GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Firefly: LOTR influence????

POSTED BY: BLUEBOMBER
UPDATED: Thursday, April 14, 2005 00:45
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 8:56 PM

BLUEBOMBER


Recently I finished tigerlady's humorous fanfic...the name of it escapes me at the moment, but this here's the URL to it:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=1561

In it our Big Damn Heroes re-enact scenes from "The Fellowship of the Ring." It's some inspired casting; Cap'n Tightpants takes a turn as the Son of Arathorn, and the Sheperd trades his Bible for a wizard's hat and a "magic" staff. Even Zoe gets in on the fun.

After giving it a read, I started pondering the similarities between the Firefly characters and the LOTR figures they play, and it was actually rather striking to me.

Aragorn and Mal, both warriors, are jaded and bitter, using rugged exteriors to mask the compassion each feels for his comrades. River, much like Frodo, bears a burden no one else can understand; she also has a devoted protecter and friend in Simon, not unlike the relationship between Frodo and Sam. But the one comparison I found most compelling was between mercenaries. Jayne, like Boromir, succumbs to his greed, but later repents (there's a poignant exchange between Mal and Jayne near the end of the fanfic).

Well, that's been on my mind a couple of days now...I figured it was worth opening a discussion about. Comments?

"Mwah ha ha ha...Mine is an evil laugh. Now die."

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 9:09 PM

EMMA


Interesting idea but I think it is a bit tenuous, the difficulty it of course that nearly everything in existence has been influenced by LOTR because of the archetypes it adopts from millenia of myths. So, in that respect Mal as silent loyal romantic warrior type is Aragorn but before Aragorn came a zillion others.

Now, Babylon 5, there is some blatent (and deliberate) LOTR thievery!

I really should get me a signature

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 9:28 PM

TLACOOK


Archetypes are archetypes.

They all stole from Shakespeare (try to get Joss to deny this. I dare you) who liberally stole from everyone else.

There are no new stories. Just different retellings.

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Thursday, April 14, 2005 12:45 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


Quote:

Nine companions. So be it. You shall be the fellowship of the ring
- Elrond



" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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