Happily Never After

When Janelle initially mentioned that the version of the Nutcracker we’d be reading would be much darker than the traditional, family-friendly Nutcracker ballet we all know and love, I was hesitant to see how much this version would differ. The classic elements are still present: the toys, the great battle, the wonderful world made of candy. However, underneath the surface of these seemingly innocuous similarities, sinister subtleties exist that twist this story into being terrifying rather than delightful. I want to focus on the obvious issue of Marie becoming a child-bride in Nutcracker and the King of Mice since this relates to the issues in “Once More, With Feeling.” Marie is a child, still innocent and full of imaginative wonder. However, the Nutcracker is described as having “a well-kept beard of white cotton” which “drew attention to the smile which his bright red lips always expressed” (Hoffman, 135). The Nutcracker doesn’t sound like a young boy prince, but a mature man. This distorts the relationship between Marie and the Nutcracker: an old man seems to be courting a child. This distinction turns their fairy-tale wedding at the end into more of a twisted nightmare and imbues the rest of the story with horror. For example, there’s a moment in the story where the Nutcracker whispers, “Marie fine, angel mine! I will be thine, if thou wilt be mine!” and “Although a sort of cold shiver ran through [Marie] at this, still it caused her the keenest pleasure” (Hoffman, 163). This is loaded with sexual meaning, and also reminded me a bit of the overt sexuality in Carmilla. This passage demonstrates clear perversion of childish innocence. Also, when the Nutcracker takes Marie into “Toyland,” he says, “Oh! My best beloved Miss Stahlbaum, if you would only take the trouble to follow me for a few steps, what glorious and beautiful things I could show you” (Hoffman, 169). When we remember the age gap between the Nutcracker and Marie, and the Nutcracker’s intent to take Marie as a wife, these words take on a much more twisted and sexual meaning than we would have originally thought. Also, a grown man wants to show a little girl a land made of candy? Really? Come on.

I found similar innuendos this time watching “Once More, With Feeling.” Although there’s dancing and music and everything seems swell, the episode is actually fairly dark and disturbing underneath the catchy numbers and jazz hands. The singing Devil incarnate, who must be ancient, wants to take fifteen year old Dawn to be his bride in Hellsville. Gross. Just like in the Nutcracker, the demon's language is filled with sexual references. In his song, the demon tempts Dawn, saying, “Why don’t you come and play? I guarantee a great big smile.” His body language is provocative, causing Dawn to respond to his dance with her hips even though she’s clearly uncomfortable and mentally doesn’t want to participate. Similar to the Nutcracker, although everything seems fun and wonderful, there are underlying issues in the episode that cause everything to have a double meaning. Sure, people are singing; but that doesn’t mean things are going to end happily ever after. And, similar to the Nutcracker, there’s no return to reality from a dream place at the end because everything that happens in the episode is real. The demon leaves, but he leaves behind him all the problems that have been brought up through song. What happens after the big group number? Things fall apart. What happens after Marie’s marriage to the Nutcracker? Don’t even want to go there.