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.