Companions 'Gilded Cage'
POSTED BY: Bytemite
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 08:47
VIEWED: 36140
PAGE 5 of 11
I dunno what the big deal is. This seems oddly Puritanical, something she states outright that she is not. She is a full grown woman making a choice of livelihood. She provides a service and is well paid for it. Remember, she offers to pay, out of her ready cash, Mal and the crew to help Nandi. I doubt anyone else on the boat has that kind of scratch. Whether or not whoring is degrading seems to depend on who is in control and she is definately in control of her life. She makes good money, she is highly respected wherever she goes and she doesn't like complications...which is why she was leaving Serenity. Is there a bit of her that regrets not giving in to her feelings for Mal? Perhaps. But not enough to keep her there.
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This is always a fun conversation, one I'm always willing to jump back into.
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This seems oddly Puritanical
I agree with everything you have to say; there is nothing wrong with Inara's profession or her purpose in practicing it; she's a well-meaning person, and a girl's gotta stand on her own.
The thing about this conversation and the other one is I'm trying to test out the possibility that Inara's character is nuanced. She's one of the more mysterious characters, we don't know everything about her, we don't always know how she's feeling. It seems like she often says one thing but really means and feels another.
Example: she praises Sihnon as "an ocean of light" but seems to actually not have too fond memories of it. This could suggest she's not into all the glitter and glamour that high society goes wild about.
Example: She tells Mal she's not puritanical, congratulates him on finally getting laid, then cries about it when she's alone.
Conclusion: What she says is often not what she feels, but what she says is often what's necessary to cause the least amount of hurt.
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But not enough to keep her there.
And in the comic books when she's leaving, she secretly wants Mal to come back for her. Her choosing to leave, however, was the right thing to do at the time.
The point is, we all know what she has to say about her profession, and it makes sense for her to defend herself that way. Her profession isn't even BAD - Mal's done lots worse. The question I'm posing here: Is what Inara says about her profession the same as what she really FEELS about it?
As for sex, she doesn't seem all that enthusiastic about it, really, and I seem to recall that her response to Kaylee in Jaynestown about romance and having good sex is a little subdued.
There must be some reason why she stopped taking clients at the training house in the movie, and I don't believe it was about Mal. She made a choice because of some way she felt about something involved with her profession. What it means for Mal is entirely irrelevant.
This in turn suggests she might outright not LIKE the sex for money part of her profession, which is possibly why Mal's insults hurt her much worse than any others he might try, and why she gets so defensive about it.
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Originally posted by Bytemite:
There must be some reason why she stopped taking clients at the training house in the movie, and I don't believe it was about Mal. She made a choice because of some way she felt about something involved with her profession. What it means for Mal is entirely irrelevant.
I agree with you inasmuch as I doubt Inara's new found celibacy is out of consideration for Mal's feelings, or brought about by his repeatedly stating the obvious: she is a glorified space whore. But I don't think it is sensible to entirely remove Inara's experience aboard Serenity, and her relationship with Mal, from her evolving relationship with her profession. At the very least, Mal was a catylyst.
Inara often seems abivalent about the sex-for-money aspects of her job, which to her mind must be a reductivist view of what a companion does.
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Yeah. And it also occurs to me that not being happy with sex-for-money and sometimes jerk clients doesn't necessarily mean she wouldn't like the rest of her job, or be proud of the tradition she's part of.
Similarly, Mal might have his regrets about the people he's hurt, being a hired gun and a thief, and he has his "I'm a bad man" brooding complex. But he also takes pride and joy sometimes in being a mean old bastard and sticking it to the Feds.
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Originally posted by Bytemite:Quote:
Example: She tells Mal she's not puritanical, congratulates him on finally getting laid, then cries about it when she's alone.
I took this to indicate not that she was upset with her profession but that she wanted the intimate relationship Mal had with Nandi (albeit briefly) but couldn't bring herself to give up any control over her own feelings in order to have it. Before she tells Mal she's decided to leave she speaks of being drawn to a strong personality (like Mal) and never wanting to leave...and that's why she had to leave. I think she is simply afraid of losing control, even though it is costing her what her heart wants most. Remember when she confronts Mal about not visiting places where she could ply her trade? She told him: You are not my lover, my father, my school mistress etc?" This is a woman with control issues.Quote:
And in the comic books when she's leaving, she secretly wants Mal to come back for her.
I do need to get ahold of those! But, of course, she's pissed when Mal comes for her in the movie. She is also pissed when he tries to defend her honor in Shindig. In fact, she takes every opportunity to push Mal away.Quote:
Is what Inara says about her profession the same as what she really FEELS about it?
I don't think her profession has much to do with her problem with Mal. She might be a hair stylist and have the same control issues with men. Granted, Mal doesn't respect her line of work but that didn't stop him from loving Nandi...and I think there was feeling there...which I think is what upset Inara. The difference is Nandi knew what she wanted (Mal) and went after it. She didn't have the same issues.Quote:
As for sex, she doesn't seem all that enthusiastic about it...
Well, that would probably describe a lot of women! hahaha ...especially if it was their JOB! Who among us is always enthusiastic about our job? hahaQuote:
There must be some reason why she stopped taking clients at the training house...
Well, the sex bit is the dirty part of the job. Nandi said that Inara had had her sights set on high priestess. Inara, like women of any profession, wanted to move up the ladder.Quote:
This in turn suggests she might outright not LIKE the sex for money part of her profession, which is possibly why Mal's insults hurt her much worse than any others he might try, and why she gets so defensive about it.
