If Buffy is going to embrace any sort of quasi-Christian significance, we’d better start with the basics: “Our Father…which hast blown me off on my birthday, effectively creating then abandoning me?” or “Our Father…which hast suppressed my strength and betrayed me for an archaic test?” or even the standard “Our Father which art in Heaven.” Well, no- the only supernatural creatures so far are Hellmouth-drawn, not Heaven-sent.
So, when it comes to Abrahamic religion, what’s a secular Slayer to do? Well, it appears, parody the Hell out of it, (pun intended) and then disregard the traditional ideals of God and Devil for a more humanistic view of Good and Evil. In Revelations, Helpless, Bad Girls, and Consequences, Buffy does just that.
Buffy has a continual focus on the traditional moral questions of Christian thought, but without a Christian doctrine to answer for. The characters act of their own wills, without consulting any higher power than the books and knowledge of their fellow humans. Rather than a Bible, Giles uses the diaries of other Watchers, similarly crosses and Holy Water are used alongside wooden stakes, cross bows, and the occasional gun. In Sunnydale, the only thing that is sacred is what is useful. Buffy doesn’t “reflect a new American Christianity” as the article in Fighting the Forces declares, but she rejects it. The patriarchal Christian ideas are suggested but never explored.
This lack of Divine guidance has an interesting effect on the characters. They are all intrinsically more humanistic, more focused on this world, and avoiding an afterlife rather than analyzing it. This means of course, that they are free to go either way. Like Faith, a Slayer can choose to look out for herself and work for her own happiness. “See. Want. Take. Have.” are Faith’s commandments, and she follows them to the detriment of those around her. In a more religious series, this would put her more firmly in the Evil column, but in Buffy, she merely shows the darker side of human will. Faith still saves Buffy at the end of Consequences, an act which Faith would have avoided if she were traditionally evil.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have Buffy and Angel, working for good if not God. “I hate being the good one,” says Buffy, but she still continues fighting. Her motivations are moral, springing from a personal love of those around her and a sense of personal responsibility for the world’s protection. In a sense, this compassion almost elevates Buffy to a divine level herself. While by no means all-powerful, Buffy is gaining more control over herself and others, working to eradicate negative forces, protect those she loves through her power (including her Angel), and even taking the symbolism to a new level with a certain sacrifice and blood-ritual coming up at the end of Season 5 (greater love…) It remains to be seen how far Buffy will ascend, but so far it seems that Buffy has replaced the Christian emphasis on an all-powerful God with a focus on a very human 18 year old girl.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
In The End, You're All You've Got
In the latest installments of Buffy, the theme of Buffy’s identity seems to be emphasized. From Becoming Pt. 2, Anne, and Faith, Hope, and Trick, Buffy is really tested as a person, much more so than just as a Slayer.
In the finale of Season 2, Becoming, Buffy struggles to hold on to her identity as everything she values is taken away. Her friends are grievously injured, taking away her support system and the ‘siblings’ of her unorthodox family.
Poor Giles is also abducted and tortured, leaving Buffy without her Watcher for the first time since assuming her duties as Slayer. Added to this, Buffy’s mother Joyce is unable to cope with the truth of Buffy’s calling, and has a reaction more appropriate for a temperamental teen than a loving parent. Joyce has been less than supportive in the past, but it’s the final straw in their mother-daughter relationship when Joyce threatens to kick Buffy out of the house. Thus deprived of her parent figures- however imperfect they are- and after losing her friends and lover, Buffy is stripped of everything that she has worked to maintain in her life.
In spite of the losses, at this point, she has nothing to hold onto but her Slayer duties. The only thing that separated Buffy from past Slayers, such as Kendra, were her relationships. Without her family and friends behind her, Buffy is able to fully embrace the roll of the Slayer. Turned cold and business-like, Buffy fights violently with Angel, and in the end is able to kill the man she loved. Before the fight, a resigned Buffy asked the demon Whistler “What more have I got to lose?” Although it seems she’s lost everything around her, he answers that there’s one more thing she can lose. In the next two episodes, it turns out that this last thing is Buffy’s own identity.
In Anne, Buffy attempts to run away from her Slayer duties. She’s been through more than anyone- even the Chosen One- can handle, and so hides behind an adopted persona. I think it’s telling that her friends attempt to carry on the slayage without her. The Scooby Gang does their best to replace Buffy’s identity as Slayer, until Buffy is able to once again pick up the mantle as hero.
