What does each Firefly character represent?

POSTED BY: THEREALME
UPDATED: Tuesday, May 10, 2022 08:06
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ANKHAGOGO

Saturday, June 19, 2004 9:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by THEREALME:

My ideas (quickly, because I'm late and have to get ready for today):

Kaylee: Soul and Innocence

Zoe: Strength and Determination

Book: Conscience and Patience

Simon: Loyalty and Compassion

Wash: Sense of Humor

Inara: Sexuality and Insight

Jayne: Aggression

River: Maddness

Mal: Protective of Loved Ones, Seeking a Purpose

Well, I'll argue, big shock to no-one. :)
I don't think Kaylee is the soul of Serenity - I think she's the heart.
I would have to say that I think Mal is the soul.
I think I'd call Simon Love before I'd call him anything else, because that is his motivating factor. His love for his sister comes first. But you're right; he does have the compassion thing pretty much tied up. I'd like to see what he'd do with a full-blown, fatally wounded Reaver.
I think River would be insight, which can be mistaken for madness, or at least eccentricity, but they're not the same thing. I'd also be willing to argue that River's the real strength, while Zoe is the loyalty.
Inara ofetn seems insightful, but I've always thought that the little bits of wisdom she comes up with are Academy-learned responses. They just sound so much like proverbs that it's hard for me to buy it as real insight. She is definitely the sexuality, but she is also usually the restraint, or, if you prefer, the cautiousness, something that's often in perilious short supply. She also might be the civilization, because I suspect that without Inara on board, things might be a bit rougher than they currently are. She reminds them that life isn't all ducking the law and gunfights.

They did something like this on that season 4 next to last episode of Buffy, when she fought Adam, but I don't know how many people caught it. Each of the Scoobies had a tarot card: Buffy was the Hand, Xander the Heart, Willow the Soul, and Giles the Mind (or Head), I believe(I may have swtiched two of those around). Now in the episode, it was meant to channel each of their strengths into Buffy so she could kill Adam, but each card also coincided with the person's place in the group/show.

"Well personally, I kinda want to slay the dragon."

TERRIBLETINK

Saturday, June 19, 2004 10:16 PM

I love these kinds of discussions. Great thread!

I've used the analogy before that the characters are more like parts of a person's psyche, and the person needs all of these components in order to function properly. It's not 100% worked out -- I've never mapped all 9 before and had it come out neatly. But here's my general theory:

Zoe: emotional strength, pragmatism

Wash: humor

Jayne: aggression/self-preservation

Kaylee: compassion

Inara: interaction with society (I am having trouble describing this due to a Friday night bash hangover but I mean that she represents that veneer that lies between the inner person and what society sees.)

Simon: self-sacrifice/knowledge (I'm torn here so I listed both)

River: neurosis/the part of us that is wild or flawed

Book: spirituality

Mal: nerve center/soul, whatever you want to call it. My crazy theory (OK, I've been reading too much Jung) is that Mal represents the individual that all these other characters represent parts of. Without Mal, the others do not function as well and they no longer make up the parts of a whole, but are instead scattered pieces. Mal holds it together and allows the others to perform their functions.

Man, that was fun! It's very oversimplified, but if I was going to turn this into an essay for one of my Lit or Psych classes, this would be the outline I'd start with.

-------------------------------------
"I'll be in my bunk."

TERRIBLETINK

Saturday, June 19, 2004 10:20 PM

Can I add one more thing? I also think River represents our unrealized potential. I forgot to add that even though I wanted to. (Gorram raspberry martinis did me in last night. My brain = )

------------------------------------------
"I'll be in my bunk."

THEREALME

Sunday, June 20, 2004 6:57 AM

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Yes, of course Zoe is Loyalty above all else. I should have seen that from the start. I could also very much agree with Kaylee = Heart, Mal = Soul change as well.

The Real Me

Got Mudder's Milk?

EMBERS

Sunday, June 20, 2004 4:34 PM

well, I agree in part with all of you...and disagree as well...

Wash represents Joss himself, and is usually the comic observer

Jayne (I think you are all WAY too hard on him) is the Cordelia character, selfish and superficial but capable of growth

Mal is the hero who will under go the greatest pain and growth, we can expect him to suffer continuously I think

Zoe is the strong independent woman Joss can't leave out of any story

Kayley is the vulnerable girl we are all suppose to care about and want to protect

Book is an enigma, filled with secrets, WAY too obscure for the high-minded adjectives y'all have put on him!

River is like a force of nature, causing a lot of the themes of the story, she needs to be hidden and protected (even tho she is the strongest in some ways), and she is a danger to everyone...

Simon is always going to be the straight man, stuck with difficult exposition, luckily he looks very cute w/his shirt off

and frankly I find Inara a little dull....(but she does get to wear all the pretty clothes)

INSIGHT SPINNER

Sunday, June 20, 2004 8:59 PM

This is a great thread, The Real Me -- thanks!

Like Embers, I agree with some of what you all say, but not with everything. Like others, I'll stick with the archetypal virtues to make my main descriptions.

Mal -- yes, he's the soul of Serenity. But he embodies determination even more. It is because of his determination in the face of the loss of all things that there is a soul for Serenity to have.

Zoe -- loyalty is a good call, but I feel she is better designed to represent steadfastnest and reliability, for her loyalty is not blind, but her gun hand is sure.

