Big Damn Heroes as psychological symbols... by Flame

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Big Damn Heroes as psychological symbols...

POSTED BY: FLAME
UPDATED: Thursday, May 11, 2006 10:56
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Monday, May 8, 2006 5:31 PM

Ever notice how each member of the crew represents a different aspect of self? It's like SERENITY (the ship) is the psyche. Kind of like that old tv show, Herman's Head (anyone remember that one?).

WASH: humor/play
INARA: beauty/aesthetics
KAYLEE: love/friendship
JAYNE: the "base" ID desires - sex, food, violence, self-preservation
BOOK: spirituality/transcendence
SIMON: intellect
RIVER: intuition
MAL: Seems like a father figure to me, so would he be conscience? authority? Super-ego?
ZOE: Not sure where she fits into this metaphor, exactly. Maybe as responsibility or work? That's why she needs Wash (humor) to balance her.

You notice how Jayne (the base instinct) is always at odds with Simon (the intellect), and even Inara (aesthetics) can't stand him.

Or how the intellect (Simon) tries to protect/shield the sensitive intuition (River), but also kind of ignores love (Kaylee)?

Is this making any sense, or am I getting just a little *too* into my FIREFLY??

~ Flame ~

SERENITY on the big screen in Raleigh, NC, June 22!!
http://www.monkeyshinesbeadery.com/serenity/shindig/

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Monday, May 8, 2006 5:37 PM

FREDGIBLET

Quote:
Originally posted by Flame:
Is this making any sense, or am I getting just a little *too* into my FIREFLY??

Yes and yes

I think that everything you said makes perfect sense but the fact that you went through all of the thought to come up with it...

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Monday, May 8, 2006 10:01 PM

AERIN

Cool!

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Monday, May 8, 2006 11:05 PM

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

I do psychology at A level and it does fir in with a bloke called jung

Mal the self
Alliance the shadow
Book the wise old man
Kaylee animus
river the child
Jayne the gambler
Simon The man of science
Zoe Mother
wash-im not sure yet
Inara sex

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Monday, May 8, 2006 11:05 PM

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

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Tuesday, May 9, 2006 2:34 AM

DEEPGIRL187

Quote:
Originally posted by Flame:
Is this making any sense, or am I getting just a little *too* into my FIREFLY??

Not at all. One of the great things about Firefly is that the show and its characters can convey so much meaning. Not only is it entertaining, but so much of the show can be applied to daily life. Being a psychology buff myself, I think your observations are really valid.

P.S. - By the way, I agree with your remarks on Zoe, but I think I would add that she is kind of a mother-figure, as opposed to Mal's father-figure.

At last.
We can retire and give up
this life of crime.

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Tuesday, May 9, 2006 3:11 AM

ZZETTA13

I can see that each individual is a part of a whole. Almost like a functioning body. Head=Mal, arms,legs,hands,fingers the rest of the crew with the ship Serenity being the trunk of the body.

Each part needs or relies on another. You can see where Kaylee takes care of the heart (engine room) "Ok Kaylee, give that to me in captain dummy talk." Wash the legs. Zoe and Jayne the arms. Spiritual, emotional, intuitive, healing and other things come from the rest of the crew.

It was very well brought out in Mals scene with Saffrin.

Saffrin "I didn't kill you." Mal "That buys you nothing. You turned us over to ppl who would.But I've got people with me. People who trust each other. Who do for each other...."

This is one of the reasons it will be interesting to see how Serenity continues with 2 out of the 9 gone.

Z

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Tuesday, May 9, 2006 4:02 AM

ELOISA

I had that thought when Arcadia posted a set of major arcana tarot cards in the picture BSR, as the tarot explores the same sort of archetypal thinking. Arcadia's usage led me to think about Zoe's character - I disagree with washsyoungerandsexierbrother's definition of her as the mother figure; Kaylee's the Mother Earth figure, and Inara's the one closest to the ship's female parent (think about the scene with her and Mal talking on the gallery near the start of War Stories). Zoe in first mate mode is all authority, but it's external rather than familial. In Mal's subordinate mode, it simply reverses.

Zzetta's point about interlinking is very good, though. *sniff*

***
http://forums.ffonline.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19
Creative Writing

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Tuesday, May 9, 2006 4:24 AM

DEEPGIRL187

Quote:
Originally posted by Eloisa:
I had that thought when Arcadia posted a set of major arcana tarot cards in the picture BSR, as the tarot explores the same sort of archetypal thinking. Arcadia's usage led me to think about Zoe's character - I disagree with washsyoungerandsexierbrother's definition of her as the mother figure; Kaylee's the Mother Earth figure, and Inara's the one closest to the ship's female parent (think about the scene with her and Mal talking on the gallery near the start of War Stories). Zoe in first mate mode is all authority, but it's external rather than familial. In Mal's subordinate mode, it simply reverses.

Zzetta's point about interlinking is very good, though. *sniff*

***

I agree with your point, but I still see Zoe's role as being the backbone of Serenity. If Mal is in some way incapaciated, it's Zoe the crew turns to, not just because she is second-in-command, but because they trust her to see them through whatever problem they face. That's the reason I think of Zoe as a mother figure. Inara is one too, but in the shoulder-to-cry-on kind of way.

At last.
We can retire and give up
this life of crime.

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Tuesday, May 9, 2006 7:35 AM

FLAME

I kind of thought of Zoe as a mother figure, initially, because she kind of (in a weird way) reminds me of a Caroline to Mal's Charles Ingles (a la "Little House on the Prarie"). Caroline never had much to say, but she was always there to stoically back everyone else up.

But with "maternal" I generally think more of nurturing, comforting, protective yes, but more forgiving. As a mom, myself, I know that my presence alone comforts my children in ways that nothing else can compare. They want food, medicine, warmth, comfort, etc., they always come to me. Don't know if I could say Zoe plays that role.

I agree, I think Inara is more of a mother figure that way.

I didn't see the Tarot post. That would be interesting.

~ Flame ~

SERENITY on the big screen in Raleigh, NC, June 22!!
http://www.monkeyshinesbeadery.com/serenity/shindig/

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Tuesday, May 9, 2006 9:19 AM

ELOISA

Quote:
Originally posted by Flame:
I didn't see the Tarot post. That would be interesting.

All the cards should be accessible from http://www.fireflyfans.net/fulluserbluesunlist.asp?un=arcadia. *crosses fingers and hopes link works* I disagree with the symbolism on some of them, particularly the Lovers and Judgement, but that may just be me.

***
http://forums.ffonline.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19
Creative Writing

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Wednesday, May 10, 2006 2:09 PM

DONCOAT

Great ideas, one and all!

Joss has himself mentioned that he viewed many of the characters (except River) as representing aspects of Mal that he lost in Serenity Valley. Or in other words, by putting together his crew, Mal was putting himself back together.

I think that idea is very compatible with the suggestions in this thread.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Thursday, May 11, 2006 10:56 AM

FLAME

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:

Joss has himself mentioned that he viewed many of the characters (except River) as representing aspects of Mal that he lost in Serenity Valley. Or in other words, by putting together his crew, Mal was putting himself back together.

Wow! I never heard that, before, but it does make sense.

KAYLEE: optimism? love?
BOOK: faith?
WASH: humor?
INARA: intimacy? emotions?
But what would JAYNE represent?

~ Flame ~

SERENITY on the big screen in Raleigh, NC, June 22!!
http://www.monkeyshinesbeadery.com/serenity/shindig/

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