no, you should not analyze characters based on what they say about themselves.

[pocochina]

This was going to be my Grand Unified Theory of Character Motivations, but I think it bleeds a bit into an even bigger picture of how I generally analyze and evaluate fictional characters, which ended up making clear to me why I spend so much time groaning in frustration when something or other gets panned as being "OOC

Comments

[lynnenne]

I think the real takeaway is that Elena buys into the conflation of control, objectification, and devotion - ie, she has internalized and even romanticized the doppelganger experience of the protection-by-disempowerment survival skill set, and she tries to seize some personal power not by pushing back against it but by forcing that experience onto her brother.

I love your Elena thoughts. This makes so much sense to me.

Guys, it is not bad writing when Klaus acts irrationally. Klaus is a lunatic.

HA. Preach!

He only turns to The Lie when it's become excruciatingly clear that the price of Buffy's uncertainty is a lot of lives.

Not to mention Buffy's own life. I firmly believe that if it had been Giles in Xander's place, he would have done exactly the same thing. Buffy was finally ready to kill Angel. Giving her hope would have taken that certainty away and gotten her killed in his place.

[ceciliaj]

I wanted to comment on the Elena thoughts too! I don't even go here re: TVD, but poco always makes it sound so awesome.

[pocochina]

Thanks! Elena makes so much sense to me. I feel for the girl and like her more and more as time goes on, because I think the discrepancy between her stated and apparent motivations is always so thoroughly acknowledged.

Not to mention Buffy's own life. I firmly believe that if it had been Giles in Xander's place, he would have done exactly the same thing. Buffy was finally ready to kill Angel. Giving her hope would have taken that certainty away and gotten her killed in his place.

Completely agreed. I think anyone would do the same in his place, and I am as sure as I can be that she would have held back and lost the fight if she'd been stalling in hopes of a miracle. It was the RIGHT THING TO DO. I wasn't aware that Xander was such a sterling guy that we had to make up bullshit reasons to be unhappy with him, but okay.

[lynnenne]

I wasn't aware that Xander was such a sterling guy that we had to make up bullshit reasons to be unhappy with him

Ahahahaha, yes. I can dislike him quite well on his own.

[pocochina]

lol. Yeah, I'm lukewarm on Xander - sometimes I liked him, sometimes he really pissed me off - but I've seen enough criticisms that are...questionable, we'll go with questionable.... that I've turned into a surprisingly big defender out of sheer contrarianism.