Of all the things we hit on in class after watching "Living Conditions," we didn't really say too much about making old situations come together with new situations. We seemed to focus more on the separation and differences between Buffy’s high school and college life, and never talked about the things that still played a very strong role in both. For example, regardless of Buffy’s new surroundings, she still had to go patrolling every night and maintain her slayer duties. Just as Buffy continued slaying, college students often carry over activities that are important to them, such as music, art, and sports, to make their experience more comfortable and stable.
great point. in fact, it is important to note the supposed conflict b/w the old and the new alongside their supposed conflation: giles and buffy, for example, represent the old generation and the new generation working together yet also not completely understanding one another... such as when giles asks buffy for a "translation." the same can be said about the clashing and coalescing of cultures, which i think is cleverly drawn out through the high school/college parallel you mention above.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has never watched the show before, it really struck me in this episode, it really struck me how Buffy uses her slaying to keep her grounded like most students would use the extracurricular talents they developed in high school, as you point out. My favorite part of the episode was when someone asked Buffy what had happened to her the night before, and she very casually says, "I did get jumped by a demon of non-specific origin last night" the way I might describe a somewhat awkward encounter to one of my friends. I think part of the appeal of the show is how the gothic elements get so mixed up with the "normal" high school and college elements that the lines begin to blur.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is quite a lot of overlap between the high school and the college experiences Buffy faces. Though change happened, life is still going on for her in mostly the same way. The formula of her life is maintained, though in different balances: she still has Giles, Xander, and Willow, the catharsis of slaying, the boy troubles, and school (which she skips, more often then not). I feel that the only thing that has truly changed is the environment in which her life takes place, along with a little added freedom. Isn't it funny that just a change in the scenery can cause such an upheaval?
ReplyDeleteP.S. Nice quote, Claire. I too love the whole blasé way that the Scoobies treat slaying and demons. Xander's wish for something apocalyptic to this way come also demonstrates this.
I think you are quite right that this episode represents a clash of the old and new. For me, the primary dichotomy exists not between high and college, but rather in how the character of Buffy is forced grow and mature due to being thrust into a new situation. Since she has just arrived at college, we can assume that Buffy is still the same old slayer that we remember from high school, so the real drama occurs when that Buffy that we are familiar with encounters real-world situations that she has never experienced before. Because we are so used to Buffy being entirely unfazed by an danger, it is quite interesting that we get to see her struggle with little things that actually have little or no significance when weighed against her extraordinary responsibilities as a slayer.
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