Writing pasts of the characters Inara, Book, Wash, Kaylee, Jayne by KayleeLove

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Writing pasts of the characters Inara, Book, Wash, Kaylee, Jayne

POSTED BY: KAYLEELOVE
UPDATED: Thursday, March 8, 2007 11:20
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Monday, March 5, 2007 5:45 PM

It's pretty easy to see Mal and Zoe's reasons for leaving life on a planet for freedom in the stars but for the other characters, it's not so clear why they would leave whatever they had behind. Inara and Book seem to have stuff to hide and would make for very interesting discussions but Wash and Kaylee don't really have apparent reasons so really, why did they leave what were probably happy normal lives?

I really liked a discussion about Inara in another tread so I put a few different people's comments together for what I think is a good explanation of her past; if others have another character they would like to explain, please do

Something is wrong with Inara; illness was proposed but I don't think that's it

First, how can companion training start at the age of 12--wouldn't their parents have a say in the matter at that age? What if Inara's parents didn't approve of her being a companion? It seems Inara is Indian from the buddah in her room and her clothes but in Indian tradition, people only fall in love once; widows were looked down upon if they remarried and there was even suti--wives being burned (alive) with their dead husbands I don't think the family honor aspect of Indian culture would ever allow for a woman sleeping with a lot of men to be of high social stature, rather the opposite; her family if still thinking Indian culture would disown her.

What if companion training from 12-16 yrs or 18 program for non-sexual pre-training? Because if there were, I don't think Indian parents would be opposed to training on things like tea making and foot washing, but maybe there's a point where companions decide if they want to be one person's companion or entertain many clients.

It's possible that Inara's parents were planning for her to be the companion of one man, that is marry her to a rich man (like an arranged marriage common in Indian culture) Companion training must be really expensive, the to-be-husband could have paid for it all if Inara's family couldn't just because he really wanted a quality wife. Maybe when Inara came of age, she didn't love him or he was really old and she chose to do what was popular for companions-- to have many clients.

The part that I feel draws Inara to being a Companion is the therepeutic nature of it - sort of a psychologist with sex, if you will. She helps people by relieving their stress, and I don't think sex is essential for that to happen (it sounds odd, but I'm sure there wouldn't be a problem if a client just wanted tea and a massage).

I have a feeling there was a eureka moment in her life where she realized everything she was was a fake, a dress up act, perhaps she felt like she was choking, that everything she knew was a horrible lie but instead of crawling away to die (Robert Service reference anyone?) she left everything that trapped her in her body and ramified her mind to a place where she could have nothing but the bleak black 'warmth' of space. There is so much comfort in nothing. * Simply put I think she needed to get away from everything she was without leaving everything she knew.*

This all could have brought about the complicated Inara we see in Firely with her fear of admitting her feelings for the captain

Her parents trying to force her into an arranged marriage could have some of the same psychological ramifications as rape in a sense that she would be forced to be with someone--and for the rest of her life. Causing even a deeper wound would have been the fact that her parents were condoning it, the people who are supposed to be watching out for her. Having run from that, and finding freedom in servicing lots of men, she could be scared of the idea of being a one man girl

disclaimer: I'm not trying to harp on arranged marriages; if both the bride and groom have a say in the final decision, it can save a lot of dating stress but if the bride and groom have no say in the decision, it can lead to disaster

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear comments on this or renditions of Jayne's childhood or Book's, Kaylee's or Wash's on why signing up to fly in the black sounded good to them

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Tuesday, March 6, 2007 4:49 PM

DONCOAT

Well, here's my take on Kaylee's motivation...
http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=11876

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I'm pointin' right at it!

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Tuesday, March 6, 2007 6:05 PM

BOBBYSWORLD

You have to think outside of modern Puritanical sexual beliefs where sex is dirty and bad and should only be between married husband and wife behind closed doors and only to create children.

Look back to older societies such as Renaissance Europe and back to Asian cultures. In Europe several hundred years ago coutisans were of high social order. They were, just as Inara, companions. High Class hookers who performed more than just sex acts. Men of high social order would have courtisans on their arms at grand events (such as Atherton in the episode Shindig) even replacing the position the wife would normally take.

As far as Asian culters look at geishas. Women trained from a young age to pamper and take care of their partners. Geishas were normally sold, or even willingly given by parents to training houses to be raised as geisha. The word consists of two kanji, 芸 (gei) meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer." The most direct translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist." Not exactally high society as in asia women are a lower class anyways.

