#» CHARACTER STUDY : FAITH LEHANE

[secretsofthewilde]

Well. I did say that only one person needed to ask and I'll share. So here you go @raisedbythetv89 @richtea-biscuit

The actual academic essay I wrote and submitted is available to read here (x) for now at least, but as it was written for an assignment with a set word count and parameters, I ended up having to take out the section I had originally written about Cordelia and also there are a lot of references to the set textbook readings I was given. So it might not be the lightest of reading.

Essentially the essay poses the argument that for all the supposedly progressive feminist intentions of the show, we regularly see gender and sexual stereotypes still being reinforced within the show especially through the way that the women are treated for their relationship with sex. That is to to say that while the ‘Scooby gang’ typically seems to contest gender norms, with the male characters often appearing as submissive to Buffy and the female characters themselves each threatening gender norms in their own way, the intimate relations between the characters often undermine these initial contestations. In my essay I explore this through comparing Faith and Buffy's relationship with sex during the early seasons of the show.

Below is my section on Cordelia which unfortunately didn't make it into the essay, followed by a summary of my essay points on Faith and Buffy. I'm mainly sticking to seasons 1-3 for this essay because while I do mention season 4 at one point briefly, the introduction of Riley and Tara mark a change in the nature of sex and what it means in the show.

Part 2 (which is a look at Willow) has also now been written and can be found here (x)

Cordelia Chase

Cordelia starts out as a mild social antagonistic force to our Scooby gang, she is a bully. As the show progresses though she slowly starts to build connections with them, however she isn't allowed into their group until she is depicted as having romantic feelings for Xander, rather than just sexual. When it comes to Cordelia and Xander's relationship she is the dominant one. She has more social power than him and the Scoobys, as well as being more financially and academically stable than him. She also is the only one with a car, meaning she is the one who drives them to their dates. And while this at first seems to be challenging gender stereotypes of powerful men providing for an attractive but weaker woman, the problem is that she isn't allowed or accepted into the Scooby gang until after she sacrifices her social privilege to commit to a public relationship to him. Prior to this sacrifice any relationship or attempt at casual sex we saw Cordelia make was framed as shallow behaviour from her to be scorned or done for comedic effect. We see both her and Buffy seek intimate relationships in these early season, but only Buffy's attempts are framed as sympathetic. It was only when she expressed an emotional connection to Xander that she was presented as a sympathetic character to the audience.

Buffy Summers

Buffy and Angel are the first intimate relationship we see explored in the show and so it's the one that sets the audiences' initial expectations for intimacy. While Buffy is dominant within her social groups and her general use of violence to defeat enemies is something that we would say challenges gender norms, she rarely maintains these traits (or at least they are made much weaker) in scenes that explore her relationship with Angel. Once she's romantically interested in him she routinely takes a submissive role in their relationship; she goes to him for help and advice, places his well being over her role as a slayer, and waits for him to be the one to define and initiate their relationship.

 Unlike Cordelia’s early relationship with Xander, the audience is meant to be invested and sympathetic towards Buffy and Angel. From the get go we have it established that the two love each other, but despite their doomed fate we are meant to want to see them together and therefore we are sympathetic to Buffy's attempts at intimacy with him. When they do have sex and Angel loses his soul, these painful consequences is sometimes seen to be done as a punishment for Buffy having sex, but I think it's more to do with the tragic nature of their gothic romance rather than that - because Buffy and Angel did have the emotional and psychological connection that the show requires in order for their intimacy to be viewed as 'good'. In contrast though, once they break up we see Buffy try to have sex casually with other non-supernatural students but this only results in her getting hurt. When she and Parker have sex he dumps her the following day after using her; which is her punishment for attempting to have sex with something who she didn't really love like Angel. Buffy's also interesting in that her attempt to have a not only loving but sexual relationship also sets her apart from the other slayers - Kendra doesn't have sex, Faith doesn't do emotional intimacy, but Buffy tries to have both.

