Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Myth, Metaphor & Morality

by Field, Mark

2. The act is good because God told me to do it. What God tells me to do is by definition good.

  Here’s the problem: if an action is good because it can be shown to be good by standard moral reasoning, then there’s no need for God. If an action is good because God ordered it done, then we need to know if God ordered it because the act was good in itself – in which case the fact that God gave the order is irrelevant – or if God ordered it arbitrarily. Arbitrary orders from God can seem quite evil. A classic example appears in the Biblical story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. And a God who orders evil done in his name is perhaps not a God who should be worshipped.

  Thus, commands from God create two possible moral answers, but both paths seem to call into question the need for God. There’s a formal term for this problem: it’s called the Euthyphro Dilemma:

  “Socrates in one of the early dialogues debates the nature of the holy with Euthyphro, who is a religious professional. Euthyphro is taking his own father to court for murder, and though ordinary Greek morality would condemn such an action as impiety, Euthyphro defends it on the basis that the gods behave in the same sort of way, according to the traditional stories. … Socrates's problem with the traditional stories about the gods gives rise to what is sometimes called ‘the Euthyphro dilemma’. If we try to define the holy as what is loved by the gods (and goddesses), we will be faced with the question ‘Is the holy holy because it is loved by the gods, or do they love it because it is holy?’”

  If the gods only love something which is already holy, then we don’t need the gods. If someone argues that something is holy simply because the gods do it, like Euthyphro did, then we’re going to see that person as committing a wrong.

  Bringing this back to Buffy, in her conversations with Gregor he gives some lip service to the idea of the dangers involved if Glory were to obtain the Key. He also makes a consequentialist argument to Ben when he urges Ben to kill Dawn: “You can save all their lives by ending one.” Gregor obviously expects this argument to persuade Ben, and it’s a form of argument we’ve seen several times before, notably in Choices with Wesley arguing against trading the Box of Gavrok in order to ransom Willow. We’ll see it again very soon.

  However, Gregor’s own motivation seems to be that destroying the Key is “the will of God”. I say this is his real motivation because the danger posed by the Key might be addressed in ways other than destroying it (e.g., hiding it). Gregor rejects the alternatives, indicating that his fundamental motivation rests on divine command. Buffy then gets right to the heart of the Euthyphro Dilemma: “What kind of god would demand her life for something that she has no control over?”

  Buffy’s question suggests her own answer, but we’ll see more of her reasoning in the finale.

  Spiral also raises another moral issue. I’ve seen it argued that Buffy violated her code by killing humans. I think this is wrong for two reasons. First, the Knights aren’t the first humans to die because of Buffy. In order we have (1) Amy’s mother in Witch; (2) the zookeeper in The Pack; (3) Coach Marin fell into the sewer with the fish monsters after Buffy tripped him (Go Fish); (4) the Tarakan assassin whom Buffy killed on the ice rink in Surprise What’s My Line (h/t local-max) was seemingly human; (5) the terrorist Gruenstahler brothers who shot each other to death after Buffy threw her corsage onto one of them (Homecoming); and (6) Gwendolyn Post, whose hand she chopped off in Revelations.

  In Coach Marin’s case, she did try to save him but failed. In cases 1, 2, and 6, there’s a good argument that the humans tried to access mystical powers and therefore brought themselves within Buffy’s jurisdiction. This applies to the Knights as well – human they were, but the Knights were intruding themselves into the mystical and that’s Buffy’s jurisdiction.

  The other 2 cases involve humans whose deaths Buffy caused, one directly and one indirectly (but intentionally). One was self-defense and the other a combination of self-defense and defense of Angel, which leads us to the next point. I think we have to distinguish self-defense situations from Buffy’s ordinary Slayer duties. Buffy doesn’t track down human criminals, but if one attacked her I have no doubt she’d defend herself. She has yet more justification for defending the helpless and innocent Dawn and the others with her like Tara.

  Local-max suggested in comments that the Knights pose a harder question than the other examples I gave: “While Buffy's killing the Knights is justifiable, I think we should be more uncomfortable with it than the other examples listed, because, well, all the other examples were people who were clearly being evil by most measures. … The Knights' goal is to protect and save the world. They are not wrong that Dawn endangers the world. Killing people in self-defense when those people are working from a flawed but well-meaning moral system is trickier than killing people in self-defense when they are acting clearly immorally, I think. I still support Buffy's choice ultimately and think it is in character though.”

