Essay Throwdown: Kaylee's Past and Future by Hera

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Essay Throwdown: Kaylee's Past and Future

POSTED BY: HERA
UPDATED: Monday, September 11, 2006 17:10
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Saturday, August 19, 2006 4:52 AM

Two guidelines for this essay thread:

1. Please post no less than 2 longish paragraphs.
2. Please do not include any graphics in your post.

What is is about Kaylee's past you feel formed her as a person? Why do you think she so readily agreed to Mal's offer to be Serenity's mechanic?

Ready. Set. GO!

-Hera

"Wanna?" – Mal to Kaylee, Out of Gas

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Saturday, August 19, 2006 5:00 AM

KANEMAN

NEW RULES:

1 - Suck my longish peepee.
2 - Rinse and repeat.

Chris eatsshitisall
Well, it's true

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Saturday, August 19, 2006 5:39 AM

SPACEANJL

Please ignore the troll.

I think Kaylee came from a small, rustic planet, with very little work, and very few prospects for anything other than getting hitched and having babies, unless she took over her father's business.(I think she might be an only, and probably a son substitute) She has a yearning for adventure and seeing different places and people - she likes meeting people, hearing their stories. Steady work and a chance to travel would definitely appeal.

OoG highlights just how much she has come to love and identify with Serenity in the (approx) five years (?) she's been on her. I don't think she comes from a background that frowns overly much on what you have to do to get by, hence her cheery acceptance of a criminal life. But she still has a longing for 'fancy' living. Simon is very different from any of the boys she may have grown up with or met since (which is why I'm not a Jaylee 'shipper - too familiar territory).

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:05 AM

DONCOAT

Well, I chipped in on this topic a while back, right here:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=11876

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 6:35 AM

AGENTROUKA

The rock Kaylee grew up on was probably very poor. Little work, little in terms of opportunity or distraction, big on family and community. She grew up sheltered but bored. Hence her tendency to idealize core life and "rich" things, her princess fantasies (that dress!) and thus her inability to accept Simon's flaws like she would Jayne's.

Mal's offer would have been like a fantasy come true. A way out. Adventure. A gift from the heavens that she accepts gratefully, because it's not something that happens to girls like her. She clings to that gift because it makes her feel special, and with her comparatively low self-esteem, she craves everything that makes her feel that way.

The cheer and sweetness? Natural temperament, honed to a big self-defence net against the downsides of the 'verse. It makes her strong. And lovable!

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 6:47 AM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

I think Kaylee may have been seen as unusual on her planet, and was probobly teased a fair bit. It sounds from the little clues in Out of Gas that life on her home world was hard work, and that work itself was hard to come by and therefore anyone seen as "slacking" wouldn't have been appreciated.

Kaylee is an imaginative young woman and was probobly a dreamy child, more interested in pretty dresses and fancy parties than earning a good living from the sweat of your brow. She would have thrown herself into working with engines since it was both something she loved and something she was very good at, and she certainly wouldn't have been lazy, but nothing on her home world was likely to interest her, and it's unlikely that she fit in.

I imagine Kaylee came from a very close, loving family since that would explain her cheerful nature and her faith in people. Why would she have left so quickly if they were so close? She may have seen herself as a burden on her family - when other girls were settling down she was messing with her engines. Someone always hankering after fancy things may not have been what the local fellas looked for in a wife. Which would have worried her parents since they would have wanted to see her settled and happy. Mal's invitation would have been the perfect solution. Plus it made her dreams come true - right down to a handsome man sweeping her up into the stars.

All speculation and guesswork obviously.

More animations available at http://desktophippie.googlepages.com

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 6:55 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
Well, I chipped in on this topic a while back, right here:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=11876

Doncoat, you story looks great, I'll be reading it completely when I finish my little essay here:

I (of course) agree about Kaylee growing up in poverty, but I'm figuring a big family with a lot of brothers because how else could any Father let a mechanical genius like Kaylee leave the homestead? Also the lots of brothers explains her easy relationships with Mal, Jayne and Wash...where she can discuss any topic with them without embarassement.

