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Schroeder and Lucy

Lucy and Schroeder.

Lucy suffers from unrequited love for Schroeder. Lucy tries to get Schroeder's attention, but usually fails. According to the biographical book Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis, Schroeder's contentious relationship with Lucy was based on Charles M. Schulz's real life relationship with his first wife.

Lucy's opinion of Schroeder[]

Lucy's love for Schroeder began in the strip from January 27, 1953, where she misheard Schroeder discuss the Nutcracker Suite, thinking he meant "sweet". This resulted in Lucy developing a crush on him. Although it is unknown why she still persistently chases him despite the misunderstanding. She does not try to let the boy know how she feels about him until the strip from May 30, 1953,According to Schulz's biographical book Peanuts a golden celebration, this is where Lucy first falls in love with him. On June 1st, 1953, She expresses to Patty how excited she his on seeing him 23 times already after keeping track of his appearances with her ,and asks her if she believes in love in 23rd sight. She frequently leans upon Schroeder's piano, trying to get his attention, but usually fails. Schroeder would rather play his piano than listen to her. Lucy's first attempt to get his attention would be on a January 3, 1954 strip, where she jumps on his piano and dances on it, leaving scratches and foot marks all over it. This is also where she first says her "I'll probably never get married" catchphrase after a rejection. She has tried almost everything, from just talking to him to walking over and kissing him. How Lucy keeps getting into Schroeder's house is never addressed.

LSM

Lucy's Fantasy in the TV special You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Lucy's love for Schroeder has made her do crazy things. She even mentioned that the only reason she joined Charlie Brown's baseball team was because she loved Schroeder, who is the catcher, and frequently tells Charlie Brown to tell Schroeder that she thinks he is cute.

Lucy uses two main tactics to get Schroeder's attention, both involving Beethoven. Many times she acts like she is also a huge Beethoven fan, thinking that will impress him. She says he was a great composer and a great musician. She tries to give Schroeder pictures and statues of Beethoven, but he never accepts them. Although Schroeder has accepted gifts from Lucy on a few occasions. Once, when she gave him a sketch of Beethoven that she drew herself, he was thrilled, but she was then shocked to find he already had a gigantic wall-sized portrait of Beethoven in an elaborate frame hanging in his room. Another time, on Beethoven's birthday, she gave him a picture of Johann Strauss because "they were all out of Beethoven". Schroeder also accepted a flower from Lucy, but after he explained that accepting a flower can mean love, or "just to keep from hurting the other person's feelings", Lucy promptly yanked it back and kicked it away. She even pretends that she celebrates Beethoven's birthday on December 16, like Schroeder does.

The other way Lucy tries to get Schroeder to notice her is by trying to convince him that Beethoven was not that great and making rude comments about him. However, anytime Lucy tries that, Schroeder normally yanks his piano out from under her, making Lucy "klunk" her head on the floor.

Lucy has tried other ways to get the boy's attention too. She often tries to kiss him, sometimes succeeding, but often ending up accidentally kissing Snoopy.

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Lucy's first "piano sitting" in the May 30, 1953 strip.

Lucy constantly sees herself as being in competition with the piano, which she has even stolen and destroyed, Lucy has often spoken of getting Schroeder to give up his piano, saying that married life has financial hardships and he may have to sell his piano in order to buy her a good set of saucepans. On two occasions, Lucy went so far as to destroy Schroeder's piano in an attempt to be rid of the "competition" for his affection, but both attempts failed: by throwing it into the Kite-Eating Tree or into the sewers, but earning her none of Schroeder's love or affection. Lucy once "accidentally" washed his piano and threw it in the dryer which, to Schroeder's horror, caused it to shrink. In Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, Lucy destroys his piano in a rage fit, after he ignores her when she tries to tell him the history of Valentine's Day and its romantic origins, by stomping on it with her own feet.

Lucy sometimes does not seem to like the fact that she is in love with Schroeder. Sometimes she is upset that she chose to fall in love with a musician who will never love her back. In one story-line, she tries giving up on loving Schroeder, but after a week, she discovers she is unable to do it.

Lucy has mentioned marriage with Schroeder many times, even offering to fry his coffee every morning, but Schroeder is not interested in marrying her (or getting married at all). When Lucy annoys Schroeder so much he leaves the room, Lucy says, "My aunt Marion was right. Never discuss marriage with a musician."

In the 2016 Ready-to-Read book titled Lucy Knows Best, Lucy proves that she can give up her love for him. Schroeder makes a surprise visit to Lucy's psychiatric booth asking that he needed tickets to go to a music summer camp. (Segment semi adapted from July 22, 1980 comic strip) Lucy obliges and books him a first class flight. When she goes for a kiss, Schroeder ignores her, when Schroeder returns, Lucy asks for a hug after a baseball game but he rejects her. Lucy then goes to her psychiatry booth and councils herself, saying "You're smart and beautiful, you shouldn't have to chase after anyone". Afterwards, She visits Schroeder's house and says "I got advice from the smartest person in the world, and do you know what she said" (Schroeder continues to ignore her.) "She said Bleah!" showing that Lucy can break the love curse that she has on him.

Schroeder's opinion of Lucy[]

Schroeder is annoyed by Lucy's infatuation with him and considers her a nuisance. Schroeder does not like how Lucy always leans against his piano, and many times, he throws her off of it. Because his music seems to be a priority, Schroeder does not seem to be particularly interested in any girls, but it seems that he prefers Lucy to others. For instance, in one strip, where Frieda, who also seems a little interested in Schroeder, and Lucy are both leaning against it, Schroeder takes Lucy's side when they get into a fight. Schroeder rarely tells Lucy to go away as long as she is quiet. He does not seem to mind her being there until she begins to annoy him. Most times, he is willing to answer her questions as long as they do not relate to romance or marriage, or if they are outright frivolous. Schroeder seems to like educating her about Beethoven, although she usually replies with silly answers.

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Strip from May 16, 1966.

A few strips have shown that Schroeder may have feelings for Lucy. For instance, in the strip from May 16, 1966, part of a story-line in which Lucy and the rest of her family move away that was later adapted as the TV special Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown?, Schroeder remembers the time he spent with her and is upset that he never got to say goodbye to her. He becomes frustrated with his music and mutters disbelievingly that he misses her, realizing that, despite his animosity towards her, Lucy has unwittingly become his muse. At one point, while playing, he sees Lucy in the music playing over him, and, quoting Henry Higgins from Pygmalion, he says, "Don't tell me I've grown accustomed to that face." which was first used in Play It Again, Charlie Brown. In an early strip, Schroeder tells Charlie Brown that he thinks Lucy has pretty eyes, though sometimes they are out of focus.

Schroeder dislikes the idea of marrying Lucy in adulthood, feeling they are too young to discuss marriage. He repeatedly dismisses Lucy's ideas on what their lives would be like if they ever married, or makes comebacks to stop the conversations from lasting further. In certain strips, Schroeder will angrily denounce Lucy for discussing marriage.

In the strip from December 16, 1984, Schroeder kisses Lucy on the cheek but when Lucy turns around she sees Snoopy. Believing Snoopy was the one who kissed her, she runs away screaming, while Schroeder calls for her to come back. Ever since this moment Schroeder's opinion of her has not changed, almost being treated like it never happened.

In the October 15, 1998 strip, Schroeder yanks his piano out from under Lucy for the last time and this would be the final time she would ever lean on his piano and offer a marriage proposal. September 12, 1999 would be the final appearance of Lucy's last ever interaction with him as she oddly does not recognize him at first.

When Lucy comments him he blushes.

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