Oh, yeah, Giles would definitely do that. It's largely a metaphor for a father's stance when a girl moves out. They want their daughter to move out, be successful, yet second guess and undermine them because they don't trust them to have authority in their own life.
Buffy is stripped of resources, exhausted, (does she dig the grave herself because she doesn't know anymore how to delegate - surely Xander could have done it - or is it because she feels personally responsible? Now I think the latter.) I actually love her argument with Spike - somebody had to kick his ass into gear. Its tough love.
Oh, she's definitely pissed off at herself because it was her voicing her doubts and fears to Xander that The First used to get Chloe to commit suicide. She's not even allowed that level of relief. As for the Scoobs, my view of it was they never offered to do it. Sure, Buffy would have said it was her responsibility, but you know, it's always bugged me that they let her do it by herself, yet have no trouble butting into her personal life "for her own good". Xander claiming that they're her friends after letting her do that on her own just made me want to smack him...but again? Totally in character for them. Sure, they were heroes and could fight the battles, but when it came down to the real nitty-gritty, nightmare-giving stuff? They seemed to be absent. It's a continuation of the "It's my job theme" from earlier in Selfless and sort of joked about in STSP. And yeah, her argument with Spike, I liked. I do admit I think it was a little OOC in S7 for him to show the blatant disrespect of getting up and walking out right while she was talking.
an act of tough love but it went too far?
I don't think it was about tough love or teaching a lesson. After all, *they* were the ones who suffered for it in the long run.
Sort of a agree with the analysis. Works better as the metaphor than in the narrative in a lot of ways. But I look at things weirdly. Like I see Buffy killing Caleb as the slaying of her daddy issue. Before she kills him, it's Angel who runs the scene, after that it's Buffy. She's calling the shots and sends him away.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2013-04-18 03:31 pm (UTC)Oh, yeah, Giles would definitely do that. It's largely a metaphor for a father's stance when a girl moves out. They want their daughter to move out, be successful, yet second guess and undermine them because they don't trust them to have authority in their own life.
Buffy is stripped of resources, exhausted, (does she dig the grave herself because she doesn't know anymore how to delegate - surely Xander could have done it - or is it because she feels personally responsible? Now I think the latter.) I actually love her argument with Spike - somebody had to kick his ass into gear. Its tough love.
Oh, she's definitely pissed off at herself because it was her voicing her doubts and fears to Xander that The First used to get Chloe to commit suicide. She's not even allowed that level of relief. As for the Scoobs, my view of it was they never offered to do it. Sure, Buffy would have said it was her responsibility, but you know, it's always bugged me that they let her do it by herself, yet have no trouble butting into her personal life "for her own good". Xander claiming that they're her friends after letting her do that on her own just made me want to smack him...but again? Totally in character for them. Sure, they were heroes and could fight the battles, but when it came down to the real nitty-gritty, nightmare-giving stuff? They seemed to be absent. It's a continuation of the "It's my job theme" from earlier in Selfless and sort of joked about in STSP. And yeah, her argument with Spike, I liked. I do admit I think it was a little OOC in S7 for him to show the blatant disrespect of getting up and walking out right while she was talking.
an act of tough love but it went too far?
I don't think it was about tough love or teaching a lesson. After all, *they* were the ones who suffered for it in the long run.
Sort of a agree with the analysis. Works better as the metaphor than in the narrative in a lot of ways. But I look at things weirdly. Like I see Buffy killing Caleb as the slaying of her daddy issue. Before she kills him, it's Angel who runs the scene, after that it's Buffy. She's calling the shots and sends him away.