Marguerite Krause’s favorite activities involve the printed word. In addition to writing, she works as a freelance copyeditor, helping other writers to sharpen their skills, and for relaxation loves nothing better than to curl up with a good book. She is married to her high school sweetheart; they have two children. You can find more of Marguerite’s writing in her two-part epic fantasy, Moons’ Dreaming and Moons’ Dancing, co-written with Susan Sizemore, and her fantasy novel Blind Vision.
On Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Meaning of Buffy
By Marguerite Krause
9 Comments
Anyone who has watched more than a few episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer quickly figures out that this television program isn’t really about a gorgeous young woman who kills blood-sucking monsters. Sure, most of the episodes contain pivotal scenes of vampire staking or demon decapitation—but they’re not what the show is about. In fact, at its core, Buffy isn’t even about any of the obvious metaphors that the whole mythology (heroic champion of the innocent battling monsters) might suggest, such as high school as a living hell, or the eternal battle of Good and Evil.
From the very first episode of the series to the final story, on the most consistent, fundamental level, Buffy has been about relationships—how to create them, and how to sustain them once you have them. Not just any relationship, either, but the kind that is strong enough and deep enough to provide answers to life’s ultimate questions (why am I here? where am I headed? what does it all mean?).
The opening scenes of “Welcome to the Hellmouth” (1-1) establish dramatic themes and plot patterns that reverberate throughout the rest of the series. When Buffy Summers arrives in Sunnydale, the last thing she’s thinking about is vampire slaying. Buffy has one and only one subject uppermost in her mind: her relationships with the people around her.
The first example we’re shown is the mother-daughter relationship. Although we clearly see their affection for one another, there’s a lot of strain between Buffy and her mother …
Other Essays by Marguerite Krause
- Harry Potter and the End of Religion
from Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice - It's A Stupid Curse from Five Seasons of Angel
- The Only Sane Man in the Universe from The Anthology at the End of the Universe
About Marguerite Krause
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at 7:37 pm
Tara died. That’s a catastrophic failure in itself.
at 8:40 pm
First let me say I LOVE all of these characters, and when I say they are flawed and/or selfish I mean it with the greatest of respect for them as complex loveable people and the tapestry that is the masterpiece that is BTVS: It’s interesting because I find Willow to be really selfish at times as she seems only interested in helping the people who care about her and is cruel and completely unforgiving to others (Faith, Cordelia, Harmony, Amy, Anya, random college student she saves spider from) Although, she has good reasons for being cruel to these people who most interestingly are all women. She is so cute and passive-aggressive no one notices this. They also have special rules for her as she is allowed to go evil and kill people and not be ostracized by the group and her alt-universe vamp is allowed to live and go back the her own universe. However, I totally agree with Krause that Willow tried the hardest in her relationship with Tara. But, I think most of the credit should be given to Tara who wasn’t like all the Angel or Riley or Cordelia who could not make things work with Buffy and Xander due to too much pride. I know everyone likes to see Angel’s leaving Buffy as a selfless act, but it was ultimately not what HE wanted while it was what SHE wanted. Angel is heroic but he is also a man who wants a great destiny and he couldn’t have that just being Buffy’s boyfriend during the show, but now that Angel believes his relationship with Buffy serves a higher and even “holy” purpose in the comic he is back with his usual lack of communication and I-know-best way. To me this isn’t upsetting but typical and I want to see how it pans out. Does destiny trump Slayer slaughter and allow Angel to finally be the good boyfriend? I’m going to say “no.” Also Kennedy’s relationship with Willow is one of pushy worship, which I think is something that could work great for Willow.
at 12:33 am
Amazing essay!! Willow and Tara’s relationship was my absolute favorite in the series. It has been a model for any relationship in my life. You really captured it in this essay!
at 5:07 am
Willow and Tara had a wonderfully beautiful relationship. I think this essay details it truthfully (as I think it does all the relationships in the show). Tara’s death does not detract from the success of the relationship, it was a tragedy, the relationship was beautiful and if it were not cut short I have no doubt that it would have lasted.
at 1:40 pm
Sorry, but no.
There were no successful relationships in Buffy. A grouping of critically flawed personalities insured that this wouldn’t be the case. To suggest that the Willow/Tara coupling, glaringly minimizes the narcissism that Willow displays repeatedly. A mind wipe and the extreme level of malevolence she enacts to control Tara and that erupts when Tara is murdered is considerably more damaging to your thesis than what you suggest. Willow is dependent on others to pull her back from the darkness otherwise it completely envelopes her.