Also, in Faith, Hope, and Trick, Buffy’s personal identity is threatened. Faith appears, and is able to take on the same duties as Buffy, and seemingly fits perfectly into Buffy’s life- charming her friends, mother, and Watcher. However, unlike other episodes where Buffy is willing and eager to give up her job, she feels threatened by Faith and fights to keep her place. She even gives up her attachment to Angel, returning his ring. When Buffy lists the things she wants in life, she says “I want to date, and shop, and hang out, and save the world from unspeakable evil. You know, girly stuff.” It’s interesting that the Slaying, which she’s so often described as a burden, is now an important part of her life. It took the loss of everything else around her, but Buffy is now fully ready for the next part of her journey.
In the finale of Season 2, Becoming, Buffy struggles to hold on to her identity as everything she values is taken away. Her friends are grievously injured, taking away her support system and the ‘siblings’ of her unorthodox family.
Poor Giles is also abducted and tortured, leaving Buffy without her Watcher for the first time since assuming her duties as Slayer. Added to this, Buffy’s mother Joyce is unable to cope with the truth of Buffy’s calling, and has a reaction more appropriate for a temperamental teen than a loving parent. Joyce has been less than supportive in the past, but it’s the final straw in their mother-daughter relationship when Joyce threatens to kick Buffy out of the house. Thus deprived of her parent figures- however imperfect they are- and after losing her friends and lover, Buffy is stripped of everything that she has worked to maintain in her life.
In spite of the losses, at this point, she has nothing to hold onto but her Slayer duties. The only thing that separated Buffy from past Slayers, such as Kendra, were her relationships. Without her family and friends behind her, Buffy is able to fully embrace the roll of the Slayer. Turned cold and business-like, Buffy fights violently with Angel, and in the end is able to kill the man she loved. Before the fight, a resigned Buffy asked the demon Whistler “What more have I got to lose?” Although it seems she’s lost everything around her, he answers that there’s one more thing she can lose. In the next two episodes, it turns out that this last thing is Buffy’s own identity.
In Anne, Buffy attempts to run away from her Slayer duties. She’s been through more than anyone- even the Chosen One- can handle, and so hides behind an adopted persona. I think it’s telling that her friends attempt to carry on the slayage without her. The Scooby Gang does their best to replace Buffy’s identity as Slayer, until Buffy is able to once again pick up the mantle as hero.
Also, in Faith, Hope, and Trick, Buffy’s personal identity is threatened. Faith appears, and is able to take on the same duties as Buffy, and seemingly fits perfectly into Buffy’s life- charming her friends, mother, and Watcher. However, unlike other episodes where Buffy is willing and eager to give up her job, she feels threatened by Faith and fights to keep her place. She even gives up her attachment to Angel, returning his ring. When Buffy lists the things she wants in life, she says “I want to date, and shop, and hang out, and save the world from unspeakable evil. You know, girly stuff.” It’s interesting that the Slaying, which she’s so often described as a burden, is now an important part of her life. It took the loss of everything else around her, but Buffy is now fully ready for the next part of her journey.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Girl Power
As we come to the end of Season Two, Buffy is in a very important phase of her journey as a female hero. In What’s My Line Part Two especially, Buffy’s femininity is increasingly emphasized, as are the feminine strengths of other women in the show.
In this episode, it’s all about the female dominance. The women steal this show, and the men are made to sit back and watch, or are chained up and made to whimper (no complaints from the Angel fangirls). Buffy and Kendra use their Slayer strength to defend their weaker friends and allies. However, it is the emotions of each of these women that help them carry the day.
Buffy is able to save Angel in part, of course due to her love and complete dedication to him. After vanquishing a roomful of demonic assassins and vampires, Buffy cradles Angel gently in her arms. The others can only stare in amazement at her quick shift from warrior to lover. It’s Buffy’s access to both aspects of herself that make her stronger than the traditional one-dimensional male hero.
Kendra too, though less tender than Buffy, learns to use her emotions to her advantage. Kendra seems to be losing her battle with the assassin, until her foe dare to tear Kendra’s shirt- her one and only favorite. This is the ultimate girly-no-no, and gives Kendra the extra emotional edge she needs.
We also see Drusilla restored in this episode, and her power is truly frightening. She effortlessly lifts the crippled Spike, and carries him from the burning church, holding him like a mother would cradle a child. With her strength released, Dru becomes a darker force in the series, rather than a source of comic relief.
Also, although she is clearly insane- thanks in part at least to Angel- Dru is also shown to be cold and calculating throughout the following episodes. Beginning with her vengeful torturing of Angel, to her ‘perfect’ party, and eventual murder of Kendra, Drusilla plots and schemes in a way that puts the master to shame. Interestingly, her visions and fits of madness always serve her purposes perfectly. This selective insanity makes me wonder exactly how much control her character has over her actions, which become progressively more deliberate as the show develops.