Faith Lehane

Faith gets to be the sexually free and explorative girl that Buffy is unable to. While she does struggle to do so, within the first three season Buffy does successfully create and sustain a heteronormative relationship that is both sexually and emotionally intimate. While Buffy might flirt with other guys that aren't Angel, she's still easily the "good girl" who cares more about the emotional connection with a guy than sex; in comparison Faith is someone who presents very confident in her sexuality and actively seeks casual sex without any emotional connections. If Buffy is seen to be masculine because of her traits as a slayer than Faith can be seen as hyper-masculine. So she challengers gender stereotypes in that her seeking casual sex and her dominant flirtatious behavior are traits typically reserved for a stereotypical "bad boy" type of character.

When Faith is first introduced to the show as an ally to our Scooby gang, her sexual confidence and behaviours are initially something that Buffy herself wants to replicate. The only time that we actually see her engage in sex on screen however is when she initiates sex with Xander, which coincidently also marks the last episode where she is considered to be someone trust worthy. Faith is the one to initiate sex with Xander, and she remains in a dominant position of control of the scene that we observe. The moment seems to subvert the trope of the confident male "deflowering" the inexperienced and submissive women (who in this scene would be Xander). However the scene is immediately cut with Faith kicking Xander out of her apartment after he tries to initiate an emotional connection with her, and this is framed for comedic effect. By framing their whole sexual encounter as comedic, it's undermining how Faith's sexual confidence seemed to challenge gender roles and instead framing deviations from expected heteronormative behaviours as something to laugh at.

It's also important that the very next episode (Bad Girls) is the one where we clearly see the descent of her mental stability as her reckless behaviour (both sexual and violent) in one-night results in her accidentally killing someone. What was initially seen as traits of a sexually confident woman, and therefore challenging gender roles, then becomes depicted for the rest of the season as signs of her mental instability and her eventual role as an antagonist. This is her punishment for engaging in casual sex; for not having the emotional or psychological connection that is needed for sexual actions to be accepted or approved of by the narrative.

Conclusion

Within the first three seasons of Buffy we see that the female characters are able to challenge gender roles in many ways, however this isn't extended to sex. They can enjoy and seek sex out at times, however they will suffer as a consequence if they don't fulfil certain heteronormative conventions during those times.

Buffy and Faith are allowed to be powerful slayers who are in charge, but in order for their power (and how they challenge dominant ideologies) to remain acceptable it needs to be limited to their battles in the streets rather than in the sheets.

[girl4music]

Huh… didn’t know Bitch Of Rome did ‘BtVS’ videos.

This is a pretty good one for Faith. @willnotacceptalifeundeserved

[coraniaid]

The only thing more powerful than the Buffy writers' reluctance to give screentime to a woman over the age of thirty is the collective Buffy fandom's eagerness to seize on the slightest scrap of canon characterization as evidence that said thirty-plus-year old woman is some sort of monster.

The show: Willow Rosenberg likes spending time with her mother and does so willingly even after moving out (as we see, for example, in Forever) and her mother was keen to invite her high school boyfriend over for dinner to try to get to know him as soon as Willow admitted to her that he existed (at the end of Gingerbread) and her mother was fully accepting (literally "proud") of Willow when she came out as a lesbian (already implicit, but confirmed in The Killer In Me). Oh, but she has a full time job in academia and sometimes Willow wishes she paid her more attention (this despite the fact that Willow canonically does hide things from her all the time) and she doesn't always notice when Willow cuts her hair or properly remember her friends' names and she only met Willow's first girlfriend a few times.

The fandom: well, clearly Willow is as much a victim of parental abuse as Xander Harris or Amy Madison or Faith Lehane. This is a completely reasonable and proportionate conclusion to come to based on one on-screen appearance and some throwaway lines of dialogue.

I mean ... don't get me wrong. Shelia Rosenberg is not a good mother. She's not much more than a cardboard cutout, really. Less of a character than even Hank Summers, and that's saying something.

