Now, since we did cover a brief criteria of the traits your OC would need to have in order to be seen as a valid Proxy, we need to discuss firstly you know who. Why? Every fan out there who has seen me go on in my reviews about the excessive inclusion of Slenderman just to serve that Creepypasta and Proxy purpose will have seen how I react in a...less positive light than expected.
The reason I still view good Proxies yet hate the modern day ones is the simple fact that:
- There is no ritual/traditional method to test their traits. They are often just spied on first-hand by Slenderman at their moment of insanity and then just...taken away to be labelled a Proxy.
- It's always Slenderman! Never has his mindless Proxies attempted to almost murder the OC, only for the character to prove (when Slenderman reveals it was a setup during his arrival to the fight) how much significance they own. Slenderman was and still is everyone's view of "Oh boy, Proxy time!".
- Proxies are nothing like how I understood the previous ones. They are always seen to be this modified version of the author, being way too powerful from starting off as virtually nothing.
The Majority of Modern-Day Proxies = Stereotypical Working Class Delinquents []
Terrible bullying for seeming different (which I would compare appearance/language use), terrible grades (average result for the majority of the working class as they weren't often expected to receive decent school education due to their poverty) and terrible parents/teachers with a society using them as a scapegoat for the mistakes higher classes made.
If you've heard of Blood Brothers, you'd understand the the boat we're climbing aboard today. And warning, this will be spoiling the book if you have not read it yet so...You have been warned!
Mickey Johnstone is your working class boy, seven years old from when we are first introduced to him within the story and does tend to play on the majority of the stereotypes laid out when we hear the term "working class". After his brother's split from his mother, Mrs Johnstone seems to over-protect Mickey as her insecure motherhood from the manipulative Mrs Lyons led her superstitious behaviour to overcome her moral attitude by allowing Mickey to be free from excessive restrictions. Mickey is seen throughout the beginning of his introduction speaking in colloquialism (common form of communication via slang and his upbringing with older brothers/sisters using informal vulgar language), this is normal for many children in the Liverpool working class as he mostly mimics the behaviour around him, including their views of society.
Mickey often viewed his older brother Sammy has some form of the father figure he lacked due to Mrs Johnstone's husband walking out on her shortly after being announced pregnant again (as the effects of pregnancy affected the young appearance and freedom she once had, turning her from a beautiful and non-restricted young woman to a mother of nine children, the two extra from the original seven being Mickey and his stolen brother, looking fifty while actually being only thirty years old).
Presumably, the reader is meant to view Mickey as the juxtaposition of his mother by being the form of irony. Mickey desires to become older to be free from restrictions however, this is a gruesome form of dramatic irony (the audience understands something the character doesn't) by the unfortunate life awaiting Mickey once he reaches an age where factory work is all that he can do while forever remaining in the class living on easy terms (if you get that reference, you're very cool).
Edward Lyons is your higher middle class boy, also seven years old when we are first introduced to him within the story and does tend to play on the majority of the stereotypes laid out when we hear the term "middle class". After being split from his mother (Mrs Johnstone), Mrs Lyons raised Edward as her own while providing the same restrictions onto her son just like Mrs Johnstone (creating some irony for her if you were to look at the song she sings "My Child" where she describes all the things she can do as a mother compared to Mrs Johnstone). Edward speaks in Standard English and Received Pronunciation due to his education being provided to him as well as his well-educated parents.
Edward is, surprisingly, rebellious at his age in a small degree as we are introduced to him via his way of sneaking off into a forbidden area where Mickey lives in and uses quite a vulgar term against his mother when Mickey is forced to leave Mrs Lyons' home after attempting to ask when Edward can go out and play. Edward still values his parents greatly for all they do however, unlike Mickey at times, he goes against their wishes/teachings to be free and with Mickey now his blood brother, he now has that final push of confidence.
So, I know exactly what you may be thinking, why analyse two characters that share some links together and act as if that’s a suitable comparison to Proxies and Creepypastas wishing to have the abilities of a Proxy?
Well, it’s quite simple, Mickey represents the Proxies we see and how they resemble certain people desiring something that makes them complete, forever unknowingly living a monotonous cycle of suffering with clear restrictions that either society placed onto them or their own ideal person they look up to for hope (aka Slenderman in the common case).
Edward is actually the audience and even the creator of said Proxy Creepypasta as the higher standards are often not reached and while Mickey may have some common sense at times, Edward is the true person who is the split of expectation VS reality. He still is able to obtain some luxuries at times while experiencing a few first world problems but, deep down, he wants to be a child, a person, free from oppression and restriction. Edward is the audience’s side of who they desire to be, and that desire most of the time for a younger audience is indeed to become Mickey. Mickey, a boy of exploration, adventurous spirit, fearless nature and the idea that age brings along freedom.
Sadly, Mickey is unaware towards the cycle that is everlasting, and that effect of gullibility is also found in the majority of Edward as well.