Inara's secret.
POSTED BY: peacekeeper
UPDATED: Saturday, June 6, 2009 20:50
VIEWED: 50550
PAGE 5 of 16
Japan is actually the culture that assigns the transient meaning to the cherry blossom, that's why manga books are constantly covered in veritable swarms of falling cherry blossoms.
But the Chinese consider the cherry blossom a symbol of feminine sexuality, strength, and beauty, as well as love, which is also fitting.
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OK, true. There is no direct statement that Nandi and Inara were apprentices together. I will submit however, that Nandi was not a full fledged companion when she left. In the world of trade union speak: I'd say that she had completed her "apprenticeship" but had failed to complete her training to become a full "Journeyman", choosing rather to smash her dulcimer and jump ship to a rim world.
But we know that some measure of years have passed, otherwise there would be no wonder in the statement "You haven't aged" in a manner similar to Galdalf marveling at Bilbo at the outset of Fellowship of the Ring.
Nandi tells Mal as they drink Rice Wine that Inara could have been "House Priestess" had she stayed on Sihnon, a comment that relates to Inara aspiring to the level of what I would call "Master Craftsman" in my previous tradesman language analogy. There is simply no reason for her to leave that. And when you add the artistic "look-away" in the pilot episode when she concludes her time with her client, I'd reckon she didn't want to. And I guess there is also some merit in supposing that Inara and Nandi weren't direct classmates as you say. So therefore if Nandi never quite became a "Journeyman" while seeing Inara at that level herself aspiring to "Master Craftsman" (Priestess), then that makes Inara older by some amount or another.
Hmm...so if Nandi was "younger" than Inara when they previously knew each other, and now appears about 10 to 15 years "older", exactly how old IS Inara?
That is certainly something to mull over.
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Re the Cherry Blossom, yes it is often associated with the Buddhist metaphor of life.
Buddhism is from China via India, though, introduced to Japan in the first century.
The Sino Alliance is China and the West, Mandarin is spoken, Inara practices Buddhism.
And no offence to Japanese culture, but it is highly influenced by Chinese’s culture. We here in the West have been exposed to Japan's culture as they are an Imperial Democracy, but if you teach and travel in China you realize the magnitude of not only its age, but its vast contribution to Eastern philosophy and culture.
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Nandi ALSO says that Inara would have been the youngest house priestess in the history of House Madrassa, and says that was long after she (Nandi) left. Inara left House Madrassa 2.5 years before the start of Firefly, and got on Serenity 1.5 years after she left (Bushwhacked).
I figure it's been about ten years since she and Nandi last saw each other. And if those ten years run between Inara's early twenties to thirties, Inara could plausibly not look very different enough to be complimented on it by Nandi, and could have nearly been elevated to House Priestess if she took her work as serious as she seems to in the series.
Also, you can call any girl (not just your sister) Mei Mei as a term of affection, but you do not call an older woman Mei Mei. It's a breach of social etiquette.
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Platonist: True enough on China's influence on Japan, but I think this is one very real difference between the two cultures in the terms of symbology.
When I was drawing my "Cherry Blossom" picture, I remembered hearing about the meaning of cherry blossoms from my Japanese classes; however, this was so long ago that I wanted to go look up the meaning just to be sure.
When I googled it, I turned up bunches and bunches of web pages discussing the differences between the two outlooks on cherry blossoms.
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Agree, fully, on the symbolism in both cultures. I was coming from Mal's POV which is more Chinese, as he speaks Mandarin and English, and maybe there is semantic irony in his choice of words:)
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I think so. :) Good thing Mal isn't very familiar with Japanese culture.
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I step away from the computer for a couple hours and the topic gets 40 more replies! :) It's been great reading (if frustrating/depressing) going over this topic. Keep it coming! (I wish Joss would too, grumble, grumble)
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Just got home from work and read the WHOLE thread.
Here's my personal take on Inara. She was on track from day one at age twelve, when she first entered the Training House, to be House Priestess. There are some people that are so focused that the object of their focus is widely known and other people can see it without any problem.
And being a Companion is a "family business", according again to Moreana. If I was a daughter of an illustrious line of Companions, I'd aim for the top too.
And something did happen to drive her from Shinon. My personal theory is that she got into the way of someone (either another Companion or a client)very powerful and even though she was the innocent party, she "volunteered" to leave until things were better on Shinon.
I can see the House Priestess phrasing it something like this. "It would be best if you were to remain quiet about this little incident. In fact, I have a very special job for you.
You're the strongest among us Companions and you've always wanted to see the 'Verse, so why don't you be our ambassador among the Rim and Border planets? There are many potential clients there and Companions have always been a "civilizing" force. You'll bring a bit of Shinon to the Border and Rim planets and you will be paving the way for your sisters to come." In a very flattering, persuading voice of course.
And I don't think that the Guild knew about Inara's secret. Companions have to be and need to be in good health and Inara acts as if no one knows about her secret but her and her doctor, whoever that is.
This is all conjecture of course, until Joss fills us in one way or another.
http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/
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