In this episode, it’s all about the female dominance. The women steal this show, and the men are made to sit back and watch, or are chained up and made to whimper (no complaints from the Angel fangirls). Buffy and Kendra use their Slayer strength to defend their weaker friends and allies. However, it is the emotions of each of these women that help them carry the day.
Buffy is able to save Angel in part, of course due to her love and complete dedication to him. After vanquishing a roomful of demonic assassins and vampires, Buffy cradles Angel gently in her arms. The others can only stare in amazement at her quick shift from warrior to lover. It’s Buffy’s access to both aspects of herself that make her stronger than the traditional one-dimensional male hero.
Kendra too, though less tender than Buffy, learns to use her emotions to her advantage. Kendra seems to be losing her battle with the assassin, until her foe dare to tear Kendra’s shirt- her one and only favorite. This is the ultimate girly-no-no, and gives Kendra the extra emotional edge she needs.
We also see Drusilla restored in this episode, and her power is truly frightening. She effortlessly lifts the crippled Spike, and carries him from the burning church, holding him like a mother would cradle a child. With her strength released, Dru becomes a darker force in the series, rather than a source of comic relief.
Also, although she is clearly insane- thanks in part at least to Angel- Dru is also shown to be cold and calculating throughout the following episodes. Beginning with her vengeful torturing of Angel, to her ‘perfect’ party, and eventual murder of Kendra, Drusilla plots and schemes in a way that puts the master to shame. Interestingly, her visions and fits of madness always serve her purposes perfectly. This selective insanity makes me wonder exactly how much control her character has over her actions, which become progressively more deliberate as the show develops.
Monday, February 16, 2009
School Hard, Halloween, What's My Line
In the latest episodes of Buffy, a few new themes are introduced or emphasized. One of these, the repeated, gratuitous shots of a shirtless, brooding Angel, will with any luck continue. However, other themes that a bit more to the story arc are introduced in this segment of Season 2.
In School Hard, we see for the first time how complacently oblivious Buffy’s mother Joyce and the entire town of Sunnydale are. Even with evil staring them in the face, or chasing them down the hallways of Sunnydale High, the parents and students seem more than willing to accept the flimsy cover up of Principal Snyder and the police. While of course reflective of people’s general tendency to notice only the things they’re comfortable with, the cluelessness of townspeople is also a convenient tenant for Whedon to develop this early in the series. He wouldn’t want too many vigilant citizens interfering with future plots.
Halloween and What’s My Line Part 1 both serve to develop Buffy’s issues with her dual identity. Interestingly, vampires and demons are said to avoid Halloween, though no substantial reason is ever explored thoroughly. However, this makes sense, if we think of the vampires as a metaphor for our inner demons or desires. As Buffy says, Halloween is a night to “come as you aren’t.” Our inner selves are already on display, so there’s no place for the vampiric metaphor. It’s interesting how each of the characters manifest this. Xander, who has lost face in front of his testosterone-drenched peers, is turned into an impressively manly soldier, while Willow is forced to shed her demure ghost-costume and reveal her inner temptress, and consequently takes charge for most of the night. Buffy, on the other hand, who has been forced to take care of a heard of children and forced to take care of Sunnydale through her Slayer duties, is turned into a princess who not only wants to be taken care of, but is incapable of fending for herself. I think it’s worth noting that Cordelia is the only one who doesn’t change, possibly because she has nothing to hide. The overly-seductive cat outfit she wears is not much different from her everyday attire. Cordelia admits openly to being the “dating Slayer” and so she’s not fighting with a split identity like the other characters.
This problem of identity continues in What’s My Line. Buffy feels limited by her destiny as Slayer, but it seems clear from this episode that her friends are also influenced by situations outside their control. Both Giles and Kendra are subject to the same powers that Buffy is, but they have embraced their fates rather than fighting. Angel, too, is constricted by his nature. He, however, has learned how to get by: “I lurk.” In a more mundane sense, Willow’s and Xander’s futures are also controlled by their own natures- Willow’s by her unusual intelligence and technical abilities, Xander’s by his innate slackage. Buffy doesn’t seem to recognize the constrictions they are all under. In Halloween, Drusilla asked “Do you love my insides? The parts you can’t see?” For Buffy, the answer is not yet, and we’ll have to make through a few more seasons before she truly comes to accept her inner self.
