In Guardians of the Galaxy, after they defeat Ronan, Peter returns to his ship and opens the letter from his mother. Now we obviously knew that he read it before, since she mentioned the word "Star-Lord" in it, but the gift from her definitely still had ribbons on it. Why did he wait 26 years before he opened Awesome Mix Vol. 2?
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2Maybe he just wrapped it up again? 26 years later and the first tape and the walkman are in perfect condition too, so he probably takes really good care of it.– user16696Commented Feb 18, 2015 at 5:25
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32“we obviously knew that he read it before, since she mentioned the word "Star-Lord" in it” — I don’t think that proves he read it before. She might have called him that outside of the letter.– Paul D. WaiteCommented Feb 18, 2015 at 12:28
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21Opening it probably makes him acknowledge that she died - by not opening it, he never had to deal with that aspect of his life. By saving the galaxy, he probably felt in a place where he was finally ready to deal with the death of his mother.– MooCommented Feb 18, 2015 at 15:32
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3The "he's moving on because it's the right time" answers above are all quite good, but there is another relevant detail. While Peter certainly learns who he is in the personal sense, he also (with the help of the Xandarians) learns something about who he is in the genetic sense. He is told that something in his makeup prevented him from being immediately consumed by the stone. This is confirmation of his mother's once-outlandish story about his father.– Brian WarshawCommented Feb 20, 2015 at 18:44
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1Maybe because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?– OmegacronCommented Jul 22, 2015 at 18:25
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2 Answers
Now we obviously knew that he read it before, since she mentioned the word "Star-Lord" in it,
Given Peter's (still secret) parentage, it's likely that "Star-Lord" was her nickname for Peter while he was growing up.
As for why he never opened the gift, this is never 100% explained within the movie or any bonus materials (that I'm aware of as of yet), but it makes sense thematically.
When we meet Peter, he's listening to Awesome Mix Volume 1 - likely given to him by his mother when she was still healthy. Peter's mom gives him the gift telling him, "You open it when I'm gone." As she is dying, he not only refuses to hold her hand, he actually runs out from the entire building. He refuses to accept that she's dead. From here on out, he continues listening to Awesome Mix Volume 1 - his connection not only to his mother but of Earth and not being alone. When Peter is explaining his walkman to Gamora, the subject of his mother comes up, and Peter is unable to say, or admit out loud, that she is dead.
By the end of the movie, Peter has become a very different person. In fact, all of the Guardians have. They've all grown from looking out only for themselves, and learned not only to look at the bigger picture, but to value friendships and relationships. They've given up only looking out for themselves, as they've learned that there are others out there that care about them and that they care about.
During the battle with Ronan, Gamora says, "Peter, take my hand!", echoing his mother's words. As Peter turns to look at Gamora, he sees his mother.
Now, Peter isn't afraid of being alone because he knows he's not. He can finally accept his mother's death and look towards the future. It's finally time to open the gift.
answered Feb 18, 2015 at 4:51
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9Not to mention the strong (if anvilicious) symbolism when he grabs Gamora's hand in their showdown with Ronan; he briefly sees his mom instead of Gamora, so he's reaching out to her, fixing his mistake as a kid.– user33616Commented Feb 19, 2015 at 23:01
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1The movie shows that Peter regrets not taking his mom's hand when she asked, in the prologue. To him, not taking her hand was a mistake.– user33616Commented Jul 7, 2017 at 15:58
Because it's the last gift he's ever going to get from her, and to open it up is akin to accepting that and saying goodbye. He can only open it for the first time once.
During the course of the film, he makes new friends and goes through things that make the Universe seem more important. One might say that Quill grows up during the course of Guardians. To finalise that transition, he needs to finally let go of the painful end of his childhood on Earth.
answered Feb 18, 2015 at 12:08
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