Suspending Disbelief with a Little Help from our Friends

While many of the posts here have focused on the fact that Buffy looks for supernatural explanations of her problems because she is more comfortable in that realm, the reverse often holds true in gothic literature. While we roll our eyes at Laura because she seems to be so slow to realize that Carmilla is bad news, this is because in normal life, we do not look for supernatural beings (as Buffy is so used to doing). The reader might be surprised if Laura was immediately suspicious of Carmilla’s behavior and accused her of vampirism, because this is simply not how normal life works. We, too, might be slow to recognize that someone we knew and liked was a vampire—that is not within the realm of possibility in our minds, because of course we do not suspend disbelief in our everyday lives.

We need some serious convincing before we can jump on board with gothic concepts, so it makes sense that protagonists in traditional gothic literature would need the same type of persuasion. When they are actually persuaded, the result becomes extra scary because it seemed so improbable to them (and to the original readers of gothic literature, who may then imagine similar happenings in their own lives).

Joss Whedon plays with the reversal of this dynamic in Buffy, wherein every character is quick to jump to supernatural conclusions. It is only because of the wealth of gothic literature that preceded Buffy that we are comfortable with the world Buffy lives in. But Buffy does dwell in a highly supernatural world, which is why it is so painful when she has to deal with her friends' disbelief when she has supernatural suspicions.

This plays into her fourth season adjustment from a high school world in which she was comfortable to college (a new playing field). In high school, Buffy’s friends trusted her explanations implicitly, because it seemed obvious that Sunnydale High was overwhelmed by the supernatural, which is quite simply Buffy’s territory. In college, however, they expect a shift to more normal life, and Buffy’s explanations seem to them like a manifestation of her refusal to move on. If Willow, Xander, Giles, and Oz immediately believed Buffy about Kathy, the episode would not have very much emotional impact. Buffy’s realization that no one believes her is the truly painful part of the experience. Similarly, Laura’s childhood experience of Carmilla is characterized by the fact that the adults around her say it was just a dream. It seems to me that the isolation that comes from involvement in supernatural events is already emerging as an important part of the gothic genre.

Ultimately, Buffy comes to the conclusion that she’s in it alone in very important ways throughout the series, although her friends often do support her. She is the “chosen one,” and it comes with the job, but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with when those closest to her doubt her.