A really interesting question Mr. Lirette raised the other day in class was about the male characters in Buffy. We compared the silent Luke and The Judge to the talkative Angelus and Spike. We said males are generally thought of as silent do-ers compared to talkative charmers. We talked about how the silent types are easily dismissed when the talkative ones still remain in the game.
This made me think of the proverb "a barking dog never bites" because in Buffy Spike and Angelus are "barking dogs" whereas Luke and The Judge are the ones who seem passive but they are infact aggresive. Spike and Angelus, in the show, prove the proverb wrong because they do bite and when they do it quite often. Unlike The Judge and Luke they try to select who they should and shouldn't bite. Maybe it is the selectivity that makes them unique and keeps them going. They are able to pick out the problems they can openly confront and the ones they are not supposed to because it can be harmful to them.
So, I guess we can say that it's not that they are not do-ers but they try to be selective instead of trying to kill everything that comes in their way. They are in a sense smarter.
Spike and Angelus actually make me think of cats more because they like to play with their food which can sort of relate to their use of emotional abuse rather than physical domination
ReplyDeleteSpike is definitely a "talkative charmer" but I don't think his selectivity in victims makes him foolish rather than smarter. Spike is an obvious thrill seeker, he intentional "hunts" for the strong and powerful vampire slayers. Like mentioned in "Fool For Love", Spike has a death wish that influences his actions.
ReplyDeleteLooking at it from a cat and dog perspective is also quite accurate Zoidberg. Spike and Angelus are the cats, who land on four feet no matter how hard they fall. Luke and The Judge are the dogs who attack, but can be killed easier.
ReplyDeleteFollowing these analogies, I feel as though Angelus is more of a cat, while Spike is more like a dog. As everyone [should] know, dogs are a kinder and more likeable species, while cats are more ruthless though loyal. This being said, Spike is more like a dog, for we see him display more humanly, emotional characteristics than Angelus. However, he too, doesn't lose sight of his aggression, revealing this side of himself throughout the series. On the other hand, Angelus taunts his victims and would never be caught reacting in a sympathetic manner, making him more cat-like. To conclude, go team dogs!
ReplyDeleteOk so since it seems like everyone's interpretations of dogs and cats are different, I feel like dogs are more likely to be more aggressive (barking, growling, ect.) while cats are more likely to be quiet and then pounce when aggravated. I feel like Spike and is more like a dog (barks and growls--makes his presence/power known), while Angelus is more like a cat (calm until aggravated by his night with Buffy).
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