Essay Throwdown: Kaylee's Past and Future

POSTED BY: Hera
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 03:10
VIEWED: 4444
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HERA

Saturday, August 19, 2006 2:52 PM

Two guidelines for this essay thread:

1. Please post no less than 2 longish paragraphs.
2. Please do not include any graphics in your post.

What is is about Kaylee's past you feel formed her as a person? Why do you think she so readily agreed to Mal's offer to be Serenity's mechanic?

Ready. Set. GO!

-Hera

"Wanna?" – Mal to Kaylee, Out of Gas

KANEMAN

Saturday, August 19, 2006 3:00 PM

NEW RULES:

1 - Suck my longish peepee.
2 - Rinse and repeat.

Chris eatsshitisall
Well, it's true

SPACEANJL

Saturday, August 19, 2006 3:39 PM

Please ignore the troll.

I think Kaylee came from a small, rustic planet, with very little work, and very few prospects for anything other than getting hitched and having babies, unless she took over her father's business.(I think she might be an only, and probably a son substitute) She has a yearning for adventure and seeing different places and people - she likes meeting people, hearing their stories. Steady work and a chance to travel would definitely appeal.

OoG highlights just how much she has come to love and identify with Serenity in the (approx) five years (?) she's been on her. I don't think she comes from a background that frowns overly much on what you have to do to get by, hence her cheery acceptance of a criminal life. But she still has a longing for 'fancy' living. Simon is very different from any of the boys she may have grown up with or met since (which is why I'm not a Jaylee 'shipper - too familiar territory).

DONCOAT

Sunday, August 20, 2006 2:05 PM

Well, I chipped in on this topic a while back, right here:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=11876

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

AGENTROUKA

Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:35 PM

The rock Kaylee grew up on was probably very poor. Little work, little in terms of opportunity or distraction, big on family and community. She grew up sheltered but bored. Hence her tendency to idealize core life and "rich" things, her princess fantasies (that dress!) and thus her inability to accept Simon's flaws like she would Jayne's.

Mal's offer would have been like a fantasy come true. A way out. Adventure. A gift from the heavens that she accepts gratefully, because it's not something that happens to girls like her. She clings to that gift because it makes her feel special, and with her comparatively low self-esteem, she craves everything that makes her feel that way.

The cheer and sweetness? Natural temperament, honed to a big self-defence net against the downsides of the 'verse. It makes her strong. And lovable!

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:47 PM

I think Kaylee may have been seen as unusual on her planet, and was probobly teased a fair bit. It sounds from the little clues in Out of Gas that life on her home world was hard work, and that work itself was hard to come by and therefore anyone seen as "slacking" wouldn't have been appreciated.

Kaylee is an imaginative young woman and was probobly a dreamy child, more interested in pretty dresses and fancy parties than earning a good living from the sweat of your brow. She would have thrown herself into working with engines since it was both something she loved and something she was very good at, and she certainly wouldn't have been lazy, but nothing on her home world was likely to interest her, and it's unlikely that she fit in.

I imagine Kaylee came from a very close, loving family since that would explain her cheerful nature and her faith in people. Why would she have left so quickly if they were so close? She may have seen herself as a burden on her family - when other girls were settling down she was messing with her engines. Someone always hankering after fancy things may not have been what the local fellas looked for in a wife. Which would have worried her parents since they would have wanted to see her settled and happy. Mal's invitation would have been the perfect solution. Plus it made her dreams come true - right down to a handsome man sweeping her up into the stars.

All speculation and guesswork obviously.

More animations available at http://desktophippie.googlepages.com

EMBERS

Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
Well, I chipped in on this topic a while back, right here:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=11876

Doncoat, you story looks great, I'll be reading it completely when I finish my little essay here:

I (of course) agree about Kaylee growing up in poverty, but I'm figuring a big family with a lot of brothers because how else could any Father let a mechanical genius like Kaylee leave the homestead? Also the lots of brothers explains her easy relationships with Mal, Jayne and Wash...where she can discuss any topic with them without embarassement.

