Relationship With Lucy Van Pelt
Schroeder's other distinguishing mark as a character is his constant refusal of Lucy's love. Lucy is infatuated with Schroeder, and frequently lounges against his piano while he is playing, professing her love for him. However, Beethoven was a lifelong bachelor, and Schroeder feels he must emulate every aspect of his idol's life, even if it is insinuated that he reciprocates Lucy's feelings. In a story arc where she and the rest of her family have moved out of town (also seen in the TV special Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown?), Schroeder becomes frustrated with his music and mutters disbelievingly that he misses her, realizing that, despite his animosity towards her, Lucy has unwittingly become Schroeder's muse and he cannot play without her (he parodies Henry Higgins by saying, "Don't tell me I've grown accustomed to THAT face!"). Sometimes, he gets so annoyed with Lucy that he outright yanks the piano out from underneath her to get her away from him which became a running gag; on one occasion both Lucy and Frieda lounge on Schroeder's piano, until he yanks it from beneath them both after Frieda mistakenly thinks Beethoven is a drink rather than a composer. However, he does allow Charlie Brown to lounge against the piano, because of their solid friendship. The question of how the unwanted Lucy nevertheless keeps getting into Schroeder's house is never addressed; presumably Schroeder's unseen parents do not take his dislike for her very seriously. Sometimes Lucy won't leave him alone or does crazy things like: Shoving his Piano into the washer, throws it into the Kite Eating tree, or smashes his Beethoven busts with a baseball bat!
It should be noted he rarely tells Lucy to go away as long as she is quiet. He is usually quite content to let her stay there, until she starts annoying him. Most times he is happy to answer her questions, but unfortunately they usually turn into themes that annoy him, eg, about them having a relationship, stupid questions about music, etc. He seems to like informing her about Beethoven, although she usually replies with silly answers. It seems he at least tolerates her coming over and it's more her annoying questions that bother him, rather than her actual presence.
Once, he appears as Lucy's psychiatric partner, and took her place when she was not available. When Charlie Brown poured out his troubles, Schroeder said simply, "Go home and listen to a Brahms piano quartet...Five cents, please!" Later, Charlie Brown asked Lucy, "Just how carefully do you screen these assistants of yours?"
Another time he appeared as a patient. He told Lucy about how Beethoven wrote all the great symphonies, but as he was deaf, he never got to hear them and everytime he thinks about it, it makes him said. Lucy simply replies with, "Try not to think about it, five cents, please!" After he leaves, she remarks, "Some cases are relatively simple".
The only times Schroeder accepted a gift from Lucy was when she gave him a sketch of Beethoven—she was then shocked to find he already had a gigantic wall-size portrait of Beethoven hanging in his room, and when Lucy gave him Elton John glasses. He also accepted a flower from her after Lucy showed it to him and explained that accepting a flower can mean love, or "just to keep from hurting the other person's feelings." Lucy promptly yanks it back and kicks it away after that response.
In reaction to her constant advances, Schroeder has been known to occasionally humor her, somewhat goodnaturedly. He gave her a Valentine after confirming that he didn't have to love her to give her one, just "barely being able to tolerate her" was fine. Schroeder demonstrates the same fondly teasing tone toward Lucy in the December 14, 1975 Sunday strip, whispering a flirtatious comments to her while she pretends to be asleep on his piano. He addresses her as "pretty girl", and says "I think you're kind of cute! You really fascinate me!" He ends his string of flirtatious remarks with "I guess I love everything about you... Sweet baby!" Lucy cannot help but grin, to which Schroeder exclaims, "Ha! I knew you weren't asleep!" Lucy responds with "Rats!"
Schroeder has only been known to kiss Lucy on the cheek once. Once when Lucy gives Schroeder a cupcake on Beethoven's birthday, he kisses her on the cheek, but when Lucy turns around she sees Snoopy immediately next to her. Thinking that it was he that kissed her, she runs away screaming.
Read more about this topic: Schroeder (Peanuts)
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