Even though Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't call attention to it very often, the in-game journal carried by Arthur Morgan and John Marston tells players a lot about their character's personalities. Rockstar Games' latest massive open world title is absolutely filled with small details and flourishes, from the way real-life animal behaviors are emulated to hidden mysteries hinting at the inclusion of fantastical creatures like vampires and long-dead Giant skeletons.
Red Dead Redemption 2's vast open world, based on the Southwestern United States in the year 1899, allows players the ability to perform actions like hunting, fishing, stealing, murdering, and brewing coffee over a campfire while their hair slowly grows over time, just to name a few. Throughout the plot and subsequent epilogue of Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur Morgan and John Marston each carry a journal which they are occasionally shown writing in, and many players have likely noticed that both protagonists also create little drawings depicting the plants and animals they come in contact with.
However, there's a lot more to Red Dead Redemption 2's in-game journal than just the moments shown to the player after cutscenes and pictures of crudely-drawn cougars. Flipping forwards or backwards through the journal at any given point in Red Dead Redemption 2's story will provide players with an in-depth look at their current avatar's mentality, and when comparing the two characters side-by-side the journal gives a fascinating look at the differences and the similarities between the gruff, silent Arthur Morgan and the more headstrong, emotional John Marston.
[Warning: Spoilers for the entirety of Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 will be mentioned below. Proceed with caution.]
Arthur Morgan's Journal
Arthur Morgan, although stoic and somewhat reserved in person, is much different on the page and in his head. He writes long, eloquent paragraphs about the situations he finds himself in, and although the game does show the player these entries when they pertain to big story events there are many, many more which appear that Red Dead Redemption 2 never tells the player about. Arthur writes about strangers he counters, small interactions he has with NPCs, and even draws interesting items and locations he discovers throughout the game.
Arthur's journal is the narration of Red Dead Redemption 2's story, and it's also some of the best proof of his second-in-command status as Dutch's right-hand man. Arthur (and the player) deposits money periodically into a lockbox which acts as a camp fund, but in his journal readers can see that he's also keeping track of where all of the donated funds are going. Arthur's journal is organized, well-written, well-illustrated, and showcases some of his innermost thoughts which would never be expressed on the surface.
John Marston's Journal
John's journal, on the other hand, isn't quite as fanciful, despite him being a much more verbose character in person. As the main protagonist of Red Dead Redemption and the avatar which players take control of after Arthur Morgan's death in Red Dead Redemption 2, John isn't afraid to let people know he isn't keen on keeping thoughts and feelings internal when they need to be expressed, and he isn't the type of person to go in for such highfalutin concepts as art and education. Although he still sketches each new animal that he comes across, John's drawings are simple, almost child-like, and when he writes he adds lines underneath his words so that he doesn't end up scribbling all over the page.
The simple drawings and the need for guided structure symbolize a character who was never educated past a grade-school level, and his lack of interest in learning how to do either task better showcases exactly how John Marston views himself and his place in the world. He knows he isn't a good writer or a good artist, but he continues doing both things anyway. For the player, this helps to continue the feeling of immersion and involvement with the world around them, but it also shows a subtle respect for the memory of Arthur Morgan.
Arthur & John As Brothers & Rivals
Although the player spent the majority of the game in Arthur's shoes, it's easy to imagine how John viewed Arthur Morgan in camp. Arthur would ride in, Hosea, Dutch, or one of the other gang members in tow, and John, still recovering from either being attacked by wild animals on a mountaintop or being verbally abused by Abigail, would limp over to see what was going on only to be ignored or brushed off. John Marston was a little brother to Arthur, and although both of them vied for Dutch's attention it was always Arthur who received the larger share.
Conversely, as Arthur's illness got worse and worse, he began to question everything he previously believed in, including how he had treated John over the years. John Marston had once abandoned him and the gang, an action which Arthur previously thought was an unforgivable sin, but as his own deteriorating health started to mirror Dutch's rapidly sliding mental condition he began to wonder if John may have had the right idea all along. One of the last actions Arthur takes before succumbing to death is one which ensures that John Marston, his wife Abigail, and their son Jack all get away safely, and this act of kindness clearly left an impression on John, just as John's initial abandonment left an impression on Arthur.
Trying, Or Trying To Try
John Marston can't draw. He can barely write, and when he does it's nowhere near as eloquent or detailed as the descriptions Arthur Morgan would have provided. However, these simply aren't things John's ever tried to do before. The only reason John starts writing his own journal to begin with is because he saw Arthur doing so, day after day, and now that Arthur's gone doing the same helps him retain a small form of connection.
John's crude, rudimentary drawings aren't just those of an uneducated criminal, but instead come across as the emulation of a younger sibling, like a person desperate to show that they can also provide a service despite a lack of experience or training. John's acceptance of his own faults and limitations is a trait his character has embodied since the beginning of Red Dead Redemption, and while his frank and blunt nature often leads to tense situations and comedic moments it's the fleshing out of his character in Red Dead Redemption 2 which truly completes Rockstar Games' tragic Wild West tale, one which ends with John's death and his son Jack Marston following in his footsteps despite all efforts to the contrary.
Arthur Morgan is different from John Marston in many ways, although they share numerous similar unhealthy passions. Despite these differences and dangerous similarities, however, the two men grew up as brothers, as rivals, and as on-and-off friends, and the choices both characters made influenced the other in small but subtle ways. Some of these influences are discussed in the general plot and story missions of Red Dead Redemption 2, but many others are left for players to discover and infer for themselves. Thankfully, simply by searching though the in-game character journals of Arthur Morgan and John Marston, it's clear that there is lots of information on hand.