She always had dreams of being a great lady, wearing beautiful clothes, and having a fine gentleman love her.... But that kind of thing doesn't really go with her one gift: the mechanical genius thing. Joining Mal's crew was a dream come true because she has had the opportunity to spend time with a great lady (her friendship with Inara), and go to a grand party in her puffy dress, and finally be loved by Simon.

However as the years go on I don't see Kaylee ever leaving with Simon. Eventually it will be safe for Simon to leave the ship and have a life he wants, and I don't see Kaylee deciding to leave with him. But let's look at both scenerios:

1. Kaylee leaves with Simon and marries him. They have lots of fat babies and probably lots of animals and Kaylee is happy in her bustling home, and hardly notices how late Simon works all the time, and how he doesn't really want her to go with him to the important dinners (where she uses the wrong fork or wears the wrong dress).

2. Kaylee decides she wants to continue the adventure with Serenity, because when push comes to shove she realizes that she loves the ship more than she loves Simon. And Serenity never disappoints her or cheats on her.....

(er, can you tell I'm a little too cynical about marriage? sorry about that! LOL)

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 7:17 AM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:

1. Kaylee leaves with Simon and marries him. They have lots of fat babies and probably lots of animals and Kaylee is happy in her bustling home, and hardly notices how late Simon works all the time, and how he doesn't really want her to go with him to the important dinners (where she uses the wrong fork or wears the wrong dress).

2. Kaylee decides she wants to continue the adventure with Serenity, because when push comes to shove she realizes that she loves the ship more than she loves Simon. And Serenity never disappoints her or cheats on her.....

(er, can you tell I'm a little too cynical about marriage? sorry about that! LOL)

Aww, you're not cynical! You're just... romantically challenged.

As for the scenes you described - I *definately* can't picture the first one. Simon hangs on to his manners, true, but he never loses sight of what's important. Always remember that he gave up a stellar career which earned him massive stacks of money because he wanted to help his sister - someone he loved. I couldn't see him caring all that much about Kaylee wearing the wrong dress or using the wrong fork. His parents were prepared to let River suffer for the sake of what other people might think if they kicked up a fuss - Simon would never let people like that judge Kaylee, for all he gripes about living conditions on Serenity.

Would Simon cheat? I think it would take quite a lot for that to happen. He really does love Kaylee, but he also trusts her. Kaylee knows he's a fugitive. She know's River's background. She's helped protect her from the Alliance and she's put her life in very real danger to keep them safe. Simon won't betray that lightly, and he certainly won't want to give love like that up without a fight.

If anythng were going to drive a wedge between them I think it would be this - Kaylee gets captured by someone looking for the Tams and is tortured for information. Simon can't forgive himself and, although she hates herself for it, Kaylee can't forgive him either. It's a scenario that could easily happen so I'd be surprised if someone hasn't used it in a fanfic already, and to be honest I think it's a lot more likely than Simon having an affair any time soon. If nothing else, his sister is psychic and likes Kaylee a lot. Not a good combination!

More animations available at http://desktophippie.googlepages.com

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 8:08 AM

HERA

Quote:
Originally posted by DesktopHippie:
...to be honest I think it's a lot more likely than Simon having an affair any time soon. If nothing else, his sister is psychic and likes Kaylee a lot. Not a good combination!

I laughed out loud at this. Of course this is disturbingly true.

I agree that Simon would not likely abandon Kaylee. Simon doesn't seem to be the type who is ruled by others' opinions of him. He wasn't a doctor for prestige, he was a doctor because he enjoyed the field and found it challenging. He and Kaylee should get on well--as all yin-yang pairings--they balance each other, bringing in what the other lacks. They would help each other to grow as human beings.

