‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’

Men today fear being themselves. Even those of us who think of ourselves as “good men” have begun to wonder if we are good enough. We wonder how to behave, what to say, how to feel, what to think, in short, how to be decent humans. Perhaps a beloved comic book character can help us understand what it means to be a good man.

Admittedly, it is challenging to write anything original about a comic strip that over its fifty years’ run (1950–2000) accumulated nearly 18,000 strips, was syndicated in 75 countries, translated into 21 languages, and had an estimated readership of some 355 million. There were also four feature-length motion pictures and over fifty animated television specials.

What we are doing here is something far more modest. The original 1967 theatre musical based on the Peanuts characters, with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, was titled You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

The question is this. Why did Lucy van Pelt in this first ever Peanuts musical turn to Charlie Brown, the only other character on stage during the last moments of the performance, and say to him, “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown?”

What, despite all of his faults and limitations, made Charlie Brown a good man? In 75 countries? For some 355 million devoted readers?

Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz claimed his comic strips were “about nothing.” But anyone who has spent any amount of time with them knows full well that his characters and simple storylines were brimming with life, and not just about children.

“Maybe the characters’ genius as an ensemble is that they perfectly anatomize what it is to be human,” remarked then BBC Features Correspondent Cameron Laux about a 2018 London exhibition dedicated to Schulz’s work.

Schulz Museum Curator Jane O’Cain notes:

“Most longtime Peanuts readers know that many of the characters are deeply philosophical. Much of what has fascinated and entertained us for decades has been the spectacle of little children afflicted with adult concerns.”

She goes on to give an example in Linus’ philosophy, which may be summarize in two lines:

“Five hundred years from now who’ll know the difference?” and “I love mankind… it’s people I can’t stand.” This is a great deal of cynicism for a child.

Over the years many people have attempted to explain the success of the comic strip, and even psychoanalyze the characters. A few obvious elements make Schulz’ vision unusual. While the characters are children, except for the dog Snoopy, they think and act with the existential angst of adults. And even Snoopy becomes angsty if Charlie does not arrive in time with his food bowl.

Moreover, the situations and dialogue in the strips are clearly intended for adult readers. A child may find the characters broadly funny, but will miss many of the adult references, ironies and subtle jokes. It is notable that in the four later motion pictures, and in the television specials, both the situations and dialogue were simplified to better appeal to kids.

A recent review focused on the existential crises that Charlie Brown seems to face on a near-daily basis:

“Charles Schultz never tried to pull the wool over kids’ eyes. He acknowledged that childhood was not for the faint of heart. Peanuts’ precocious little group of kindergarten and first graders represented a broad spectrum of fears and neuroses.”

It used to be very rare for creators of children’s materials to highlight the difficulties and challenges of childhood, and it was especially rare in the 1950s and 60s. But as we know today, childhood is filled with emotional and social challenges that are either addressed and resolved in ways kids understand, or the same challenges follow them into the adult years and potentially confront them for the rest of their lives.

Indeed, it may be that the unresolved childhood issues among most readers is what made this comic strip such a huge hit around the world.

On the other hand, we may look at the elements that became controversial. The comic strip was never banned outright, but certain strips were declined by various publications on occasion. One of the most notable controversies was the introduction of the Black character Franklin in 1968. Franklin was the first Black character introduced in a major mainstream comic strip during a time of widespread social unrest in the U.S.

Many at the time objected to Franklin becoming part of the Peanuts crew, and a handful of newspapers dropped the strip for a time. Then, in the 1973 television special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Franklin is depicted sitting alone on one side of the Thanksgiving table with all of the other characters sitting opposite, suggesting racial segregation.

It remains unclear what the intentions of the cartoonists (a team supervised by Schulz) may have been. Were they attempting to respect the majority white consensus at the time? Or were they simply part of an era in which segregation was still widespread?

Analyzing the Characters

What can we learn about Charlie’s “good man” qualities by observing the character and his interactions with his friends? For purposes of brevity, this will focus primarily on Charlie Brown and Lucy van Pelt.

Charlie Brown:

“The sometimes optimistic, sometimes self-deprecatory main character in Peanuts. The show is a day in the life of Charlie Brown. A loveable loser, his main characteristics are either self-defeating stubbornness or admirable determined persistence to try his best against all odds. Dominated by insecurities, this lovable blockhead is affable, humble but smart and vulnerable.”

Charlie Brown, according to HubPages and others, is a lovable guy quick to acknowledge that he is ordinary. He is often dominated by insecurities, and ridiculed by his peers. Charlie is often humiliated, resulting in the constant usage of his two favorite words, “Good Grief!” This is particularly obvious in the motion picture based on the theatre play, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, in which Charlie attempts to loft a kite into the air, but in this endeavor like so many others, he obviously thinks of himself as clumsy. The kite flies for a only a few minutes before falling to the ground.

But Charlie Brown also displays pro-social humility in that he regularly walks away from his failures in a way that is accepting and disengaging. Charlie never gets the red-haired girl he so longs for, but also never makes any attempt to meet her or talk with her. So there is certainly an edge of depression, which has led several reviewers to conclude that Charlie Brown suffers from Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD).

“People with APD are anxious about everyday situations. They constantly feel inadequate and inferior…and are most secure among a small circle of friends.”

Lucy van Pelt:

“The crabby, opinionated, manipulative, self-important older sister to Linus who bosses Charlie Brown around and perpetually offers arm-chair psychiatric advice for her rate of five cents. She must have dimension in her performance — she will have the ability to be a brute but also allow her compassion to shine when necessary.”

Lucy is Linus’ grumpy, bossy sister. She is often seen bullying the others, especially Charlie and Linus. A recurring scene is Lucy holding a football for Charlie to kick, but then she pulls it away just before he makes contact. Charlie feels humiliated and Lucy thinks this is hilarious. She also frequently torments her brother Linus both physically and mentally.

Lucy may have a tough exterior, but she is also insecure and has very low self-esteem. She is always seeking compliments from Charlie and Linus. However, when their comments are not positive, she will either sink into depression or start screaming at the two boys. Lucy’s behavior is best aligned with people who have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

It is interesting that Lucy is portrayed as the smartest of the group, although she must often compete with Schroeder and Linus for this title. She is the only one of the group to finish her paper report on Peter Rabbit. Lucy’s speech is portrayed as typically advanced for her age, as compared with the male characters. For example, at certain times when Charlie Brown tries to contradict Lucy when he knows she’s wrong, she plows ahead anyway, speaking over him.

Lucy is certainly a bully. She is frequently seen bossing the others around. In her determination, she attempts to boss Snoopy into going out to chase rabbits. Lucy also bullies her brother Linus, at one point threatening to take his blanket away. Linus refuses to comply, but Lucy persists: “No! I’ve got it and I’m going to keep it. This is just the start you need to help you break this disgusting habit.”

Lucy is a friend to Charlie Brown and is constantly looking for ways to help him and Linus, though she often becomes pushy and moody in her attempts to help. She has a strong, unrequited crush on Schroeder.

When Lucy opens her roadside therapy stand, Charlie is her first customer. Charlie admits to feeling very depressed, and he believes no one likes him. Lucy (as the doctor) suggests that Charlie “admit all the things that are wrong with you.” Charlie starts:

“I’m not very handsome, or clever, or lucid. I’ve always been stupid at spelling and numbers. I’ve never been much playing football or baseball, or stickball or checkers or marbles or ping pong. I’m usually awful at parties and dances, I stand like a stick, or I cough, or I laugh…”

When Charlie concludes his list, Lucy adds “You’re also stupid, self-centered and moody…” but adds that he is “No one else but the singular, remarkable, unique Charlie Brown.” Charlies admits that he is beginning to feel better already and Lucy promptly requests her five cent fee.

What Kind of Man is Charlie Brown?

According to an interpretation from Cameron Lee Cowan of The Cameron Journal, Charlie Brown is often a pushover. He is surrounded by selfish friends who do not think of Charlie, and because they know he will not stand up for himself, it’s easy for them to take advantage of him:

“He’s mediocre on his best day, and life holds for him mostly disappointments. He never gets the red-haired girl. He will never kick the football, nor is he brave enough to walk away from the situation. He is the ultimate beta male. He is the boy for whom life offers little. But much of it is his own fault.”

I believe this is a bit harsh. The fact is, very often Charlie seems to get through his days with a subtle but firm joyfulness. He does not try very hard because he has not found much to care about. He wants to care for his friends, but they are constantly blocking his path and pushing him away.

Typically for a boy of five years old, he is developmentally behind most girls, both cognitively and socially, including in this case his friend Lucy. Lucy takes advantage of this and thinks of Charlie as stupid, self-centered and moody, traits which are commonly re-directed and externalized by persons with Bipolar Disorder.

The Peanuts cast of characters is utterly recognizable I believe because they are, to most adults, just like kids this age. But this group is far more interesting because the typical adult reader will also recognize various familiar adult traits, even if they cannot identify them specifically.

Of course, it is fundamentally wrong to assign adult psychiatric diagnoses to children. Schultz and the Peanuts characters invite this precisely because they are portraying adult angst and personality quirks. From an adult point of view, portraying these adult challenges through the guise of kids makes the issues safer and more approachable.

Short-form graphic narratives like the Peanuts strips rely heavily on the reader to fill in the blanks, to use their real life experiences to grasp the meanings offered by the strip characters and their situations. Most of this comic strip consists of only four panels, leaving much to the imaginative reader to assemble and grasp the true meanings.

Ultimately Charlie is a good man because he is reliably dull, slow to anger and mild mannered. Lucy finds these qualities attractive in a man, but in Charlie’s case, not in any romantic way. Charlie avoids many opportunities as well as challenges, rather than confront them in some hypermasculine manner so very common in our world today. So he gets points for his mild reactions.

But Lucy also appreciates that she can easily push Charlie around, overwhelm him with speech and logic, and transfer her insecurities to him in ways in which he appears to accept. Charlie becomes a victim of Lucy’s bipolar mood swings, whereas Lucy is never victimized by Charlie’s avoidant tendencies. This suits Lucy very well. Charlie does not need Lucy, or any subject victim, except to remind him that he is stupid, self-centered and moody.

In summary, Charlie lacks some of the most prized masculine traits including decisiveness, action-orientation, and the tendency to “fix” problems as they arise. But he shines with his usually quiet demeanor, his thoughtfulness toward others, his subtle compassion, and his overall determination to get through life without “winning” every encounter with social or emotional challenges.

So maybe not the ideal man. But then, who is to say today who or what is the “ideal man?” What is your sense of Charlie Brown? Please share your views in the comments.

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator of the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a men’s mindfulness discussion program, and a member of the Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center. He holds a PhD in Communication Studies.