Finally got some downtime before the spuds come home from school.
I was going to print out the pages of comments in this thread, scan pages from the novels, put up a video reply and refer to my extensive notes so I could address each comment individually, in an effort to not gloss over the best parts of your insightful replies but when I thought about the effort involved I decided against it. So notes it is. I will refer to the Fall Of REACH novel and Combat Evolved gane since I think those two separate pieces of media give the best FIRST impressions of Subject Sierra-117/John and I'll try and address all points made as specifically yet generally as possible.
Aside from his bio facts about Spartan 117 are subjective.
To me 117 seems to be the "wind-up" soldier Ackerson accused him of being In Fall of Reach. He faced off with fellow UNSC servicemen in the gymnasium of the UNSC Atlas on page 68 paragraph 2 and once ordered he proceeded to maim and or kill four ODST troopers. Later felt
"strangely" sorry for the men, but immediately afterward CPO Mendez issues standing orders as a from of salve to the Chief. He is to fulfill the mission and keep his team safe. The wording of this standing order implies indifference toward anyone who is not part of his team or the mission.
Perhaps before this incident the Chief had the benefit of reflecting on his own emotions before making a decision where lives were at stake.
The argument about the differences between fighting insurrectionists, and all the politics that come with that enemy, versus an otherworldly alien race, is a valid one. But I submit to you ladies and gentlemen, that John117 sees only
three ways to react to people.if superior obey, if part of his team help, if threat neutralize them, as seen on page 66 paragraph 1. He is in fact a killing(hurting) MACHINE. True Cortana gives him credit for NOT being a mindless killer when she first "meets" him but then she admonishes him after getting to know him by saying "This ring is not a cudgel, you barbarian." at the Assualt on the Control room.
His relationship with Kelly was unique because she had something that impressed him, her speed. As well as with Sam who was strong, and so they became a trio of friends that were mutually beneficial. Although subconsciously John may have had a little kid crush on Kelly which 6-7 year olds have sometimes. Both very valuable part of his team.
Sgt. Avery Johnson was one tough hombre. He braved the Covenant and the Flood with equal skill and determination, even a Spartan would be impressed by Sarge's resilience, he was often at the Chiefs side and as such was a de facto part of his TEAM. behold the pattern? I aslo believe that Sergeant Johnson may have gotten on the Chief's good side because he reminded Him of his earliest non-com CPO Franklin Mendez.
The mission In the fall of reach where Sam sacrifices himself shows how Spartans care for each other. Real anguish was demonstrated by John 117, even as he instructed Kelly to "Come on Spartan, don't look back" as one of John's few friends Sam spent his life to destroy an entire Covenant ship.
However The UNSC personnel on the Pillar of Autumn that managed to make it onto installation 04 were more assets than they were lives to be saved. When given an individual who is driven by his desire to WIN, these assets could make the difference between victory and defeat, especially BEFORE the Flood are loosed. A good example of this rationale is at the battle of Cote D' Azur on page 176, where the Chief and his team is tasked with rallying a severely decimated UNSC marine contingent. "they were now part of his team but they lacked the Spartan's firepower and training so they had to be protected." So all of the shoulder pats and serviceman tossing were more a stacking of the odds for his team rather a saving of lives in peril.
I could go on about how Halsey was the mom surrogate and Mendez was the father figure so there was latent separation anxiety, or how 26 years of combat would strip away any human's ability to display emotion or how the nature of the augmentations was never thoroughly explored on human subjects so therefore experimental..or ooor OOORRR.
But my fingers are tired and I think I've made a few excellent, if not amusing observations about Our Beloved JOHN that support my point of view.
Perhaps psychopathic killer is too conventional a term for Spartan 117 as some indicators of psychopathology don't quite suit him. Maybe maladjusted or hyper-lethal is a more PC way of saying killing machine in the future. But I contend there is no way that someone goes through what this poor man has and come through it psychologically intact.
Maybe Jorge's behavior on Reach best reflect what John was going through, what John, had he not had to be strong for the rest, would say and do. Maybe if not for these things John would NOT have become the savior of earth and the rescuer of all mankind.
Rest in Peace Spartan117