She always had dreams of being a great lady, wearing beautiful clothes, and having a fine gentleman love her.... But that kind of thing doesn't really go with her one gift: the mechanical genius thing. Joining Mal's crew was a dream come true because she has had the opportunity to spend time with a great lady (her friendship with Inara), and go to a grand party in her puffy dress, and finally be loved by Simon.

However as the years go on I don't see Kaylee ever leaving with Simon. Eventually it will be safe for Simon to leave the ship and have a life he wants, and I don't see Kaylee deciding to leave with him. But let's look at both scenerios:

1. Kaylee leaves with Simon and marries him. They have lots of fat babies and probably lots of animals and Kaylee is happy in her bustling home, and hardly notices how late Simon works all the time, and how he doesn't really want her to go with him to the important dinners (where she uses the wrong fork or wears the wrong dress).

2. Kaylee decides she wants to continue the adventure with Serenity, because when push comes to shove she realizes that she loves the ship more than she loves Simon. And Serenity never disappoints her or cheats on her.....

(er, can you tell I'm a little too cynical about marriage? sorry about that! LOL)

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Sunday, August 20, 2006 5:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:

1. Kaylee leaves with Simon and marries him. They have lots of fat babies and probably lots of animals and Kaylee is happy in her bustling home, and hardly notices how late Simon works all the time, and how he doesn't really want her to go with him to the important dinners (where she uses the wrong fork or wears the wrong dress).

2. Kaylee decides she wants to continue the adventure with Serenity, because when push comes to shove she realizes that she loves the ship more than she loves Simon. And Serenity never disappoints her or cheats on her.....

(er, can you tell I'm a little too cynical about marriage? sorry about that! LOL)

Aww, you're not cynical! You're just... romantically challenged.

As for the scenes you described - I *definately* can't picture the first one. Simon hangs on to his manners, true, but he never loses sight of what's important. Always remember that he gave up a stellar career which earned him massive stacks of money because he wanted to help his sister - someone he loved. I couldn't see him caring all that much about Kaylee wearing the wrong dress or using the wrong fork. His parents were prepared to let River suffer for the sake of what other people might think if they kicked up a fuss - Simon would never let people like that judge Kaylee, for all he gripes about living conditions on Serenity.

Would Simon cheat? I think it would take quite a lot for that to happen. He really does love Kaylee, but he also trusts her. Kaylee knows he's a fugitive. She know's River's background. She's helped protect her from the Alliance and she's put her life in very real danger to keep them safe. Simon won't betray that lightly, and he certainly won't want to give love like that up without a fight.

If anythng were going to drive a wedge between them I think it would be this - Kaylee gets captured by someone looking for the Tams and is tortured for information. Simon can't forgive himself and, although she hates herself for it, Kaylee can't forgive him either. It's a scenario that could easily happen so I'd be surprised if someone hasn't used it in a fanfic already, and to be honest I think it's a lot more likely than Simon having an affair any time soon. If nothing else, his sister is psychic and likes Kaylee a lot. Not a good combination!

More animations available at http://desktophippie.googlepages.com

HERA

Sunday, August 20, 2006 6:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DesktopHippie:
...to be honest I think it's a lot more likely than Simon having an affair any time soon. If nothing else, his sister is psychic and likes Kaylee a lot. Not a good combination!

I laughed out loud at this. Of course this is disturbingly true.

I agree that Simon would not likely abandon Kaylee. Simon doesn't seem to be the type who is ruled by others' opinions of him. He wasn't a doctor for prestige, he was a doctor because he enjoyed the field and found it challenging. He and Kaylee should get on well--as all yin-yang pairings--they balance each other, bringing in what the other lacks. They would help each other to grow as human beings.

-Hera

"Wanna?" – Mal to Kaylee, Out of Gas

TERRI

Monday, August 21, 2006 3:06 AM

Why would the future have to end badly for them? I can imagine them staying on Serenity for a good long while, and after a really big, succesful heist, they can all get down to all that retiring and living in luxury that Zoe was talking about in the BDM. But then again, I'm a sucker for happy endings, and we all know that Joss hates me.

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