What she is, really, is the sort of lazy cliche you get in a lot of teen movies of the 1990s and 2000s (something which is true of Joyce Summers as well at times, only Sheila is permitted far less depth or screen presence or other redeeming features). She's a somewhat reactionary take on the idea of an adult woman who dares to have a professional career and therefore cannot "properly" attend to the needs of her children. A woman too busy focusing on the abstract (her academic study of "adolescent development") to care about the practical (the growing pains of her own teenage daughter).

(Get it? See, it's funny, because she's a woman with both a child and a career. What will those crazy feminists dream up next?)

As written, Willow's mother kind of sucks: not because she's a bad person but because she isn't written as a person at all. She's a joke, and not a good one.

But the weirdly popular idea On Here that Willow is somehow traumatized by having what is, by all accounts, a fairly ordinary and comfortable childhood is absurd. There is simply nothing in the text to support this.

[maybebitterxox]

I wrote a thing! (BTVS SPOILERS AHEAD)

Fuffy (Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers) oneshot thing. 3200+ words. Major angst, touch of bittersweetness, some character study.

Description (all of the below):

Not even a demon or vampire had stirred since she had arrived, as though even the creatures of the dark were in mourning. She would know.

Post-season 5, pre-revival. Faith comes back to Sunnydale to visit the grave that had been haunting her dreams ever since she found out. She runs into two unexpected third parties. Grief, reminiscence, understanding, and kisses on tombstones.

(Background Spike & Buffy. Personally I prefer them as a platonic pairing, and mostly wrote them as such in this, but interpret it how you want. Main focus on Faith/Buffy regardless)

[alinaandalion]

so it was a bit of a lackluster reading year but i did have some stand-outs, so my top ten below (in no particular order)

The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick - con artists, politics, a magic system based on something similar to tarot, a setting of a city-state based heavily on venice. what more could you want? (seriously, this is solid fantasy where the stakes are real and high but don't involve the end of the world and is just not quite like anything being currently published)

Mystic River by Denis Lehane - Just excellent and he's been added to my list of authors to read more of

Bunny by Mona Awad - so fucking weird, i loved it. and then an emotionally gutting turn at the end that i'm still thinking about

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever - toxic gay romance and a great character study of someone who is rightfully angry and hurting and deals with it in horrifically destructive ways

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - i thought it was just going to be a fun thriller by an author i really like. i read this in the space of a few breathless hours and haven't stopped thinking about it since. an incisive look at how the publishing industry incentivizes the worst behavior of those involved and the question of how to write without commodifying the world around you is a central theme

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey - very long but it flew by. i devoured this book in massive chunks because it grabbed me and wouldn't let go. and it's a realistic engagement with how colonization works and the impact of what it means to live under a system where your only value is how you enable the extraction of resources for your colonial overlords

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones - sequel to My Heart Is a Chainsaw and a continuation of the exploration of the slasher genre, both engaging in its typical tropes and deconstructing them. this one is even more of a love letter to slasher films

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan - sequel to The Justice of Kings. absolutely excellent trilogy following agents of an empire dispensing the king's justice and directly engaging with the question of how to balance what is moral and what is justice. along with a lot of fantasy horror that intensifies in the second book and a really fascinating main female character telling this story as her own history so there's her perspective as an older woman overlaid her actions as a young woman in the direct action.

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor - organized crime novel set in India. it took a bit to get into it but then i was obsessed and couldn't put it down

The Atlas Six & The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake - six awful, young, & powerful magicians are given access to a secret society that contains basically all knowledge in the world. they're also being manipulated to possibly bring about the end of the world or open wormholes to other universes to possibly colonize them or something similar. still not sure if these books benefited from me coming out of a massive reading slump but i did have fun with them and am very fond of most of them

[afteriwake]

The Favourites -- 21, 22, 24, 28, 29, 30

The Dark -- 32, 33

21. Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? Molly Hooper from my more recent writings, hands down. She's so complex and we fic writers can expand on that and make her a character deserving of ACD canon lore. I also have a soft spot for Don Flack from CSI: NY. He's a blast.