Tara was the only character who wasn’t profoundly selfish and this is what made that relationship marginally ‘successful.’ Willow brought nothing to table other than her neediness and ego.
Additionally, your analysis of Giles is somewhat interesting if not disturbing at times. The Buffy/Giles relationship not progressing is bizarre if not disgusting. At no time did I or any of my friends think that this would be a good thing or even should be remotely considered. Frankly the father/daughter dynamic is much stronger than you give it credit. Giles is the truer father than her biological parent. From support to admonishment, Giles is there to provide the necessary input in her life. And when he leaves it is not due to his selfishness, but a recognition that Buffy’s dependency was impugning her own maturation and sense of personal responsibility. And his preparedness upon his return when things have fallen apart, reveal his commitment and love for those he grudgingly left.
A final thought on Spike.
His development throughout the series indicates that he was one of the rarities on the show. Though always shown capable of love, he also had the self-awareness and strength by his own choice and will, to change his very nature upon recognizing his deficiencies. Unlike Angel/Angelus, Spike journeyed to recapture his soul. Nor was he dependent on another, like Willow was upon Xander, to untangle themselves from absolute darkness. And Spike was always, and usually to his detriment, willing to expose his heart to those he loved, quite unlike Xander was towards Anya.
Of course that an attempted rapist is probably the most psychologically healthy goes back to my point of how profoundly messed up so many of these characters were.
at 4:44 pm
Okay, I know that I will never manage to convince everyone that needs convincing, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves: Spike DID NOT journey to get his soul back on some deep self-actualization thing. He went to the powerful demon to try to get his chip out so that he could kill Buffy and “re-man” himself as a demon. He said this repeatedly all through the three “Wicked Willow” episodes in the sixth season. In fact, the only reason he GOT his soul to begin with was through demonic trickery. Remember the exchange:
“So, that means I win, yeah? I beat all your challenges and I get what I came for?”
“Yes,” says the demon.
“So Buffy will get what she deserves?” Spike.
“Yes. We will return your soul,” says the demon.
Absolutely NOWHERE in any script whatsoever did Spike ever say he got his soul for Buffy, nor did he ask for it. It was foisted on him. His “love” for Buffy was exactly like Angelus’ love for Buffy — it was selfish, cruel, and all about domination, ownership and control, and it met the same ending. I love Spike as a character because he’s very interesting, but he DID NOT “get” his soul back; in fact, he was more cursed than Angel was, because Spike was tricked into his soul; Angel’s just got slammed into him without warning.
at 9:57 pm
YES! I agree with you, and have been trying to convince everyone else, although unsuccessfully. I’m not saying Spike hasn’t grown throughout the series, but he didn’t ask for his soul, he WAS tricked.
at 7:20 am
“Absolutely NOWHERE in any script whatsoever did Spike ever say he got his soul for Buffy, nor did he ask for it.”
Really? I must admit that I reached a different conclusion when I watched Buffy.
Transcript of Episode 2, season 7 “Beneath You”
BUFFY
You thought you could just come back here and be with me?
SPIKE
First time for everything.
BUFFY
This is all you get. I’m listening. Tell me what happened.
SPIKE
I tried to find it, of course.
BUFFY
(annoyed)
Find what?
SPIKE
The spark. The missing… the piece. That fit. That would make
me fit. Because you didn’t want… god… I can’t! Not with you
looking.
SPIKE
I dreamed of killing you.
SPIKE
I think they were dreams. So weak. Did you make me weak?
Thinking of you, holding myself and spilling useless buckets of
salt over your… ending. Angel, he should have warned me. He
makes a good show of forgetting but it’s here in me… all the
time. The spark. I wanted to give you what you deserve. And I
got it. They put the spark in me… and now all it does is burn.
BUFFY
Your soul…
SPIKE
(laughs)
A bit worse for lack of use.
BUFFY
You got your soul back. How?
SPIKE
It’s what you wanted, right? (looks up) It’s what you wanted,
right?
SPIKE
And now everybody’s in here, talking. Everything I did,
everyone I… and him… and it… the other. The thing beneath…
beneath you. It’s here, too. Everybody. They all just tell me go.
Go… to hell..
BUFFY
(horrified)
Why? Why would you do that?
SPIKE
Buffy, shame on you. Why does a man do what he mustn’t? For
her. To be hers. To be the kind of man who would nev— (beat)
To be a kind of man.
at 2:52 pm
A link to the discussion thread about this essay over at Whedonesque.com, where they’re also having a great discussion:
http://whedonesque.com/comments/23439