-Hera

"Wanna?" – Mal to Kaylee, Out of Gas

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 5:06 PM

TERRI

Why would the future have to end badly for them? I can imagine them staying on Serenity for a good long while, and after a really big, succesful heist, they can all get down to all that retiring and living in luxury that Zoe was talking about in the BDM. But then again, I'm a sucker for happy endings, and we all know that Joss hates me.

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 8:20 PM

FOLLOWMAL

I would imagine that Kaylee comes from a rough and tumble life.. full of hard work and doing without. 'Course she has done a little better than most because she's had her talent to repair things that's been usefull to her. But it sounds to me like times were gettin' hard where she lived with her folks. Sounds like the work was dryin' up. Kaylee doesn't strike me as the type of person that'd like being stuck in a place with no chance of seeing the rest of the worlds and doing something with her future.

She accepted Mal's offer because of the chance to live the dream of the stars. Travel, meet new people .. remember she thinks it's shiny! Work on the Firefly she lives on.. be purposeful and accepted and appreciated for who she is. Be a part of a family she comes to truly care for too.
Out in the black... Kaylee is living her dream.

"You hold. Hold 'til I get back." Mal

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Monday, August 21, 2006 2:44 AM

DONCOAT

Embers, thanks for your comments on my Kaylee fic.

Interesting insight into her Daddy. I had something slightly different in mind -- namely, that he was using the inspection of Serenity to spend some time with Mal and "feel him out". But the idea that he would draw conclusions about Mal from the condition of the ship didn't really occur to me. (For one thing, there was another mechanic involved up until that time.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Thursday, August 24, 2006 5:29 PM

TRAVELER

I imagine Kaylee has an extremely high IQ. But her environment held her back. Her outlet was working with the machines on her home world. School and men probably bored her. Sex was the only way she could relate to men, so that is why she was so free with it. I just don't picture her parents as being involved with her. She is a total misfit on her world.

When Mal offered her the job, it was like heaven. Her chance to get out. You see she has difficulty with real relationships through her attempts with Simon. Of course he is not much help either. Mal and Jayne are father figures to her. Probably better fathers than her own. I can see her and Simon together. She is not sophisticated, yet. In time she would find her footing. She is intelligent but immature. I would say smarter than Simon and would adapt to any culture, even his. She only needs maturity. As they all do.

Two paragraphs. Not easy for me.
Traveler

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Monday, September 11, 2006 5:10 PM

TWITCH

I think Kaylee's entire past shaped her as a person. (And I expect Joss and Tim have her entire past mapped out in pretty good detail.) But here's my attempt at reverse-engineering her character:

She's mechanically inclined, to the point where she can comfortably work on spaceships. And yet there are no spaceships for her to work on back home. This eats at her, and she'd do anything, including trading in her ties to her family (which are tight) in order to feed that need.

She's also a girl, which puts her in an odd minority amongst the mechanically inclined. (It's hard to look pretty when you're covered in grease and carbon dust.) So she's drawn toward things that let her BE a girl to the people around her (Siiiimon!) Best case in point is the dress in Shindig. But also, I think this is partly why she's so drawn to Inara, because Inara is the very epitomy of a girl.

Her family ties are strong. How many times does she explain her mechanical aptitude by repeating what her father said of her? But having given up her own family to be on Serenity, it's become her new family with ties no less strong. (This is one of the things I like a lot about Kaylee: that she asked her folks's permission to go, and there's no bad blood between them.)

But everything comes back to her love for Serenity itself. The gestures she makes, the things she says, leaves no doubt. How pissed off was she when the Alliance officer insulted Serenity? And how happy was she in the pilot when, despite having been shot, Serenity pulls a Crazy Ivan and saves their collective hides? She's not complimenting Book and Jayne... she compliments her ship. This is really hammered home in Out of Gas when her skills as a mechanic simply aren't enough to make Serenity well again. Those scenes were masterfully well done.

I think Kaylee readily accepted Mal's offer to be Serenity's mechanic because she had no choice. Not really. It was the only thing to do.

-- Twitch

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