Oh, I suspect she likes the money well enough. Perhaps she's just tired of sex? I mean, if it's your job sex must get monotonous, lose the luster it has for Kaylee because she ain't getting enough! hahaha
Inara isn't some crack ho. She has money, respect, connections etc. She has more going for her than anyone else on that boat. If she wanted a different life she could have it, with or without Mal.
As far as her defensiveness. I am reminded of Banky, the comic book ink artist in Chasing Amy getting pissed when people referred to him as a "tracer." ;)
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I took this to indicate not that she was upset with her profession
I wasn't using that as an example of how she's upset with her profession, but rather of how she sometimes says things she doesn't mean when she thinks it's for the best.
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This is a woman with control issues.
Umm... Think I have to disagree there. She's an entirely normal person who wants to live her life without interference and work for a living without being hassled.
The reason she left Serenity is something entirely different either from Mal sleeping with Nandi or feeling out of control. EDIT: looks like you found it. The basic gist is, Nandi's death and Mal's reaction struck a chord with her, and she had to leave after that.
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But, of course, she's pissed when Mal comes for her in the movie. She is also pissed when he tries to defend her honor in Shindig.
Actually, she's very alarmed in both cases, and worried he's going to be hurt or killed more than she's angry with him.
She clearly doesn't hold either of those times against him shortly afterward, when he survives; by that point she's just glad he's okay.
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In fact, she takes every opportunity to push Mal away.
She does do this, and it's actually related to the above point about not wanting Mal to get hurt.
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I don't think her profession has much to do with her problem with Mal.
Then we agree, because there wasn't much in my above post that has anything to do with Mal.
But aspects of her profession might have something to do with her switching over to teaching instead of actively taking clients.
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Granted, Mal doesn't respect her line of work but that didn't stop him from loving Nandi...and I think there was feeling there...
Nandi arguably companionized Mal. Gonna have to disagree.
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The difference is Nandi knew what she wanted (Mal) and went after it. She didn't have the same issues.
Disagree. Inara knows what she wants but faces some very big obstacles and doesn't want to put Mal through that.
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Oh, I suspect she likes the money well enough.
I doubt it. If she did, she'd be perfectly fine being Atherton's trophy companion who he beats up on now and then. She doesn't seem to be very rich or she wouldn't be worried about her work so much (though I'll agree she makes enough money to support herself and her lifestyle), and she also seems perfectly content with her impoverished surroundings, or hanging out in a dingy bar.
She also clearly left Sihnon for a reason. See again my previous point about Inara potentially not being particularly enamored with the glitter and glamor.
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Well, I don't want to beat a dead horse here. We may have to agree to disagree, and that's OK. Everyone has different perspectives.
I'm left with the question: If she wants Mal why doesn't she have him? This question is especially pointed if, as you contend, she doesn't really like her profession. Why doesn't she give it up and be with Mal? What are these "big obstacles" she doesn't want to put Mal through?
As Nandi pointed out, Mal and Inara are very much alike. Both want to keep it simple and neither wants to give up any control of their own lives to make a relationship work. That's why it doesn't happen, even though they love each other.
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Well, since I know you saw it on another thread, the big obstacle is that
Select to view spoiler:
she's dying.
It's true that Inara doesn't want to pursue a relationship with Mal, but I don't think it's because she's afraid she would lose control of her life if she did. That's pretty much already happened IMO and I think she's resigned herself to that.
Everything Nandi says is a mislead for the viewers because she doesn't know this either. Nandi is speculating about Inara's motivations to Mal and is probably, quite simply, wrong.
But fair enough, we can agree to disagree.
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Originally posted by Bytemite:
Well, since I know you saw it on another thread, the big obstacle is thatSelect to view spoiler:
she's dying.
Ahhhhhhh! NOW I get it! I'm really dense sometimes. Now I understand your position and think it's perfectly reasonable. God, I'm such a dummy.
What a freakin' tragedy! Goddamn Joss Whedon! Someone needs to break his fingers so he can't write and destroy more of his characters lives! He gives us these wonderful characters who we care about and then he slaughters them like some Gorram Reaver! ACK!! I am NOT pleased.
Thank you for putting Inara in a totally different light for me. Now I have great empathy for her and her situation. If Joss doesn't pull her through I'm gonna find him and burn his house down. ...no, not really. haha
I guess I come at this with baggage. I think with Inara I was still fighting with my ex-wife after 20-some years. Geesh!
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No worries, I didn't realize about your ex-wife. And you know, it could still be a fear thing, like you were saying. :)
I just kinda like Inara, she's very nice to Kaylee and most of the crew except Mal, so I like to see her in a positive light. So that's usually the side I take.
But I get that some people see her a selfish or high-maintenance, and the beauty of Joss' writing is that there's lots of interpretations that can be right about all the characters. I mean, it would be pretty boring if Inara were just some perfect Mary Sue-ish poor broken dove, there's nothing wrong with someone thinking Inara has faults or flaws.
And it makes sense if someone is reminded of a relationship they've had by a character in the show, what you experienced is entirely valid insight.
I like to discuss things, I take in ideas, and I use them in my stories, with permission of course. :) This kind of discussion makes me wonder if my account making everyone involved in the sad situation blameless is too flattering to the characters.
As for Joss Whedon, there's maybe some good news. I've noticed he seems to be getting better about letting some of his couples find a little happiness. And I also think because Joss and Morena were so willing to leak the the reveal that there's a lot more to this than what's on the surface.
Select to view spoiler:
Plus, the specific term they used was "dying," not "going to die," and that could be significant. It could mean that she's currently dying, but might not necessarily die by the end of the story, or she might even be saved.
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