Insanity FTW ("Normal Again")

The gothic convention of “man vs. self” is a scary one that various texts express in different ways. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and “Transformation” attempt to discuss this battle by creating antagonists distinct from the polarized individuals. The Turn of the Screw tackles this convention differently, by placing the conflict solely in the mind of the governess. However, this text is so wrought with ambiguity that the argument for her insanity comes in conjunction with other inconclusive explanations for the supernatural. “Normal Again” enriches this discussion by providing yet another textual example in which questionable (in)sanity conflates reality and the paranormal in an unsettling manner. However, it is more successful at addressing this struggle in modern gothic terms because it approaches the problem head-on from a logical and self-aware point of view.

“Normal Again” creates a convincing case for Buffy’s insanity by highlighting weak logistical facets of the show as evidence for her mental illness. The most poignant example of this reasoning focuses on Dawn’s character. Within the trajectory of the series Dawn appears as Buffy’s sister out of the blue in the fifth season. Her sudden inclusion is jarring and a tad suspicious for viewers, but true Buffy fans go with the flow and accept Dawn as a new character. “Normal Again” brings attention back to this logistical issue by proposing that Dawn is merely a delusion of Buffy’s schizophrenia. The asylum doctor expresses this inversion when he says, “Buffy inserted Dawn into her delusion, actually rewriting the entire history of it to accommodate her need for a familial bond.” This argument seems extremely sensible to Buffy and viewers alike, who both begin to seriously question the validity of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a trustworthy text.

Simultaneously, the episode attacks the logical content of this already precariously organized text. It questions the plausibility of Sunnydale, the Scooby gang, and the existence of a slayer by proposing an alternate reality in which Buffy is simply a sick girl in a mental institution. The doctor explains, “In her mind, she’s the central figure in a fantastic world beyond imagination. She’s surrounded herself with friends – most with their own super powers – who are as real to her as you or me… Together they face overblown, grand conflicts against an assortment of monsters, both imaginary and rooted in actual myth.” This explanation is compelling because it shatters Buffy and the viewers’ suspension of disbelief in the supernatural. When it comes down to it, schizophrenia sounds like a much more rational portrayal of reality.

The fact that Buffy herself concludes that she is sick brings this internal battle to a frightening place. Given the aforementioned evidence for insanity, it is nearly impossible to come to any other conclusion. Buffy affirms this logic while chasing Dawn: “Cause what’s more real? A sick girl in an institution or some type of supergirl, chosen to fight demons and save the world? That’s ridiculous.” The audience must agree with this reasoning as viewers and as rational people. This dividing of the spectators’ self is a risky move on Whedon’s behalf, yet it enables the episode to be so touchingly effective. We go through the same realization as Buffy, and we come to find that the threat of being crazy is a truly frightening possibility compared to the possibility of encountering vampires. Thus, this episode is chilling on a comparable level to a psychological thriller or non-fiction serial killer movie as opposed to a gory alien film in which the danger is so far removed from actuality.

“Normal Again” ultimately makes the mind an unfamiliar and hostile environment in which the gothic convention of “man vs. self” takes place. The audience mimics the conflict in Buffy’s psyche between slayer and schizophrenic on a personal level where the dichotomy of self is between gothic enthusiast and rational modern thinker. By approaching this convention straight on, the episode forces the possibility of insanity to the forefront of gothic interpretation. Moreover, by restricting this conflict solely to the mind, the episode makes this gothic threat a real and tangible possibility. After all, if, according to Aristotle, “rational faculty” distinguishes humans from other living things then are we any different from monsters if we lose this ability? The evidence used to prove Buffy’s insanity is consistent with modern logic and thus subverts the purpose of gothic texts to provide alternate means of explanation through the supernatural. However, this inversion is only temporary because Buffy ultimately chooses to inhabit the Sunnydale reality, even if it is just a construct of her mind. This choice shows how certain grandiose questions like, “how can we really know or trust what we see?”, do not have answers in contemporary society or vampire-land so we might as well chose the one with more leather jumpsuits and awesome friends.