It is also believed that there is a lot of Christian symbolism in the show. An article by Bernie Phillips states that "Buffy is a Christ figure. Jesus says at the Last Supper that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Buffy does this time and again." This shows that the representation of good in the show was still very close to the traditional representation. Buffy is an slayer (or in other words, the "chosen one"), she is the only one that has the powers to defeat the demons. This is very similar to many other stories, and how "good" is shown to the audience, some similar characters would include "Superman", "Neo" from the Matrix, and "Spawn".
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
How does Buffy deconstruct traditional literary notions of good and evil?
I found it interesting that Buffy The Vampire Slayer's representation of good and evil was so closely based around the high school theme of the show. This realistic approach is what made the show appealing to the adolescent audiences, and is probably the reason why the program was so popular. Braun (2000) states that "They have in common an acknowledgment of the aggression within ordinary people and a tendency to explore themes of good and evil through supernatural narratives incorporating complicated relationships between morality, sexuality, and gender." There are many different aspects of the show that can be seen as metaphors for the issues that teenagers go through in their high school years, such as bullying, sex, and friendships. It's almost as if Buffy The Vampire Slayer is a mix between classic horror stories such as "Dracula", and "Frankenstein", and teen drama's such as "Degrassi" and "The O.C.". It has taken the same traditional evil characters that everyone is so used to, and put them in the same situation that teenagers are in.
It is also believed that there is a lot of Christian symbolism in the show. An article by Bernie Phillips states that "Buffy is a Christ figure. Jesus says at the Last Supper that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Buffy does this time and again." This shows that the representation of good in the show was still very close to the traditional representation. Buffy is an slayer (or in other words, the "chosen one"), she is the only one that has the powers to defeat the demons. This is very similar to many other stories, and how "good" is shown to the audience, some similar characters would include "Superman", "Neo" from the Matrix, and "Spawn".
It is also believed that there is a lot of Christian symbolism in the show. An article by Bernie Phillips states that "Buffy is a Christ figure. Jesus says at the Last Supper that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Buffy does this time and again." This shows that the representation of good in the show was still very close to the traditional representation. Buffy is an slayer (or in other words, the "chosen one"), she is the only one that has the powers to defeat the demons. This is very similar to many other stories, and how "good" is shown to the audience, some similar characters would include "Superman", "Neo" from the Matrix, and "Spawn".
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This is a thoughtful post! My question is, if Buffy herself is a 'Christ figure,'how does the series deconstruct traditional notions of good and evil?
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a thoughtful, insightful post. Perhaps the best way to describe Buffy to a teenager perhaps who had never seen it before would be to say, as you said "the O.C" with vampires. Perhaps this has something to do with why it is so popular and has joined the ranks of Cult TV.
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