22. Who is/are your favourite pairing(s) to write? I love writing any and all pairings with my Little Black Dress characters throughout various fandoms (Buffy Summers, Spike, Greg Sanders, Calleigh Duquesne, Don Flack, Ichigo Kurosaki, Molly Hooper, Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Jim Kirk, Dean Winchester, Joan Watson). I also REALLY REALLY miss my two main Bleach pairings, Toshiro/Karin and Grimmjow/Neliel.

24. Favourite genre to write and read: Romance in any subgenre you can think of. I tend to, non-fanfic wise, read a lot of supernatural romance, romantasy, chick lit and historical romance with murder mystery plots. I just am a sucker for a good love story, I guess.

28. Favourite side character: Aside from Molly Hooper, who I will love to the end of the earth and back, probably Faith Lehane from the Buffyverse. She's absolutely fucking fascinating as a character to study and write. I also really love Kevin Ryan & Javier Esposito from Castle, though I'm not sure they're really side characters and are more main-adjacent? Whatever. I adore the two of them so fucking much.

29. Favourite villain: Oooooh. Um...Well, I do love both Sherlock's Jim Moriarty and Elementary's Jamie Moriarty a ton. They are both excellent villains, though Jamie is sorely underutilized. In books, Zakath from the Belgariad/Mallorean series is such a fascinating case, because he's a villain in the first series and an (unwilling at first) acquired hero in the second. But I love love love him.

30. Favourite idea you haven’t started on yet: Can I use one I started and have since abandoned until I can rewatch the source material? TMI, I was a victim of sexual assault when I was younger, and stuff with rape/sexual assault is a weird thing for me as a viewer. Sometimes it sets off flashbacks and crap, and other times I can view it in a critical manner and deal with it that way. S1 of Bridgerton rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like that Daphne resorted to what she did. So I had the idea if, waaaaaaay back during the duel, Simon had been honest about not wanting to have children of his own with Daphne, therefore letting his bloodline die out, how could that have changed everything (but most of all prevented That Scene). I got one chapter done but lost Netflix access for a while so I have left it to rot, but I do eventually want to get back to that and rewrite S1 with a happier ending and less angst for Daphne and Simon.

[ao3feed-spuffy]

The Bad Penny

by OffYourBird

Six years ago, Buffy made a home in a new dimension with a Spike who defied every rule to be by her side. Now it’s time to put to rest unfinished business in her original dimension. However, a visit there quickly turns apocalyptic, and at the heart of it is the two vampires who set Buffy's original journey in motion, and both of them have a lot of explaining to do.

Words: 1140, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of The Phoenix and the Penny

Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Angel: the Series

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Buffy Summers, Spike (BtVS), Joyce Summers, Dawn Summers, Faith Lehane, Angel (BtVS), Andrew Wells, The Immortal (AtS)

Relationships: Spike/Buffy Summers

Additional Tags: Post-Series, canon compliant with Angel season 5, Romance, Established Relationship, a study of grief healing and finding closure, Explicit Sexual Content

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/46204411

[abracazabka]

10 characters, 10 fandoms, 10 tags

how to play: name 10 of your favorite characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people to do the same.

I was tagged by @zipquips !! (thanks, i dont feel like studying lol)

amanda young from saw

johnny lawrence from karate kid & cobra kai

luke or anakin skywalker from star wars (i can hardly choose)

faith lehane from buffy the vampire slayer

spock from star trek (always spock)

gregory house from (lo and behold) house MD

richie tozier from IT (don't make fun of meee)

catra from she-ra <3<3

pete nesmith from the monkees (this technically counts cuz they have tv personas, HAH!)

mugman from the cuphead and mugman show <3

tagging people ive seen in my notifications in the last day or so, but no pressure of course!

