardly care when a missing person is found?
  • It's implied some people went into the woods intentionally. Which makes the citizens' decision to not see if America was okay more despicable. The citizens know people sometimes walk into the woods to die. So when they see a distraught teenager in a hospital gown make a beeline towards the forest, what do they do? Absolutely. Nothing.
• The nurse and staff at the hospital are implied to think that America went to the woods with the intention to die. Why else would the nurse insist on restraining him to the bed like suicidal patients are? It's a good thing England stopped that nonsense.
• It's implied the Relic of Destruction can kill anything permanently, even a nation of Earth.
  Salem: We have Knowledge and Destruction. With them, it may be possible to kill what is thought to be unkillable.
• Ozpin has to reincarnate until Salem is defeated. As long as there are humans, he will reincarnate. If Remnant falls and humanity is killed there, who's to say he won't reincarnate into a human on Earth? This is implied by England when he's warning Ozpin not to think of Earth as another "new solution".
• During the Atlas riots, the rich are being hunted by mobs. France orders Ruby to give Weiss her cloak so she can cover her hair. Of course France is the one who realizes exactly how much danger Weiss is in; he has first-hand experience with the people targeting and executing the rich.
• One of the scariest implied parts of Salem's power is aptly summarized in one review:
  Comment:"You know what's terrifying? All those things that everyone said is something someone would say in that group. It's something SOMEONE is thinking. Some of the emotions and words are their own, but others AREN'T. For example, the Relic of Creation loss? That's likely from Ozpin. Yet WEISS is the one angry that they lost it. Do you understand what I'm getting at? Salem not only can enhance the negative emotions and thoughts of people, but she can GIVE THEM OTHER PEOPLES' NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS. Even if you're calm, YOU AREN'T SAFE.
  You can know yourself and understand/prepare for your emotions/thoughts to some extent when they are your own, but what about someone else's? You'd be completely unprepared to deal with their baggage.
  Imagine if Ruby got Italy's fear, or Yang got Russia's madness.
  Imagine if Canada got Penny's selective sociopathy.
  Imagine if someone got the worst of America's depression at the exact wrong moment.
  Imagine if England got ADAM'S hatred. Remnant would not stand a chance.
  Holy. Forking. Sh-t. You just took emotion manipulation and made it 10,000x more terrifying."
• Mixed with Tearjerker: America wakes up crying and does not know why. It's presumably because his home was attacked and Uni was badly injured. He has no clue what happened.
• After what she said to him, imagine how Ruby would have felt if America had killed himself...
• It is implied the Grimm essence has some degree of sentience. When Canada is injured, his essence wants to live as much as he does and seals his injury with black ooze in order to keep its host alive.
• After Salem's defeat, Canada gives the Relic of Destruction to America. America later tells Ruby to use it to destroy the Relic of Choice in a procedure that causes fear, pain, and distress. Since Canada's Grimm can sense negativity, could he sense what America planned to do? If so, did Canada hand Destruction to his twin to keep it away from his bloodthirsty self, or did he give Destruction to America (knowing full well what his twin planned to do) because of that bloodlust?

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