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I'll kill a man in a fair fight...
or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight...
or if he bothers me, or if there's a woman...
or if I'm getting paid.
Mostly only when I'm getting paid.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by hisgoodgirl:
I think that it's important to evaluate Jayne Cobb in the context of his time and culture. The 'verse Joss gave us is a very different place from our present one, and the driver for folk on the Rim seems to be survival.

First of all, Jayne is physically adept, one of those people we refer to as kenesthetic. He's extraordinarily observant, which is why he makes a good tracker. Note how he's always touching, smelling, tasting the world around him.

I also see him as the eldest child of a blue-collar family. (FIC PIMP: Check out my story "That Which Shapes A Man" for my take on the man's formative years.) He's almost certainly what we'd call ADHD and probably dyslexic, too. I'd bet money he left school early.

He's clearly deeper than he lets on, which raises the question, Why does Jayne "dumb down"? He does lots of things designed to encourage others not to take him seriously, from playing slow and stupid to wearing silly t-shirts that are child-like and too small. Having your opponents underestimate you can offer a very real tactical advantage in many circumstances, and helps to throw others off their guard.

A killer? Yes, as he finds necessary for his survival. But does he "enjoy" killing? I never get that sense. He is, as others have stated, a mercenary, hired muscle, and he takes pride in being good at his trade. But Jayne is not sadistic (despite his comment to Laurence about "getting an ear", which was made for intimidation purposes...)

Self-serving? Were he not so, he probably wouldn't have survived in his 'verse. I think others have hit the nail on the head by remarking that his actions are very much driven by family loyalty, and how he defines "family" evolves over the course of the story.

It's all too easy to write Jayne off as a dumb, funny brute, a cold-blooded killer who is only out for himself and the almighty credit. I happen to believe there much more to the man, which is why I'm still writing about him and exploring him.

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