River and the Reavers

POSTED BY: rainstick
UPDATED: Thursday, August 14, 2008 08:52
VIEWED: 6356
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RAINSTICK

Saturday, August 9, 2008 6:09 PM

I don't know whether this has been raised before but just now, out of nowhere, the similarity between River and the Reavers just struck me.
They're both the result of secret government experiments, and then their names are so alike. I don't believe that is just a coincidence. I am sure that's intentional by Joss. What does he want to say? That an unfettered government or experiments done without any consideration for the side effects are affecting the individual (River) just as much as the society (Reavers). maybe i am just repeating old stuff here, but I just wanted to post it anyway

MER

Sunday, August 10, 2008 1:49 PM

Never thought of that...hmm.

KWICKO

Sunday, August 10, 2008 2:04 PM

Nope, not bringing up old stuff, as far as I've ever heard.

That's a very interesting idea, too. And it makes sense. And Joss rarely just puts anything in for the hell of it. It ALL has a deeper meaning or connection.

So, essentially, the Reavers are the result of Alliance meddling gone horribly wrong, and River is the result of Alliance meddling gone horribly... right! She's everything they ever hoped she would be, but unfortunately for the Alliance, she has a mind of her own. And, just as with the Reavers, there are always those dratted unintended consequences.

Good catch - I'm intrigued by this line of reasoning.

Mike

FARFLY

Sunday, August 10, 2008 3:12 PM

For what it's worth...

Main Entry:
reave Listen to the pronunciation of reave
Pronunciation:
\ˈrēv\
Function:
verb
Inflected Form(s):
reaved or reft Listen to the pronunciation of reft \ˈreft\; reav·ing
Etymology:
Middle English reven, from Old English rēafian; akin to Old High German roubōn to rob, Latin rumpere to break
Date:
before 12th century

intransitive verb: plunder, robtransitive verb1archaic a (1): rob, despoil (2): to deprive one of b: seize2archaic : to carry or tear away
— reav·er noun

RAINSTICK

Sunday, August 10, 2008 4:51 PM

Thanks for that.
Anyway, the name "Reavers" has been given to them after they turned savage by the people on the outer planets because it describes what the "Reavers" do.
River, however, was given her name by her parents before anything happened to her.
Etymologically I don't think there is a connection between "river" and "reave". There's the superficial connection in sound and spelling. However, and I might be overanalyzing here, a river fits into the category of still waters that run deep, which is surely an apt description for Ms Tam. There's another interesting contrast, I think. River's madness only surfaces occasionally and is hidden from us a lot of time. We don't know what she is going to do, but we know for sure that someone has done something to her.
With the Reavers, we know exactly what they are going to do ("rape us to death, eat our flesh, sow our skins into their clothing..."), their behaviour is entirely predictable, but until the end of the BDM we don't know what/who caused it and see the characters guessing.

WYTCHCROFT

Sunday, August 10, 2008 5:00 PM

the sound of River and Reaver is played upon pretty strongly in the series - and the BDM.

(There's a long thread somewhere in the archive here
but there's some discussion too in Finding Serenity and Serenity Found, great books.)

also check out the meaning of TAM:

http://visiblemantra.org/whitetara-mandala.html

(a friend of mine just got it tatooed)

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Sunday, August 10, 2008 5:10 PM

Point of interest - I have said it before - but I am CERTAIN that the reaver that River "sees" in the BDM during the heist IS River.

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original

"Yes-- Cheney are Bush are men of peace-- this we know. It is terrible that their good deeds are being thwarted, misinterpreted-- so much so that they are forced to direct others to torture prisoners." Professor Michael Levine

WYTCHCROFT

Sunday, August 10, 2008 5:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:
Point of interest - I have said it before - but I am CERTAIN that the reaver that River "sees" in the BDM during the heist IS River.

Is she still singing with them though? That's the real question...

RAINSTICK

Monday, August 11, 2008 9:23 PM

Incidentally, I just rewatched "Safe" and was surprised how quickly young River, though in play, suggests to Simon: "We got no supplies. We have to resort to cannibalism."
It would be exaggerated to imply any real connection or similarity between the Reavers and River at this young age, but I think Joss tries to give us a small hint here that River is not just a nice and innocent little girl. Even though it is just part of a fantasy, Joss shows what a ruthlessly efficient person River can be and eventually becomes. For her cannibalism is a rational conclusion to ensure survival, while the Reaver's cannibalism is just the pure and vicious instinct of a predator.

INSTANTKARMAGIRL

Monday, August 11, 2008 11:46 PM

Yeah, I'm toying with that idea in a fic. If you watch the R.Tam sessions on YouTube, she mentions the PAX, as if the Alliance gave it to her...

I *love* the idea....And so does my fanfiction.

~**~
"How come you're flying about with us brigands? I mean, shouldn't you be off bringing religiosity to the Fuzzie-Wuzzies or some such?"~Cap'n Mal

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