Kaylee -- joyfulness and enthusiasm, for she has innocence without being innocent. That is why she becomes our ship's heart.

Inara -- nope, not sexuality -- that's her job. She represents dignity and respectability -- which of course is ironic, 'cuz she's a whore. So I like that bit about her providing the social face for Serenity. She also has grace aplenty and brings that to Serenity as well, but I think it is her caring and compassion that is possibly her strongest role.

Wash -- yeah, he's the funny one. But he represents more than humor. He is the rational voice that challenges risk, and disbelief at the captain's plans (although after War Stories, he is beginning to get it more)so it's our voice of "WTF are you gonna do that for?". He's got a lot of playfulness and, ironically, more than abit of childlike wonder -- but there is more than enough humor among all folks in Serenity.

Simon -- I like love, as described above.

Jayne -- I think he represents redemption more than aggression -- but we needed more to see it. He's pretty dispicable, but in a funny and, when viewed through his mother's eyes, warm/fuzzy kinda way. He represents the capacity to move from disloyalty to trustworthiness, but he's still got a ways to go.

River represents insight and teh grand potential of the human mind which, despite the fact that they live on a spaceship, dear, is the reason Firefly ranks as science fiction in my mind. As a fan of Le Guin, I love a good psychologically based SF tale that, while in an exotic and fantastic setting, really looks at how we can stretch the bounds of human capacity. And then there is that soup thing.

Book, he doesn't represent spirituality at all to me. He represents conscience in an albeit very christian framework. But when it comes down to it, his devotion hasn't penetrated to his heart, maybe because of his mysteries. So his faith is both rock solid and shaky. It informs his actions, but in a clutch, faith and surety evade him. Those things grow out of a solid spirituality. And, instinct, which in Booklooks a lot like Zoe, goes to the warrior over the shepherd every time, which is why Early knew him to be "no shepherd".

Whew. I haven't been so poetical about fiction since I used to quote the Left Hand of Darkness in letters.

Back to work!!

inspin

insight spinner
__________

Just an object. It doesn't mean what you think....

DAVEUKFAN

Sunday, June 20, 2004 9:55 PM

Ok I'm going to try make my view origional even I only had time to quickly flick look though the others.

Mal: Blinding hope, pure and simple. The part of you that never gives up no matter how dark it gets.

Zoe: Duty, to her captain and husband and the problem of these two conflicting. She will do what ever it takes to satisfy her roles as husband and crew member.

Wash: Insecurity, he's the small weak man in surrounded by soldiers. He uses his humour to hide this but deep down he knows he'll never be able to relate to Zoe the way Mal or even Jayne can.

Jayne: Honesty, with one or two notable acceptions he'll always say exactly what he thinks of you right to your face without fear. Good, bad, ugly it's all there like it or not.

Book: Faith, that he is not in control of his destiny but someone he trusts is. This is a predictable responce given he's a preacher but still the right one.

Simon: Devotion, he sees only his goal anything in the way is just longer step on the road.

River: Imagination, the wild crazy ideas that bounce inside your head wisper in your head, you mind at it's most creative acted out by a girl.

Inara: Pride, she's a slave to society and the desires of others. But despite this she has unbeliefable self-respect. She sees her place in life and the people around her and feels nothing but joy beacuse none of this can break for spirit.

Kaylee: Love, for all around her in everything she does no matter what pain it brings.

Well those are my ideas.... what do you think?

Everybody dies alone

ANKHAGOGO

Sunday, June 20, 2004 11:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:
Jayne (I think you are all WAY too hard on him) is the Cordelia character, selfish and superficial but capable of growth

Zoe is the strong independent woman Joss can't leave out of any story

What's ironic about this is that Cordelia is the selfish & superficial one on Buffy, but on Angel, she's the strong woman. I'm not sure how independent I'd call Angel-Cordy, but then again, I'm not sure how independent I'd call any of them on that show.

And you're right, at least with me. I am
[i/way hard on Jayne, but I was much harder on Buffy-Cordelia. And Jayne has actually already changed a smidge.

"Well personally, I kinda want to slay the dragon."

ANKHAGOGO

Sunday, June 20, 2004 11:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by terribletink:
Mal: nerve center/soul, whatever you want to call it. My crazy theory (OK, I've been reading too much Jung) is that Mal represents the individual that all these other characters represent parts of.

Somewhere I heard it theorized that the other members of the crew are all some part of Mal that he can't (or won't) let himself be anymore,which I really liked. I wanna say it was on the commentary for Serenity, and that Nathan Fillion said it, but I don't know if that's right. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

"Well personally, I kinda want to slay the dragon."

THEREALME

Sunday, June 27, 2004 9:56 PM

This thread has died down. Since it's my thread, I'm going to try to revive it.

Let's put in a twist. What Western Character Archetype does each character represent?

Mal: Our Hero, the strong silent type, perhaps the new town sheriff up against impossible odds.

Zoe: The loyal deputy.

Wash: The town drunk (okay, he's not often drunk, but he does have the same wacky comic relief role).

Jayne: The thug, usually on the side opposing Our Hero.

Kaylee: The pretty innocent girl-next-door. Or the young school marm.

Inara: The distinguished town lady. Possibly the hooker with the heart of gold.

Book: The retired gunfighter trying in vain to lead a simple or religious life.

Simon: The rich outsider from back east. A banker, or DOCTOR.

River: ?

The Real Me

Got Mudder's Milk?

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