shindig / jane austen influence by wytchcroft

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

shindig / jane austen influence

POSTED BY: WYTCHCROFT
UPDATED: Saturday, December 20, 2008 19:02
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Friday, November 9, 2007 2:38 PM

having just re-watched shindig i was struck by the influence of jane austen - the old west 'chivalric ' codes seem a replacement for the stuffy environs of jane's novels (where again a civilised veneer of social routines often hides a vicious reality) - there is the verbal wit as well and a choice of men (ath vs mal), a plot device that actually hinges on two women (inara and kaylee).

there is also a wonderful piece of austenopophy (nice word i just made up!) in Tales of the Slayers...

so Austen - a power in the verse.

i'm wondering - any other (perhaps) unexpected literary influences on the verse?? not just zane grey and george lucas???

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Friday, November 9, 2007 4:16 PM

MERRYK

Actually, I've always seen the character of Simon as directly influenced by Jane Austen. He's got the Darcy complex of saying insulting things without thinking, with the obliviousness and gentlemanly core of Edward Ferrars and Edmund Bertram, and the dry wit of Darcy and Henry Tilney. Plus, like Darcy, we only start to see him as good and not just stuck-up when we see how he loves and cares for his sister.

--
"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

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Friday, November 9, 2007 4:27 PM

WYTCHCROFT

i'm torturing myself now as well with visions of northanger abbey in space...

Kaylee (or River even) goes to stay with Inara at the Guild... or some Alliance castle in space...

finds it a place of ominous mystery - meets various visiting men with suitably mysterious pasts... (actually make it river, it's funnier) and comes to ALL THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS!:)

chaos ensures - there are arguments, weddings, skullduggery, a lack of skeletons in the closet and much fevered breast beating - mock gothic ambience by tim minear.

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Friday, November 9, 2007 5:18 PM

MERRYK

Quote:
Originally posted by wytchcroft:
i'm torturing myself now as well with visions of northanger abbey in space...

Kaylee (or River even) goes to stay with Inara at the Guild... or some Alliance castle in space...

finds it a place of ominous mystery - meets various visiting men with suitably mysterious pasts... (actually make it river, it's funnier) and comes to ALL THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS!:)

chaos ensures - there are arguments, weddings, skullduggery, a lack of skeletons in the closet and much fevered breast beating - mock gothic ambience by tim minear.

ROTFLOL! I could see Joss doing something like that, actually.

--
"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

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Saturday, November 10, 2007 3:50 AM

ASARIAN

Good observations! :) The whole Shindig ball has a particular Jane Austen feel about it. You did good! I could stand to hear a little more. :)

--
"Jane's a girl's name."

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Saturday, November 10, 2007 9:31 PM

MISTERSOLIDUS

One of Whedon's favorite books is Pride & Prejudice, so it's not too surprising. : P

http://www.last.fm/user/MisterSolidus

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 1:49 PM

NCBROWNCOAT

Wychcroft,

I think that we would have gotten an episode or two like that from Joss and Tim. Now someone has to write it as a fic.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 3:29 PM

MERRYK

Boy, Northanger Abbey is almost my favorite book, and Jane Austen in general is an obsession...I'd love to write this, but I have much more urgent fic prompts right now.

--
"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

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Thursday, January 17, 2008 12:56 PM

CAVALIER

Personally, I thought of Gone With the Wind (although I have never really seen it). Having said that, I am quite a fan of the Eleanor Dashwood/ Lucy Steele duels in S&S, and wonder how they would have faired with the “Mean Girls” at the ball.

(Although Eleanor would probably have fended them off without trouble and Lucy would have ingratiated herself. Another three allies to assist in her climb.)

EDIT – It occurs to me that Jane Austens world is both harder, and better at hiding it than the ‘verse. I cannot imagine guests at one of Austens balls being searched for weapons for example. On the other hand, I like to point out that Jane Austen would have considered it perfectly normal to send someone to war before they entered their teens. Two of her brothers entered the Navy at the age of twelve, for example, and Mrs Price in Mansfield Park pulled strings to send her own sons to the war at that age. And she did it in their best interests.

I do not believe anyone in the verse would consider that the act of a loving mother.

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Friday, April 4, 2008 10:03 AM

FICKLEFLAN

At the end of the ep, Mal and Inara are drinking wine from metal cups. If I'm not mistaken, Mal has his pinkie extended in an attempt to appear cultured. Or am I crazy?

fickleflan

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Sunday, April 6, 2008 2:24 PM

PARALIAN

I've noticed some similarities to other stories.

In Serenity when Mal goes to visit Inara at the Training House, he says "Yes I've read a poem, try not to faint". I think this poem is more than just about River being like the albatross and stuff. In the poem the mariner's ship gets stuck in the middle of the ocean and he can't go anywhere. I think that is what Mal is most scared of: being unable to fly and be free.

In Les Miserables, there's a character called Javert, who reminds me of the Operative. There's a song in les Mis called "Stars" which starts out "There/out in the darkness/a fugitive running/fallen from grace". Now whenever I hear it I can picture clips from Serenity in it.

After Javert fails in his quest to bring Valjean back to jail, he realizes that all he has believed in (his main goal in life was to find Valjean and bring him back to jail) is wrong. So then Javert stops working for the police then commits suicide by jumping off a bridge.

<3 Chiya
http://chiya.crisp-breeze.org

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Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:02 PM

TRUNEVAR

I Made a FireFly Music Video only using clips from the episode "Shindig"- check it out if you get the chance :-)

http://www.angelfire.com/droid/shindig/

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