All about Buffy -
Dec. 7th, 2003 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
butterflyOne of the reasons that I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer so much is because it can be viewed on so many levels - several of them unintended by the creators of the show, but no less valid for that. Authorial intent isn't everything.
The reason that people latch onto the Heart/Spirit/Mind divide offered in Restless is because it works. And the reason that Normal Again is such a kick-ass episode is because it makes sense. It makes sense that it could all be in Buffy's head, because everything in Sunnydale does revolve around Buffy.
Xander as Heart, Willow as Spirit, and Giles as Mind are metaphors that carry through-out the entire series. You can chart them, and where they are tracks to where Buffy is.
But they aren't the only ones that it works for - every single major character in BtVS can be used as a symbol for a part of Buffy. Cordelia is the representation of Buffy Before. Cordelia is Buffy without Slayer powers - of course, when she goes over to Angel, her symbolism changes (and wow, the Angel stuff is interesting. I really need to write about that sometime). And what Cordelia shows us is that Buffy would have become Buffy even if she hadn't been a Slayer. And once Cordelia has truly begun that transition, she moves off the show, because her journey as Buffy's shadow self is complete - it's been transferred to other parties.
Buffy has many shadow-selves, many 'what-if's. Cordelia, Kendra, Anne, Faith, Spike, and Kennedy all come to mind and there are probably more. All of them are rejected possibilities. In the end, their experiences with her tend to uplift them, bring them to the light as she serves as their inspiration. And her experiences with them teach her about herself.
The reason that people latch onto the Heart/Spirit/Mind divide offered in Restless is because it works. And the reason that Normal Again is such a kick-ass episode is because it makes sense. It makes sense that it could all be in Buffy's head, because everything in Sunnydale does revolve around Buffy.
Xander as Heart, Willow as Spirit, and Giles as Mind are metaphors that carry through-out the entire series. You can chart them, and where they are tracks to where Buffy is.
But they aren't the only ones that it works for - every single major character in BtVS can be used as a symbol for a part of Buffy. Cordelia is the representation of Buffy Before. Cordelia is Buffy without Slayer powers - of course, when she goes over to Angel, her symbolism changes (and wow, the Angel stuff is interesting. I really need to write about that sometime). And what Cordelia shows us is that Buffy would have become Buffy even if she hadn't been a Slayer. And once Cordelia has truly begun that transition, she moves off the show, because her journey as Buffy's shadow self is complete - it's been transferred to other parties.
Buffy has many shadow-selves, many 'what-if's. Cordelia, Kendra, Anne, Faith, Spike, and Kennedy all come to mind and there are probably more. All of them are rejected possibilities. In the end, their experiences with her tend to uplift them, bring them to the light as she serves as their inspiration. And her experiences with them teach her about herself.
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-07 11:31 pm (UTC)Buffy has many shadow-selves, many 'what-if's. Cordelia, Kendra, Anne, Faith, Spike, and Kennedy all come to mind and there are probably more. All of them are rejected possibilities.
This is very true. One thing I do find ironic when watching the Becoming flashbacks is that Buffy is shown as Angel's shadow-self rather than the other way around. Among the myriad of reasons drawing him to want to help her, seems to be the intimation that after this huge change in her life he doesn't want her to wind up like himself.
That's not to say Buffy can't be viewed as the shadow-self of other characters. It's just a case where this is a bit more explicit.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-07 11:37 pm (UTC)This is very true. One thing I do find ironic when watching the Becoming flashbacks is that Buffy is shown as Angel's shadow-self rather than the other way around. Among the myriad of reasons drawing him to want to help her, seems to be the intimation that after this huge change in her life he doesn't want her to wind up like himself.
Oh, that's a very good point. He sees a shimmering light and doesn't want the harshness of the world to put it out, as he feels that he was.
And yeah, it's all the more interesting when you can flip everything around. I like that the material is there to do that.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-07 11:59 pm (UTC)And it is very nice that the show could often give us such wonderful material to draw upon. As noted we can flip many of the characters and show how Buffy is their shadow as well. Thinking back, none is more obvious than the body-switch when Faith learns that she really could be "Buffy" if she'd devoted herself to it. Cordy in Homecoming is another example.
Becoming was just the first time I'd really noticed it that way, compared to the pretty clear "Cordy is what Buffy could have been" of S1-2.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-08 12:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-08 12:18 am (UTC)Well that can be very true. Though of course, it's also kind of key to keep in mind that within the show's universe, this "state of being" is also a woman with a very real life of her own. (as we don't always do) And that, depending upon the day, might not necessarily react positively if one told her that.
Almost gives me enough of a bunny for the weekly Drabble challenge.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-08 04:13 pm (UTC)