  Here’s my response:

  “Your point about the Knights being a tougher call is well-taken. I'd still say Buffy was correct, but the reasoning is more complicated. Suppose there's a train coming and it's out of control. It will kill 5 people unless something is thrown onto the track to stop it or divert it. You, seeing the emergency, try to throw me onto the track. Do I have the right to claim self-defense in order to stop you? I think I do, but that's not entirely clear. If, for example, I need to kill you to defend myself, there will be 6 deaths (yours and the other 5). If you throw me on the track, there will be one (mine). From a social POV, one death seems preferable. To a strict deontologist, my right supersedes and the 5 deaths are just an unfortunate accident.

  Dawn's situation, and Ben's, raise this issue to the ultimate because the fate of the whole universe is at stake.”

  Some additional points:

  Buffy’s plan to run away fits perfectly into the metaphor of growing up which I see as the main theme of the series. I’ll explain this in more detail in the finale when I discuss Glory’s metaphorical role.

  What we see of the Knights in Spiral reinforces the suggestion I made in my post on Blood Ties about their metaphorical role as religious and patriarchal. The General’s name, Gregor, was the name of a number of Popes (Gregory). Dante’s name association is fairly obvious, as are the clerics, the attire, and the weaponry. Xander’s reference to the Crusades adds another link.

  I think one could argue that the confrontation with the Knights takes place in the desert to show both the barrenness of the world if Dawn were to be destroyed and to represent Buffy’s mental state from the stress she was under.

  Note the parallel between Dawn and Buffy. Dawn has it within her to destroy the universe. Buffy has struggled all season with the destructive force the Slayer within her represents.

  Trivia notes: (1) Spiral is an homage to the movie Stagecoach, or at least the chase scene from that movie. Stagecoach was the first “talkie” Western by Joss’s favorite director, John Ford. Ford later made the movie The Searchers, which I discussed in my post on Buffy v. Dracula. For Stagecoach Ford plucked from obscurity an actor named John Wayne and the rest was history. (2) Gotta love Dawn’s use of the phrase “bring it on” in describing Buffy’s confrontation with Glory in the street – Clare Kramer (Glory) was in that movie. In the same narrative Dawn also used the phrase “she’s all that”. SMG was in that movie. (3) The rocket launcher Xander mentioned was, of course, used by Buffy in Innocence. (4) Anya mentioned the “creepy cartoon rabbit”, meaning Bugs Bunny, and the “nice man with the speech impediment”, meaning Elmer Fudd. Giles’s sarcastic suggestion of painting a tunnel on the side of a mountain refers to a stock cartoon event. (5) Buffy pulled out Adam’s uranium power core in Primeval. The obvious reason for mentioning the rocket launcher and the joining spell was to emphasize just how powerful Glory was. (6) Xander twice mentioned Sergeant Rock, a famous comic book character. (7) Spike’s phrase “put the hammer down” is American slang meaning to push the accelerator pedal to the floo
r. (8) Spike’s phrase “toss your cookies” is American slang meaning to vomit. (9) Xander referred to Spike as “undead man walking”, which is a reference to the movie Dead Man Walking. (10) When Anya held up a can of food (I use the term lightly), it was a can of SPAM. (11) The scene where Buffy throws the axe into the chest of the Knight very much resembles the scene in Checkpoint where she threw an axe into the dummy. (12) Florence Nightengale, mentioned by Spike, was a famous nurse. She would have been very well known to William as a result of her work for the British Army during the Crimean War. (13) Note that Willow’s eyes turned black both when she created the barrier and when she brought it down. (14) Willow mentioned Heckle and Jeckle, also cartoon characters. (15) One of the mental patients in the hospital was the man who confronted Dawn in Real Me. (16) Buffy’s mention of The Outer Limits was to the 1960s TV show of that name. (17) Ben promised not to leave until he’d worn out his welcome. That was prophetic, in a way. (18) Spike’s description of the Knights as “the Renaissance Faire” refers to the American theme fairs of that name. (19) Spike’s description of Gregor as “General Armour-All” refers to the auto care product Armour All.

