Shepherd Book by trekkerj

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Shepherd Book

POSTED BY: TREKKERJ
UPDATED: Friday, December 12, 2003 17:12
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Sunday, October 19, 2003 2:42 PM

I like the idea of Book being a superspy, double triple or quadruple agent. In addition, if the Alliance symbolizes the centrist or statist side of the equation and the rebels the non-centrist, then, logically, one of the problems the rebels must have had to continuously deal with is political organizations that would make the Alliance seem quite moderate trying to claim common cause with the Rebel side. Have to be VERY careful about alienating these folks.

So, I'm thinking to myself, it could go something like this: Here I am, abbot of a little monastery and my universe is about to enter civil war. The signs are everywhere if my monastery is involved in corporal works of mercy (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, comfort the stricken, bury the dead). If I'm smart and maybe a little worldly (and oddly often the worldly are drawn to the spiritual life) I might send out someone to find out what they could that would enable me to better assist the growing numbers of those in need. The better this shepard was able to perform his information gathering activities, the better prepared the monastery and the people it served, but the greater the schism between the monastic/spiritual life he had intended to lead, and the worldly, morally ambiguous and violent life he was leading actually. The shepard returns to the monastery after making his way back to it after the war (and what fresh hells was he exposed to on the three year journey back?) and attempts to return to the monastic life and tries to integrate his experiences, unsuccessfully. So now he is back in the world, still trying to do so, or perhaps still involved in sedition and keeping contacts and information flowing to the abbey.

The nice thing here is that ambiguity, so wonderful for our story-telling purposes. Further, it gives Book an agenda, hence motive for behaving in unexpected ways.

By the way, my take on "I don't give a hump if you're innocent or not. So where does that leave us?", is complete puzzlement at this stage. The words imply that Book forgives Jayne even if he IS guilty, but the harsh tone of voice implies that Book does NOT forgive him even if he happens to be innocent. Further, it's not yet established that what River sees and hears is telepathy or prognostication or a symbolic representation of deep truths or simple hallucinations or logical projections of her own suppositions and emotional states onto other people. If she perceives that Jayne is her enemy and Book her friend, the remarks make sense as HER thoughts as much as possibly representing their thoughts. So, I've been waiting on more developement of the relationship between the two of them. I very much see the character of Jayne as representing maturation, and that it is the job of his character to be brought up to true manhood, by his growing relationship with the remainder of the crew.
(By the way WH, your sexy name and courtly manners caused me to have to set a spell to compose myself. I'd heard about the power of the internet to magnify emotional response, now I know for myself!)

Lunatikat - "I could while away the hours, conversing with the flowers..." oh well, you know the rest.

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Monday, October 20, 2003 5:15 AM

I don't think Book is talking to Jayne when he says "I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not..."

But I can't really say why, right now

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Monday, October 20, 2003 5:09 PM

VETERAN

Don't squat with your spurs on.

If your blowing smoke it's Gandalf like smoke rings. In otherwords, I think you're on target.

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Monday, November 24, 2003 12:24 AM

HUMBLE

revised my guess on what book was prior to becoming a shepherd. think he was a judge or a prosecuting attorney. ("i don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not"). more than likely he was what they used to call a "hanging judge".

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Thursday, December 4, 2003 6:06 AM

JAYNEFAN

My current take on Book:

Someone - could be anyone from Alliance authorities to discontented Alliance faction to Independent sympathisers to underground Independent HQ - has noticed that Mal Reynolds, ex-Independent officer, is flying round the verse apparently engaged on petty crime. Someone wonders whether this might actually be a cover for political activity. Could he actually be passing information/arms/whatever between old Independents? They want to know, so that they can stamp it out/manipulate it/feed into it/co-operate with it.

Book has been sent out by this group (which contains someone with enough influence to get hold of a super VIP ID card) to keep close to Mal and to find out whether he has a secret agenda.

When Book first turned up claiming to be a hitch-hiker, Kaylee noticed that he was looking at the ships, not at their destinations. Unless he was acting at random, he was trying to find someone in particular, not to go somewhere in particular.

Even if he is an Alliance agent, he has no interest in turning in the Tams; that might get Mal & co into deep trouble, and thus jeopardise his mission, which is more important. His role is to stay with the ship, monitor the ship, and protect the ship and her crew, at least until he has completed his mission by proving one way or the other what Mal is really doing.

And my take on Book not giving a hump is based more on the manner in which he delivered the line than the words themselves. It suggested to me that he's not just more than what he pretends to be, he's someone quite different from what he pretends to be.

Jaynefan

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Thursday, December 4, 2003 10:20 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Okay, we've written tomes on how Book is more than he claims to be. Here's a few "What ifs..."

What if...he was in the military once upon a time, but resigned because something happened that made him see what the Alliance really was. Swinging from one extreme to the other, he went into ministry.

What if...he was one of the original founders of the Independent movement?

What if...he just happens to be related to an Alliance official who's far enough up in the government that Book was granted diplomatic immunity after the movement fell?

Okay ya'll - you'll let me know if I'm spiraling off into the black on my own here, won't you?

Firefly Artwork Series
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922

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Thursday, December 4, 2003 5:46 PM

RISKEVERYTHING

Let's first clear up a few things:

River is psychic. It is clearly shown in the "Safe" episode, starting during the dance where she stops dancing when Mal and Jayne (miles away) find Book shot and dying.