In School Hard, we see for the first time how complacently oblivious Buffy’s mother Joyce and the entire town of Sunnydale are. Even with evil staring them in the face, or chasing them down the hallways of Sunnydale High, the parents and students seem more than willing to accept the flimsy cover up of Principal Snyder and the police. While of course reflective of people’s general tendency to notice only the things they’re comfortable with, the cluelessness of townspeople is also a convenient tenant for Whedon to develop this early in the series. He wouldn’t want too many vigilant citizens interfering with future plots.
Halloween and What’s My Line Part 1 both serve to develop Buffy’s issues with her dual identity. Interestingly, vampires and demons are said to avoid Halloween, though no substantial reason is ever explored thoroughly. However, this makes sense, if we think of the vampires as a metaphor for our inner demons or desires. As Buffy says, Halloween is a night to “come as you aren’t.” Our inner selves are already on display, so there’s no place for the vampiric metaphor. It’s interesting how each of the characters manifest this. Xander, who has lost face in front of his testosterone-drenched peers, is turned into an impressively manly soldier, while Willow is forced to shed her demure ghost-costume and reveal her inner temptress, and consequently takes charge for most of the night. Buffy, on the other hand, who has been forced to take care of a heard of children and forced to take care of Sunnydale through her Slayer duties, is turned into a princess who not only wants to be taken care of, but is incapable of fending for herself. I think it’s worth noting that Cordelia is the only one who doesn’t change, possibly because she has nothing to hide. The overly-seductive cat outfit she wears is not much different from her everyday attire. Cordelia admits openly to being the “dating Slayer” and so she’s not fighting with a split identity like the other characters.
This problem of identity continues in What’s My Line. Buffy feels limited by her destiny as Slayer, but it seems clear from this episode that her friends are also influenced by situations outside their control. Both Giles and Kendra are subject to the same powers that Buffy is, but they have embraced their fates rather than fighting. Angel, too, is constricted by his nature. He, however, has learned how to get by: “I lurk.” In a more mundane sense, Willow’s and Xander’s futures are also controlled by their own natures- Willow’s by her unusual intelligence and technical abilities, Xander’s by his innate slackage. Buffy doesn’t seem to recognize the constrictions they are all under. In Halloween, Drusilla asked “Do you love my insides? The parts you can’t see?” For Buffy, the answer is not yet, and we’ll have to make through a few more seasons before she truly comes to accept her inner self.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Metaphorically Speaking
As the first season comes to a close, Buffy’s character is clearly coming closer to growing up. The series also begins to make use of more explicit metaphors to emphasis some of Buffy’s major themes.
The ‘’big bad” is the vampire to end all vampires- the Master. Apart from his very 1990s-esque special effects, the Master is truly grotesque. He shows his vampire face at all times, without the cover up of the human façade of his younger lackeys. More than any other vampire, the Master is recognizably evil. His very existence obligates Buffy to fight, forces her to put more emphasis on her slaying duties, rather than one the important things like dating and high-school.
Also, unlike the unorganized, blindly vicious vampires that Buffy stakes by the dozen every episode, the Master is logical and calculating. He plots and schemes the best way to destroy Buffy’s life and gain power. He has a focus on prophesies and magical books that would make Giles proud, and this cold professionalism is what makes him so difficult for Buffy to defeat. She ultimately does of course, with only a very short interval of death. She even deals with her own fear of her inevitable end, when she smashes the Masters bones in season two, metaphorically smashing her own haunting mortality.
The later segments of Buffy also begin to explore more in depth Buffy’s personal and romantic relationships. In his appearance in Never Kill A Boy, the sweet, shy Owen represents the normal boy Buffy wants but can never have. Owen is, at the beginning, completely innocent, as can be seen by his very light shirt when he comes to pick Buffy up. Thus attired, he spends an evening at the Bronze discussing the morbidity of Emily Dickenson, and death in general- which he admits, he’s never experienced. However, as Owen learns about Buffy’s life, and attempts- pathetically- to help her fight, he’s seen in a dark over shirt, very similar to that worn by a ensouled vampire. Buffy tries to protect Owen as a token of her normal life, but it’s too much for him. At the end of Never Kill A Boy, Buffy much watch him- once again in his light shirt- as he walks away, taking her dependence on her innocent, pre-Slayer life with him.
Xander unwittingly sums up the metaphor of Owen as the boy who Buffy can never have, saying she “Needs someone who knows your deepest, darkest secrets.” Cue Angel, (and of course his giggling fangirls) Buffy’s perfectly mismatched counterpart, who is everything Buffy needs, but can never let herself have.
The ‘’big bad” is the vampire to end all vampires- the Master. Apart from his very 1990s-esque special effects, the Master is truly grotesque. He shows his vampire face at all times, without the cover up of the human façade of his younger lackeys. More than any other vampire, the Master is recognizably evil. His very existence obligates Buffy to fight, forces her to put more emphasis on her slaying duties, rather than one the important things like dating and high-school.