  The Weight Of The World

  It may seem, to steal a line from Willow, as if The Weight of the World is mostly filler, but in my view it serves a very important purpose: it shows us that Buffy rejects – or maybe overcomes – Spike’s claim in Fool For Love that Slayers have a death wish. In order to show this I need to go through the dialogue very carefully, so bear with me.

  I’ll start with a reminder of what Spike said in FFL:

  SPIKE Death is on your heels, baby, and sooner or later it's gonna catch you. And part of you wants it... not only to stop the fear and uncertainty, but because you're just a little bit in love with it. Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp. That look of peace. Part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. Every Slayer... has a death wish.

  Spike’s claim is a very particular instance of a more general issue, namely that the Slayer wants an end to the responsibility. A Slayer can avoid her responsibility in lots of different ways. Dying is one way, of course, but the example of Faith gives us a different way and Buffy will give us yet another here in TWOTW (see below).

  In my post on FFL I agreed that Slayers will want, sometimes, to lay their burdens down, but suggested that there were good reasons to be skeptical of Spike’s specific claim that they all want to accomplish this by giving in to a death wish. In order to understand how and why I think TWOTW undermines Spike’s “death wish” theory, we need to follow the entire dialogue in which Willow forces Buffy to confront her sense of guilt over Glory taking Dawn. I’ve edited it slightly for clarity, added the italics, and combined the various scenes (which are otherwise separated by cuts to different characters):

  “WILLOW: What happened here?

  Shot of Buffy #2 watching.

  BUFFY #1: (not turning) This was when I quit, Will.

  Shot of Willow standing beside Buffy #2, both staring at Buffy #1.

  WILLOW: You did?

  BUFFY #2: Just for a second.

  Shot of Willow and Buffy sitting in the darkened bedroom.

  BUFFY VOICEOVER: I remember.

  Cut back to the magic shop.

  BUFFY #1: (facing Willow) I was in the magic shop.

  BUFFY #2: I put a book back for Giles.

  BUFFY #1: Nothing special about it. And then it hit me.

  WILLOW: What hit you?

  BUFFY #2: I can't beat Glory.

  BUFFY #1: Glory's going to win.

  WILLOW: (turns to Buffy #2) You can't know that.

  BUFFY #2: (turns to Willow) I didn't just know it.

  BUFFY #1: (staring at nothing) I felt it. Glory will beat me.

  BUFFY #2: (looks away) And in that second of knowing it, Will...

  BUFFY #1: I wanted it to happen.

  WILLOW: Why?

  BUFFY #1: I wanted it over. This is ... all of this ... it's too much for me.

  BUFFY #2: (staring at nothing) I just wanted it over.

  BUFFY #1: If Glory wins ... then Dawn dies.

  BUFFY #2: And I would grieve. People would feel sorry for me. (looks at Willow) But it would be over. (looks away) And I imagined what a relief it would be.

  Willow looks over at the bookcase. Buffy #1 yet again puts the book on the shelf.

  BUFFY #2: I killed Dawn.

  Willow frowns, looks at Buffy #2.

  WILLOW: Is that what you think?

  BUFFY VOICEOVER: My thinking it made it happen.

  Cut back to the magic shop.

  BUFFY #1: Some part of me wanted it. And in the moment Glory took Dawn...

  BUFFY #2: I know I could have done something better. But I didn't. I was off by some fraction of a second.

  BUFFY #1: And this is why...

  BUFFY #2: ...I killed my sister.

  Willow frowns, looks from one Buffy to the other. Buffy #1 puts the book on the shelf again.

  WILLOW: I think Spike was right back at the gas station. (loudly) Snap out of it!

  Buffy #2 looks at Willow in surprise. Buffy #1 whirls away from the bookcase.

  BUFFY #1: What?

  BUFFY #2: What?

  WILLOW: All this ... it has a name. It's called guilt. (the two Buffys exchange a look) It's a feeling, and it's important. (to Buffy #2) But it's not more than that, Buffy.

  The Buffys both look pensive.

  WILLOW: You've carried the weight of the world on your shoulders since high school. And I, I know you didn't ask for this, but ... you do it every day. And so, you wanted out for one second. So what?

