In what way is Buffy influenced by the romantic gothic tradition? Yet how does Buffy also provide a contemporary critique of this tradition?
Buffy was influenced by the romantic gothic tradition directly during the 1999-2000 season when they used a storyline inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The storyline is about a government funded army compound in Sunnydale where a scientist creates a Frankenstein like monster called Adam. The writers of Buffy were not only inspired by the story but by the values it was based on. Romantic Gothicism “expresses admiration for a male Romantic hero who struggles with the opposing forces within his psyche.” (Anita Rose, page 135.) Buffy provides a contemporary critique of this tradition by the central character, the hero simply being a woman. Romantic Gothicism is also about “the conflicting pulls of social/antisocial behaviour.” (Anita Rose, page 135.) One of Buffy’s central themes is community and working together. While Buffy is the slayer, the one with the strength and power to defeat the vampires and monsters, she also has a team of friends and teachers surrounding her who also fight the monsters. The reason that in Frankenstein, Victor fails his quest to create life and ultimately gets himself and his family killed is because he does not let them help him, and instead isolates himself. While isolation, loneliness and the idea that we can find answers within are part of Romantic Gothic traditions, Shelley herself critiques it by having him fail for those very reasons. Then, Buffy also critiques the ideas by having Buffy’s victory be because of community and letting others help her.
I like your post. Buffy despite being a slayer that was supposed to fight alone herself found out that it would be better to do it with her friends. Also I want to suggest this. To me, Shelly actually used Frankenstein to make Victor realised his mistake of abandoning the offer to help from others around him. There was a part when Frankenstein came to seek Victor for his guidance and a mate to be with. It was Frank that realised the fear of loneliness, thus, enraged after Victor ran away. Victor had paid for his selfishness while Shelly hinted that the problem still hyet to be solved (Frank went into the arctic alone).
ReplyDeleteA good summary of Rose by Bex and and an excellent comment from Simon. Though I think BtvS more broadly draws from RG fiction - rather than just in the two episodes discussed.
ReplyDelete