@gravitonbeamemitter @we-the-big-gay @yumkiwidelicious @lvc001 @melancholy-castiel @killing-hannibals-body @gayvampirepirates @timmy-jims-and-the-shindills @sk8erboi-argyle @j-mysticalien

[pagebypagereviews]

Best Thriller Movies Based on Books The thriller genre, with its unique ability to grip audiences with suspense, excitement, and psychological depth, has been a staple of both literature and cinema for decades. The transition from page to screen is a fascinating process, often resulting in cinematic masterpieces that stand the test of time. This article delves into some of the best thriller movies that originated from books, exploring the magic they bring to the screen and the impact they've had on audiences worldwide. The Art of Adaptation Adapting a book into a movie is an art form in itself, requiring a delicate balance between staying true to the original material and making the story accessible and engaging for a cinematic audience. The best adaptations are those that capture the essence of the book while exploring the visual and auditory possibilities that cinema offers. This process often involves expanding or condensing characters, themes, and plots to fit the medium's pacing and scope. Iconic Thriller Adaptations Over the years, several thriller novels have been transformed into films that not only captivate audiences but also achieve critical acclaim. Here are some notable examples: The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Based on the novel by Thomas Harris, this film is a quintessential psychological thriller that explores the mind of a cannibalistic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. Its success is attributed to the brilliant performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, and it remains one of the few films to win the "Big Five" Oscars. Gone Girl (2014) - Adapted from Gillian Flynn's novel, this film directed by David Fincher delves into the complexities of a modern marriage and the media's influence on public perception. Its twisty plot and dark themes have made it a modern classic in the thriller genre. Shutter Island (2010) - Directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, this psychological thriller takes viewers on a haunting journey to a remote mental asylum, with a plot that keeps audiences guessing until the very end. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - This film, based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, combines mystery, drama, and suspense in a gripping tale of investigation into a decades-old disappearance. The movie, directed by David Fincher, is noted for its dark atmosphere and complex characters. What Makes a Successful Adaptation? Several factors contribute to the success of a book-to-film adaptation in the thriller genre: Faithfulness to the Source Material: While some deviations are necessary, maintaining the book's tone, theme, and core storyline is crucial for capturing the original audience's interest. Character Development: Effective adaptations delve deep into character backstories and motivations, making them relatable and engaging for the audience. Atmosphere and Tone: The visual and auditory elements of cinema can enhance the book's atmosphere, creating a more immersive experience for viewers. Innovative Storytelling: Utilizing the cinematic medium to tell the story in unique and compelling ways can add value to the original narrative, making the adaptation stand out. Challenges of Adapting Thrillers Adapting thriller novels into movies is not without its challenges. The intricate plots and complex characters that define the genre can be difficult to translate into a visual medium. Additionally, maintaining suspense and tension, crucial elements of the thriller genre, requires skillful direction and editing. There's also the risk of alienating fans of the book if significant changes are made during the adaptation process. Case Study: The Girl on the Train A notable example of the complexities involved in adapting thrillers is The Girl on the Train (2016), based on the novel by Paula Hawkins. The film received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its faithfulness to the source material, while others felt it failed to capture the book's psychological depth.

This case highlights the delicate balance required in adaptation, where diverging too much or too little from the source material can impact the film's reception. The Future of Thriller Adaptations As technology advances and audiences' tastes evolve, the future of thriller adaptations looks promising. Streaming platforms have opened new avenues for storytelling, allowing for longer, more detailed explorations of complex novels that might not fit the traditional two-hour movie format. This could lead to more faithful adaptations of lengthy or intricate thrillers, offering viewers a deeper and more satisfying experience. Conclusion The journey from book to screen is fraught with challenges, especially in the thriller genre, where maintaining suspense and character depth is paramount. However, when done correctly, adaptations can breathe new life into the source material, introducing these gripping tales to wider audiences. The best thriller movies based on books remind us of the power of storytelling across mediums, capturing our imaginations and keeping us on the edge of our seats. As we look forward to future adaptations, it's clear that the relationship between literature and cinema will continue to thrive, offering endless possibilities for storytelling innovation.