When Simon is kidnapped she finds him easily in the woods. Given that she's a genius I won't account that to psychic ability.

In the mountain village she tells Simon "we won't be here long." She also tell Simon and the nurse what happened to Ruby, the mute girl. The ignorant hillbilly nurse rings the town bell claiming River is a witch. The Patron of the village comes to question her, and instead of answering she starts to tell about how he murdered the old Patron to become the new one. He slaps her to stop her, says the's a witch and reads minds and spins falsehoods. Then he demands she be burned at the stake. Finally, right after Simon stands next to her on the platform and tells the townsfolk "Light it," River says, "It's time to go." She does not say 'It's time to die.' and she was not being philosophical. Right after her statement, Serenity flies overhead and the rescue begins.

NOW PLEASE LET ME DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PSYCHIC AND TELEPATHIC. (Note, in the OiS episode Wash comments on her being Psychic; there is no mention of telepathic. This is the oft-used literary event called fore-shadowing, which I've found is used extensively in almost every episode of FireFly.)

Psychic is the ability to see past, present, and possibly even future events. It often requires the person to be "tuned in" by contact or at least proximity with a person or object.

Telepathy is the ability to read people's minds. It's pure and simple, which is why it is utterly not suited for a complex show like FireFly. For River to be telepathic would religate her to the role of "Counselor Troy".

Please understand the difference and realize how it effects your thoughts about Book's past.
River didn't read Book's mind because she can't. She didn't read Jayne's mind either. What she did do, is see a scene from their lives- possibly the most dramatic, or at least the most recent, act that left them with a guilty conscience. You will notice that every time she has a psychic occurence it has to do with the burden of guilt: the young girl Ruby is the only one to survive when her mother tries to kill both her daughters (her older sister kills her mother in defense, but also dies in the event), the Patron who'd killed his predecessor to achieve power in the community, Jayne who'd tried to sell her and her brother out because "I got stupid, the money was too good."

And Book... Book's most dramatic/traumatic, and possibly most recent and unresolved source of guilt, has to do with "I don't give a hump if you're innocent or not, what do you think of that?"

Yes, Book does have ties to the Alliance, and has been in a position to pass judgement on others. It is the only way to account for his favorable treatment and release by the Alliance cruiser. (Safe)

He has seen the darkness in his soul and is now "seeking the light" so to speak. He is trying to change who he was and become someone better. "You don't fix faith, River, faith fixes you." (Jaynestown)

By trying to do enough good with what time he has left he is hoping to compensate for all the evil things he has done. He is afraid that when it is time for God to pass judgement on him, he might recieve a divine "I don't give a hump..." from 'the man upstairs'. He is afraid to die before doing his great, good deed.
(Out of Gas, the dialog between Book and River:
Book is sitting on his bunk reading his Bible when River walks into his doorway...
River-"Don't be afriad. That's what it says: Don't be afriad."
Book-"Yes"
River-"But you are afriad."
Book-"Yes"
River-"You're afriad that we'll run out of air, that we'll die gasping. But we won't, that's not going to happen. We'll freeze to death first.")
When Joss said "It won't be what you think." he didn't really give us any information at all. Book has done an enormously evil deed, and at the time of the interview I doubt anyone would have clued in on that...

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Thursday, December 4, 2003 5:47 PM

RISKEVERYTHING

whoops- double-posted

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Monday, December 8, 2003 5:23 AM

JAYNEFAN

RiskEverything wrote:

Quote:
You will notice that every time she has a psychic occurence it has to do with the burden of guilt

I like that, but what's the guilt she senses in Badger? "Skipped off home early, running graft jobs here and there. Spent some time in the lock down, but less than you claim. And you're what? Petty thief with delusions of standing? Sad, little king of a sad, little hill." (Shindig)

Is Badger guilty because he's not a bigger criminal?

Jaynefan

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Monday, December 8, 2003 6:03 PM

Nah, River's psychic alright, but there's nothing to suggest that she can't read minds. That all she has to work with is guilt. Also, she can sense non-human things coming (i.e. Serenity or the fire in Out of Gas).

On the way down I noticed someone saying Jubal Early was psychic like River, to which I say a big no. Jubal was about as psychic as my big left toe. Which is to say, not much.

JK

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Friday, December 12, 2003 5:12 PM

SUNSHYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by Jaynefan:
[I like that, but what's the guilt she senses in Badger? "Skipped off home early, running graft jobs here and there. Spent some time in the lock down, but less than you claim. And you're what? Petty thief with delusions of standing? Sad, little king of a sad, little hill." (Shindig)

This is an example of her vast store of knowledge more than her psychic abilities, as well as her interesting way of hearing (ie. through the walls/floors of the ship).

Posit 1. She recognizes his accent and replicates it "easily as breathing." Could be that she has learned or studied dialects at some point.

By which follows 2. She has some knowledge of where that accent came from and the particularities of the culture of the area. Again, not out of the realm for her to have studied at some point.

And one also assumes that 3. As the crew deal with Badger on a not irregular basis, she has probably heard enough about him to draw some conclusions.

She knows his TYPE and with her brilliant brain can deduce further what a man of his personality would do. (Perhaps also related to the culture of which she has knowledge.)

River also reads people very well when she is having her sane moments. It's not so much psychic revelation as that sort of "sixth sense" you have sometimes, getting a good or bad feeling about someone you've just meant. But like everything else about her, River's perception is heightened far above those vague hunches we get.

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