Strongest Woman

POSTED BY: deepgirl187
UPDATED: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 15:32
VIEWED: 11810
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AGENTROUKA

Saturday, June 10, 2006 7:55 AM

Is it just me or does the fact that Inara doesn't actually have much experience with the whole "fighting and killing" thing play a role, as well?

It was a very sudden, very tense situation.

Just WHAT normal civilian (sword and bow/arrow training or not) would know how to behave most effectively in that situation, especially one whose general philosophy is strongly opposed to killing? You make it sound like three easy steps to avoid a car accident.. we're talking a span of a few life-threatening seconds.

Yes, she screwed up. But not because she is not a strong woman, or because she is somehow unfathomably stupid. It was simply a situation OUT of her skills department and she failed. I doubt she's proud of it.

Hell, there is a reason Inara didn't do any of the fighting and instead tended to Petaline. I doubt it was because she didn't want to get her hands dirty.

FLAME

Saturday, June 10, 2006 12:54 PM

Just because Inara has the ability to get under Mal's skin, and because she is persistent at times (which, as we all know, she is trained to be able to manipulate), doesn't make her a "strong woman," which is what this discussion is about.

I'm not saying Inara doesn't have her ideas of what's right and wrong, and that she doesn't pitch a hissy now and then. But, in my opinion, that fact still doesn't make her the strongest woman on the ship.

I don't consider Jayne's leaving the room to be backing down. And it's to Simon's credit that he was willing to get kicked off the ship to stand up for his sister. Yes, Wash gave in. And there are times when Inara gives in to Mal, too. But the point I was making was that other people DO stand up to Mal.

Quote:

Dude your making my point for me.

I have two very large breasts and bore two children to attest to the fact that I'm not a dude.

And, no, I don't think I'm making any point for you. I think we interpret the actions of the people on the crew differently. And I think you see something in Inara I do not see, but that doesn't change the fact that I think Zoe is, by far, the much stronger person. I think she's stronger than anyone else on the ship, male or female.

~ Flame ~

SERENITY on the big screen in Raleigh, NC, June 22, 2006!!
http://www.monkeyshinesbeadery.com/serenity/shindig/

MSG

Saturday, June 10, 2006 3:29 PM

OK first wow how did this thread slide into a referendum of Inara's character?? Anyway, I wouldn't say she's weak because she let Rance get away I'd say she's profoundly inexperienced in a fight. ( Doubt they train for that at the house) and I would agree that standing up to Mal is something everyone does more or less, but I'd say she's strong because she left the place where she was respected and becoming a leader for reasons we don't know and she leaves and puts herself in a situation where she doesn't have any experience or sense of what to do and she not only does fine earning a living, but makes a place for herself with the crew. That's pretty strong or at least reasonably brave

You're only young once, but you can be immature any time!

DAVESHAYNE

Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Flame:
I have two very large breasts and bore two children to attest to the fact that I'm not a dude.

Well as of the mid 80s 'dude' in this usage is gender nuetral. When refering specifically to females it replaces the semi derogatory chic but is used to refer to people of both sexes that are in ones circle of aquaintance. Sorry if I gave offence.

For the rest of your post we have already gotten to the point where we are just repeating what we've already said to each other. I still think you are both underselling Inara and overselling the others in their realations to Mal but I see you are firmly convinced otherwise so it seems prudent at this point to agree to disagree.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

CHRISTHECYNIC

Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by msg:
OK first wow how did this thread slide into a referendum of Inara's character??

It’s because of everyone on the crew who’s ever stood up to Mal Inara was the one who backed down most quickly and with her tail farthest between her legs, yet DAVESHAYNE says the opposite is true and when the fact was brought up he ignored it.

The Rance thing was just a side issue, for me at least, that I indulged in when Dave was avoiding addressing the flaws in his argument and instead expanding what was once a tangent into a derivative, which is fine with me, half of the reason I bring up tangents is so that they can grow into just suce a thing.

DAVESHAYNE

Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by christhecynic:
Quote:
Originally posted by daveshayne:
By that reasoning Mal & crew should have killed everybody they ever met. Never know when somebody you didn't kill might decide to kill you.

Um, you claim that she wanted to let a killer of innocents retreat to lick his wounds and kill another day.

Not quite what I said. And, not that I really expect at this point to change your mind note that untill Nandi gets shot none of the defenders of the Heart Of Gold were killed. There was only the one grave at the funeral. From the information Inara had to hand at the time of the confrontation (nobody has died yet, a rational man would not prefer to die for a pointless revenge, Rance hasn't threatened to do anything except take the baby) the correct thing to do is not kill Rance. From our priveledged position as the audience we have a better insight into Rance's character and the dramatic necesity of Nandi's death that Inara never could have had. That seems to be coloring your impression of the events a good deal more than is warranted.

Rance alive could in theory have been reasoned with and if not well he could always be killed later. As of course happened.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

MSG

Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:38 PM

We just love you Chris..mostly for your cheerful and sunny disposition. I think you're a bit hard on Inara, but as you can see ( above) I actually think Kaylee is strongest. Anyway, have fun:)

You're only young once, but you can be immature any time!

NUCLEARDAY

Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:59 PM

I'll have to agree with the other votes for Zoe. If I had to sum up her character in word, it would be "strength" after all.

And, of course, it's all a matter of degree. They're all obviously strong, competent and well-rounded women.

________________________________________________
You can take my Browncoat when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. (Or if Kaylee asks me nicely...)

CHRISTHECYNIC

Saturday, June 10, 2006 5:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by msg:
We just love you Chris..mostly for your cheerful and sunny disposition.

Yeah, thanks.

But I'm right, Dave is avoiding addressing the fact that he says Inara shows he strength when confronting Mal when in fact Inara backs down when confronting Mal.

I half want to make a list of every time anyone had a confrontation with Mal and the outcome, but I feel like that would be rude and time consuming.

-

ON the other hand he might be right about something totally unrelated to whether or not Inara is strong (like I said, tangent.) If memory serves there were fewer whores at Nandi's funeral than there were in the episode and thought they'd been buried elsewhere, but my memory has been wrong more than once.

Perhaps Firefly really is the most unrealistic show I've ever seen and there truly was only one fatality on the crew's side and that didn't even take place during the fighting. I hope not though, I always liked how the show was realistic.

But since this has nothing to do with whether or not Inara is strong I can't help but wonder why Dave is focusing on that in totality and ignoring all else I say.

22CLAWS

Saturday, June 10, 2006 5:48 PM

Inara doesn't decide to spare Burgess. She, hesitates and he breaks free (if I recall correctly). I think you're a little hard on Inara.
However, we've seen Zoe does not hesitate to slit a man's throat in battle. That makes her a better warrior, not necessarily a stronger woman.

22

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