Grand Theft Auto V, Character Analysis: Michael

The second Grand Theft Auto V main character I’m analyzing (have to be careful with the spelling of THAT word) is Michael. In my opinion, Michael represents the characters who’ve finished their journeys in previous GTA games. He’s rich, lives in a big house, has an attractive wife… he’s achieved the dream. However, we quickly realize that Michael isn’t happy with his success. He’s missing something in his life. Could it be the thrill of… the game?

Within the world of GTA V, Michael wants to feel the glory of his criminal past, despite being much older and out of shape. As a character, I think he represents the desire of players to KEEP PLAYING. You might think that’s a bit of a stretch, but I don’t think so. As I pointed out in Franklin’s analysis, Franklin represents our desire to start from scratch, get better, and acquire success. Likewise, Michael represents our desire to play, long after the credits have rolled on our story. Trevor, undoubtedly, represents our desire to cause chaos within the games (spoiler alert for tomorrow??). Put the three characters together, and you get the ultimate Grand Theft Auto Fan.

What I like most about Michael, is how soft his character is, compared to how the story claims he once was. This is really just a concept that’s enforced throughout gameplay. Micheal will say things like, “I’m not as young as I used to be,” or someone else calling him “out of shape.” I wish I could pinpoint some actual quotes, but the game has so much dialogue that it would take forever to find exactly what I’m looking for. The point is, Michael isn’t the man he used to be. Compared to the antiheroes of previous GTA games, we can assume that Micheal isn’t as menacing as he could be. He likes sitting next to the pool, playing tennis, doing yoga… I bet the younger Michael would have beat the crap out of older Michael on principal alone.

I guess the more important question is “WHY is this something I, or anyone else, should like about this character?” It’s different, and it’s interesting. Instead of being an underdog starting from the bottom, like Franklin, Michael is an underdog who’s starting over from the top. His youth is gone, and he’s been spoiled by his own success. Even though he found success in a previous story, he longs for another adventure, “The Big One!” Meanwhile, we get a unique story from the point-of-view of a GTA personality who has to deal with a lazy son, a promiscuous daughter, and a complicated marriage, all while handling issues from his past, and securing his future.

My favorite scenes involving Michael are the ones he shares with his son. It’s hilarious to think that Michael’s hardcore criminal past eventually led to him having a son who wants to lay around his bedroom, get high, and play “those damn games.” Michael and his son seem to have an underlying affection for each other, but they just can’t get on the same page long enough to develop a more meaningful relationship. Michael has memories of the life he USED to lead, but his son thinks he’s just as lazy as he is. Michael’s son, as well as his daughter, seem caught up in whatever is trendy, giving the game developers plenty of opportunities to satirize American culture, and we get to view it from the eyes of someone who just doesn’t understand America’s youth.