Embarrassing Teflon epiphany

[indri]

I have just realised what it is about Spike that turned me into an obsessive BtVS fan. And the reasons are so utterly redolent of crap pop psychology that I'm really embarrassed. But how could I not have realised this before, especially since I can clearly date it to the "Fool for Love" episode?

What Spike/William represents to indri, much to her annoyance and regardless how the character may in fact behave in the series:

an escape from a closeted, bookish life, freedom from study, life lived instead of merely being read about;

a celebration of physicality, rather than one's body being the thing that keeps coming down with bad colds every few months and which gets achy from sitting at a desk all day;

free will, the ability to choose against the grain;

an awareness of class issues, specifically, not having quite the right manners and habits as those of one's adopted or aspired class; and

a belief that one is valued more for one's achievements than for oneself, with an expectation that no-one really likes you all that much.

Besides which, he's good-looking and treats (most) women as (more than) equals.

Bah. All I can say is that I've got over some of those hang-ups and am getting over the others. And Spike's soul quest is in no way an allegory of getting a PhD and then wondering what you got it for. Oh no.

And now I'm moving away from the computer because I'm getting a crick in my neck.

Comments

[nwhepcat.livejournal.com]

And Spike's soul quest is in no way an allegory of getting a PhD and then wondering what you got it for. Oh no.

Heh.

I've been wondering, by the way, about the terrific response you wrote to Robin Hobb's fanfic rant. Did you ever hear back from her? If you reported back, I may have missed it during some point when I was traveling a lot, but I've wondered.

[witling.livejournal.com]

You're a genius. And OMG, you're so right. (About my pysche, at least.)

I've always been a little bit turned on by that last point--the one about treating women like equals. Sheesh.

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

Hee, not embarrassing, at least not to those of us in similar boats.

The fact that Spike seems to actually like women and not just sex is a big one for me.

[azdak.livejournal.com]

an escape from a closeted, bookish life, freedom from study, life lived instead of merely being read about

Spike is Faust!

[makd.livejournal.com]

well....duh! This is a wonderful epiphany! It totally explains all those highly-educated women who are Spike fans. (and here I thought it was only b/c we were smart.)

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

Yes, but which version? : )

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Goethe's, definitely, with Dru as the witch who gives him eternal youth/knocks 30 years off him and, um, Buffy as Gretchen (can we take the AR as an equivalent to seducing-then-abandoning?)

Huh, it's funny, once you start to look for parallels the damn things spring out all over the place. Faust also thought he was in love, only to discover infatuation and love aren't the same thing. And Faust was also looking for that "one good day", or at least one perfect moment. And he risked his soul for the chance of exploring truths hidden to mortals, only to get it back in the end.

Guess that makes Angelus Mephistopheles. Which sort of works, if you think that Mephisto's whole kick is to try to get Faust to be like him, although Mephisto is frankly a lot more sympathetic than Angelus.