  BUFFY #2: (pensive) I got Dawn killed.

  WILLOW: Hello! Your sister, not dead yet! But she will be if you stay locked inside here and never come back to us.

  BUFFY #2: (looking at Buffy #1) But what if I can't?

  WILLOW: Then I guess you're right. And you did kill your sister.

  Willow turns and starts walking toward the magic shop entrance. Buffy #2 turns to her in alarm.

  BUFFY #2: Wait!

  Shot of Willow and Buffy sitting in the bedroom.

  BUFFY VOICEOVER: Where are you going?

  Cut back to magic shop. Willow turns back.

  WILLOW: Where you're needed. Are you coming?

  Shot of Buffy #2 staring at Willow. Behind Buffy #2, Buffy #1 walks up to the bookcase and puts the book on the shelf. Pauses.

  Closer shot of Buffy #1 as she turns toward the others.

  Cut to the real Buffy in the chair in the bedroom. Suddenly with a start she comes to, sits up straighter, looks around, breathing heavily. Longer shot of her and Willow sitting there. Willow stares at Buffy.

  Buffy turns to face Willow again. Suddenly she bursts into tears.

  Willow gets up off the bed and kneels beside Buffy's chair, puts her arms around Buffy and holds her as she cries.”

  Let’s look at the specific words Buffy used, the ones I put in italics: “I quit”; “I wanted it [Glory to beat me] to happen.”; “I just wanted it over.”; “If Glory wins ... then Dawn dies. And I would grieve. People would feel sorry for me. But it would be over. And I imagined what a relief it would be.”

  At no point in this long dialogue does Buffy ever say she wanted to die. What she says is that she wants an end to the responsibility of taking care of Dawn. Death is one way for this to happen, but Buffy never suggested that. In fact, her words suggest the contrary, namely, that after Dawn died she (Buffy) would still be alive to grieve and to know that people felt sorry for her.

  The essence of Spike’s claim is that the slayers he killed “gave up”. As I said in my Introduction, Buffy stands for the whole world. As the Slayer, she bears the responsibility for the world. The pressure Buffy faces is the pressure of being the Slayer while preserving Dawn. This is absolutely critical to Dawn’s metaphorical role in t
he season, but it doesn’t mean Buffy has a death wish. There was a moment when Buffy wanted out of that responsibility, and her guilt feelings over that very understandable desire sent her into catatonia when Glory took Dawn. Buffy interpreted her desire to end her responsibility as failing Dawn (who is certainly part of her responsibility). When Willow tells her to get over her guilt, Buffy does. She’s not going to give up, she’s going to keep fighting. Whether Spike was right or wrong about the Slayers he killed, he’s wrong about Buffy.

  Metaphorically, it had to be Willow who brought Buffy back. Buffy suffered a temporary failure of the spirit, so her metaphorical spirit was the one to reach her.

  The fact that Ben and Glory are beginning to merge tells us that we’re at the cusp of a very significant change of some kind. The barriers are breaking down, just as Gregor told Buffy in Spiral: “Once the key is activated, it won't just open the gates to the beast's dimension. It's going to open all the gates. The walls separating realities will crumble. Dimensions will bleed into each other. Order will be overthrown and the universe will tumble into chaos….” To drive the point home, Giles repeats this in nearly identical words at the end of TWOTW. It’s storyline, but it’s metaphor too.

  The dialogue between Ben and Glory mirrors the one between Willow and Buffy. Follow the scene with Glory and Dawn when they first get to the room under the tower the crazy folk are building. After Dawn names Buffy as one person “who can take it here”, the scene cuts to Willow talking to Buffy. It then shifts back to Dawn and Glory, at which point Glory morphs into Ben. In their dialogue, Ben represents the typical adult. He struggles against what Glory represents (see my next post), but can’t see a way to preserve both Dawn and himself so he eventually gives in to Glory.

  We shouldn’t be surprised that Ben was willing to hand Dawn over to Glory to serve his own convenience. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but his basic attitude was revealed in Listening to Fear when he summoned the Quellar to “clean up Glory’s mess”, by which he meant “kill Glory’s innocent victims”. His conversation with the minion in Spiral also seemed to suggest that he’d put his own interests first.