Also, unlike the unorganized, blindly vicious vampires that Buffy stakes by the dozen every episode, the Master is logical and calculating. He plots and schemes the best way to destroy Buffy’s life and gain power. He has a focus on prophesies and magical books that would make Giles proud, and this cold professionalism is what makes him so difficult for Buffy to defeat. She ultimately does of course, with only a very short interval of death. She even deals with her own fear of her inevitable end, when she smashes the Masters bones in season two, metaphorically smashing her own haunting mortality.
The later segments of Buffy also begin to explore more in depth Buffy’s personal and romantic relationships. In his appearance in Never Kill A Boy, the sweet, shy Owen represents the normal boy Buffy wants but can never have. Owen is, at the beginning, completely innocent, as can be seen by his very light shirt when he comes to pick Buffy up. Thus attired, he spends an evening at the Bronze discussing the morbidity of Emily Dickenson, and death in general- which he admits, he’s never experienced. However, as Owen learns about Buffy’s life, and attempts- pathetically- to help her fight, he’s seen in a dark over shirt, very similar to that worn by a ensouled vampire. Buffy tries to protect Owen as a token of her normal life, but it’s too much for him. At the end of Never Kill A Boy, Buffy much watch him- once again in his light shirt- as he walks away, taking her dependence on her innocent, pre-Slayer life with him.
Xander unwittingly sums up the metaphor of Owen as the boy who Buffy can never have, saying she “Needs someone who knows your deepest, darkest secrets.” Cue Angel, (and of course his giggling fangirls) Buffy’s perfectly mismatched counterpart, who is everything Buffy needs, but can never let herself have.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Welcome to the Buffyverse
The series opens with the stereotypical, timid blonde woman. She seems unsure of herself, and in impending danger from her male escort. From the moment Darla appears, you find yourself just waiting for her to be eaten. However, the audience quickly sees that the seemingly innocent, weak female is actually the monsters we should fear, complete with fangs and an attitude. And so begins one of the most unexpected series on television.
From the very beginning, Buffy seems to contradict the traditional female hero. She is still very much in the virginal period of her personal growth, with her knowledge and skills largely untried. However, Buffy attempts to avoid her advancement toward self-actualization by rejecting her destiny throughout the first few episodes.
I think it’s interesting that Buffy’s reluctant reaction to her fate comes from the mind of a male writer, Josh Whedon. Female heroes, when created by female authors, are usually more willing to embrace their duties, while Whedon leaves Buffy with a reluctance to accept her own powers. This adds to a sense of Buffy as a very young hero, with as much focus on finding herself as on saving others.
This emphasis on Buffy’s youth and inexperience which is accentuated in the first three episodes is also shown by the opening credits of the first season, which emphasizes the theme of high school as hell. Traditional Gothic music and horror movie images of gargoyles and graveyards are juxtaposed with punk-tinged rock and scenes from Buffy’s ‘normal’ but equally difficult life. As well as learning more about herself as slayer, Buffy also tries to find her place as a teenager, where everyday problems of fitting in and finding her place are reflected by the monsters she faces. It’s one of the best aspects of the series to watch how Buffy’s personal life and duties as Slayer continue to influence each other and contribute to her growth as a female hero.
From the very beginning, Buffy seems to contradict the traditional female hero. She is still very much in the virginal period of her personal growth, with her knowledge and skills largely untried. However, Buffy attempts to avoid her advancement toward self-actualization by rejecting her destiny throughout the first few episodes.
I think it’s interesting that Buffy’s reluctant reaction to her fate comes from the mind of a male writer, Josh Whedon. Female heroes, when created by female authors, are usually more willing to embrace their duties, while Whedon leaves Buffy with a reluctance to accept her own powers. This adds to a sense of Buffy as a very young hero, with as much focus on finding herself as on saving others.
This emphasis on Buffy’s youth and inexperience which is accentuated in the first three episodes is also shown by the opening credits of the first season, which emphasizes the theme of high school as hell. Traditional Gothic music and horror movie images of gargoyles and graveyards are juxtaposed with punk-tinged rock and scenes from Buffy’s ‘normal’ but equally difficult life. As well as learning more about herself as slayer, Buffy also tries to find her place as a teenager, where everyday problems of fitting in and finding her place are reflected by the monsters she faces. It’s one of the best aspects of the series to watch how Buffy’s personal life and duties as Slayer continue to influence each other and contribute to her growth as a female hero.
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