Buffyversemeta entry

[aycheb]

This is what I wrote for the buffyversemeta metathon

Title: Reader, I destroyed him.

Summary: The special treatment of girl’s stories in BtVS

Source texts: All of BtVS including the S8 comic issues 1-4. AtS S1 The Prodigal, S3 Lullaby, S4 Inside Out and S5 Damage

Word count: 2642

Notes: The original prompt was azdak’s "People are gonna die. Girls are gonna

Comments

[molly_may]

Oh, I loved this. Straight into the memories.

For this essay I want to look at how BtVS, rather than giving honourary man status to one girl’s story, rewrites multiple stories, lots of girls, lots of times and lots of different ways.

This is one of the maybe not overlooked, but undervalued, things I think is great about BTVS. It isn't just about one girl having power, it's about lots of different strong young women, from Willow to Faith, from Cordelia to Tara. They're strong in different ways, but each girl has her own story.

She comes back not as a grateful ghost or a Christ-like vision but as a troublesome flesh and blood girl with issues to spare, alive but mad as hell about it and that’s something that wasn’t in the original script.

Again, this is one of the things that makes me love BTVS and Buffy herself so much. Her anger at being resurrected is a beautiful subversion of the girl as sacrificial lamb.

It’s important that those freed to realize their potential are girls not only because it makes a specifically feminist

[aycheb]

Thank you! Writing it reminded me how much I love reading analysis about fairy stories and myths but I haven't read the Orenstein book, thanks for the recommendation :-)

[dlgood]

This is very well constructed. I would add Tara's to your list of dead mothers as well...

I suppose you could have included AtS into this as well, but I think primarily restricting to BtVS is perfectly valid.

[aycheb]

Yes, Tara definitely fits the mold and Joss did want to bring her back, I suppose he did in CWDP in an absent sense.

I think AtS would be particularly interesting for the greater tensions imposed by it's being essentially a man's story and Minear's as much as Joss's.

[midnightsjane]

Fascinating and well written essay!
Don't have much to add, except that I really enjoyed reading this, and all the comments.

[aycheb]

Thank you! It was fun to write.

[avrelia]

A wonderful essay; I enjoyed reading it, but cannot add anything ;)

[aycheb]

Thank you!

[fishsanwitt]

Awesome post!

[aycheb]

Thanks!