[mazzalouu]

               “ 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝘩𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. ”  

[jennycalendar]

“No,” said the witch. “You know what? No! I am a lady of solitude, and I have no obligation to have my life plans turned upside down by this—this—child!”

“So what are your life plans?” said Faith. “Live by yourself in a castle and then die?”

“YES!” said the witch, as though this should have been somehow obvious.

[girl4music]

Kennedy should have been Faith. I will die on this hill.

God there needs to be more Faith/Willow talk. So many fucking parallels across their entire arcs.

Power corruption is a major theme for both of them. The logical thing to do is to have them interact to pull out the necessary character development both need.

[riotkissed]

thinking about how faith lehane would punch alaric saltzman in the face thank u 

[st0pcryingmoved]

tags.

[housewarningparty]

Title: body language (1/5)

Fandom: buffy the vampire slayer (buffy summers/faith lehane)

Note: this fic lives at the intersection of gratuitous smut and character study. come for the seedy motel room hookup, stay for the tortured self reflection

"I was kind of counting on having something to punch for a while,” Buffy admits with a huff. “I know we just did the impossible. We sealed a Hellmouth. I should be relaxing, enjoying the break, but I feel so restless.”

“Shoulda said something earlier,” Faith drawls. “Before we got back. I coulda found someplace classy and discreet for us to go a couple rounds together, let you blow off some steam. Y’know, like over by the dumpsters or the parking lot at the Denny’s.”

The slightly rumpled expanse of shabby motel sheet between them feels at once miles wide and dangerously close. Faith shrugs and smiles, a charming little ‘what are you gonna do?’ expression. “On second thought I could run over to the Circle K and get you one of those little yogurts you like so much.”

Buffy’s heart beats louder and faster. She swallows, and scoots closer. “I don’t think that’s gonna cut it tonight.”

 -

Buffy and Faith have always communicated best when they're not relying on words at all.

continue reading on ao3

[simpingforclaudette]

List of fandoms I write for

Taking headcanons requests!

More details here

________________________

I. MARVEL

↳ shipping only:

james “bucky” barnes / natasha romanoff.

II. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

↳ shipping only:

buffy summers / spike;

buffy summers / faith lehane;

buffy summers / cordelia chase;

buffy summers / kendra young;

willow rosenberg / oz osbourne;

willow rosenberg / tara maclay.

III. DEAD BY DAYLIGHT

↳ shipping only:

claudette morel / jake park;

quentin smith / steve harrington;

ace visconti / caleb quinn | the deathslinger;

zarina kassir / caleb quinn | the deathslinger;

yui kimura / rin yamaoka | the spirit;

claudette morel / hak ji-woon | the trickster;

claudette morel / danny johnson | the ghost face;

claudette morel / frank morrison;

claudette morel / carmina mora | the artist;

quentin smith / frank morrison;

quentin smith / jake park;

quentin smith / hak ji-woon | the trickster.

IV. RESIDENT EVIL

↳ shipping only:

jill valentine / carlos oliveira;

leon scott kennedy / ada wong.

V. MORTAL KOMBAT

↳ shipping and reader insert:

hanzo hasashi | scorpion / kuai liang | sub-zero;

hanzo hasashi | scorpion / bi-han | noob-saibot;

shang tsung / raiden;

cassie cage / frost.

VI. WARRIOR

↳ shipping and reader insert:

ah toy / ah sahm;

ah toy / nellie davenport;

another ship that i probably won’t talk about since it’s a bit crack-ish.

VII. SLASHERS

↳ shipping and character studies:

daniel robitaille | candyman / helen lyle (candyman);

kirsty cotton / pinhead | hell priest (hellraiser);

reiko asakawa / ryuji takayama (ringu).

_________________________

I’m going to post links to my works here once I start publishing them on Tumblr. Thank you for stopping by (: