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[be_compromised]
11 May 2016 @ 08:37 pm
Discussion question – Clint’s education  
Driving home tonight I passed one of those traveling carnivals set up in the parking lot of a local movie theater, the kind where everything either has wheels or can be packed up in a couple of semi trucks. There was a circle of RVs around the back side of all the rides and game booths. Which, of course, led me to start thinking about our favorite ex-carnie, Clint Barton, and what his life was like as a kid. It’s comic book canon that he and his brother Barney ran away from the orphanage and ended up living and working in a traveling carnival. And it seems like in the MCU, Clint has a military background. But you need a high school diploma or GED to join the US military. So if he was a traveling carnie, how the heck did he get his education? He wasn’t attending the local school. I’m not sure if it’s canon or fanon that Clint is very well read, but if he was a traveling carnie, he wouldn’t be able to get a library card, so where did he get his books?

I know I'm smashing together comics and MCU canon here, but that's what my brain does sometimes. Anyhoo, I'm curious, what are your theories about how Clint got his education? I need to develop some head canon around this.
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[identity profile] topaz119.livejournal.com on May 12th, 2016 12:57 pm (UTC)
Back when they first thought up Clint's circus background, not graduating from high school wasn't such a big deal. A lot of people didn't--I have older uncles who just lied about their age and joined up without much formal education. It's different now but I just generally assume he's got a GED--if I'm going with a military background then I go with someone (who is not Trickshot) helping him navigate the ins and outs of taking the test. If I'm ignoring the Ultimates & the military, I go with SHIELD providing the necessary push. If I'm *really* kicking it old school, I bring in Edwin Jarvis & a battery of tutors, :).
[identity profile] alphaflyer.livejournal.com on May 12th, 2016 06:40 pm (UTC)
Something like that! See my theory below ... And YES to SHIELD for helping make up for lost time (in areas of interest to them -- trajectory calculation, languages, weapons mastery, piloting, behavioural theory ...)
[identity profile] brickhousewench.livejournal.com on May 12th, 2016 11:12 pm (UTC)
A lot of people didn't--I have older uncles who just lied about their age and joined up without much formal education.

Ah, see, I have this vision of mostly decent Clint in my head, I hadn't considered the possibility of lying.... Hmmm, opens up new possibilities.
[identity profile] topaz119.livejournal.com on May 12th, 2016 11:37 pm (UTC)
Well, if you're 16 and starving, the difference between prostitution and lying about how old you are to join the military can be a giant motivator.

Also, there's a large contingent who would feel that lying about something so trivial as your age in order to serve your country isn't anything at all dishonorable.
[identity profile] brickhousewench.livejournal.com on May 13th, 2016 02:05 am (UTC)
I don't consider lying about your age to be a big deal. So many people add or subtract years. (My sister moved to California and was suddenly four years younger!) But lying about your education? I've worked with too many incompetent people who have fibbed their ways into jobs they weren't qualified for to not consider lying about credentials to be a problem.