Courtisans and geishas were trained from a young age in all manner of deportment, refinement, grace, musical ability, dance, politics, academics, and such. A high class man would not want some dithering "dumb blonde" on his arm but one who could hold a conversation with other hoity toity types about modern academia, politics, and such.

Now look at the main cultural aspects of the Firfly verse. Western and Asian cultures mixed. It is not to hard to stretch the imagination to the point where in the distant future there is a need for high social status entertainers.

As far as the religious aspects. I do not believe she was of Indian decent just cause she is a Buhdist. She was part of the House Madrassa correct. Madrassa is a term for an Islamic religious school.

Look at these pages for further details about courtisans, geishas, and companions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_%28Firefly%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geisha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtesan

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Wednesday, March 7, 2007 8:40 AM

AGENTROUKA

It's also said that the actual sexual aspect of training doesn't happen until after they've completed all the other, more neutral Academy training, when they're of consenting age and choose to go this route.

I don't think that Companions are a slave culture, or all these smart, proud women would for some reason have to be incredibly stupid for not seeing the hypocrisy. And I refuse to see Joss as painting just another damsel in distress stereotype, rather than the truly revolutionary step of women who 1)have their sex the way they please - even for money, 2) freely and gladly choose a life where romantic love is not the all encompassing ideal pinacle of a woman's existence and 3) are capable of making rational choices about their lives without the implication that they must be lying to themselves.

Errr.

Regarding the actual subject, they each have pretty good reasons for traveling.

Kaylee - employment and excitement. Serenity's the first offer that came along, and the most attractive because Serenity's just so pretty.

Wash - loves piloting and being mobile is a legitimate line of business in the 26th century society. Solid work and variety. The crime is probably just because it's Zoe's life.

Jayne - money. Opportunities that his home of welders probably never could have offered.

Book - a random path of atonement, probably, after spending years at the Abbey figuring out how to try and do that after whatever violent work he did for the Alliance.

Inara - MYSTERY! But I believe her when she says she wanted to see the universe. She's a spiritual person and seeing more angles to the world than merely Sihnon seems a genuine spiritual motivation.

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Wednesday, March 7, 2007 9:02 AM

MAL4PREZ

[Shameless plug] I'm currently working on a fic that contains a little background on everyone, and pretty full background stories on Mal, Inara, and Zoe. It'll be a month or two before I post...[end plug]

Anyway, I don't believe that my version of Inara's background is what Joss intended - he hid that too well. But I'm with AR in stressing that sex is not that taboo thing in Joss's verse that it is now. In fact, I can see it happening that girls in the academy are sexual from the time they join up at 12. Not having all out intercourse, but experiencing their bodies as something to be enjoyed as they see fit.

This is a challenge to the puritanical attitudes toward sex that rule today, and I think it's a good one. Think about it - how is a 15 year old learning to enjoy safe, empowered, sex near as bad as a 15 year old training to be a heartless assassin? And yet, the latter is so much more acceptible in our society. (We're a little insane, is what I think!)

I don't believe she's Indian; the Buddhist religion is big in the `verse, as Joss has stated. I believe. In a book or something. And the Guild has a Indian/Asian flavor because of its roots. Inara's appearance and habits come from that more than her upbringing. IMHO.

I totally agree that Inara is drawn to the nurturing aspect of being a Companion. I believe that Morena refers to her as kind of the mother figure of the ship, and you can see that in the episodes. She's always there to comfort anyone who needs it.

I don't believe she's had a Eureka moment about being fake. I think she still very much believes in her career. She may be heading toward a place where she turns her back on it, but I don't think she's anywhere near that yet. Don't forget - she's still practicing. She's sometimes hurt by how her clients treat her, but she never says anything bad about the Guild.

In the movie, she goes back to a House, and she's a popular teacher. Would she do that if she really thought it's a horrible thing to be a Companion?

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I'm the president. I don't need to listen.

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Wednesday, March 7, 2007 11:08 PM

AGENTROUKA

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
But I'm with AR in stressing that sex is not that taboo thing in Joss's verse that it is now. In fact, I can see it happening that girls in the academy are sexual from the time they join up at 12. Not having all out intercourse, but experiencing their bodies as something to be enjoyed as they see fit.

I agree with this, as well.

I think that in the early years of training, even if it's probably more supervised than what we consider to be a normal school, the growing girls are allowed and encouraged to experience their own sexuality, with each other and outside kids, girls and boys, what have you.

Simply because I think it's be fairly impossible to do the job of a Companion if one didn't have some independent sexual experience, didn't know what enjoying sex for its own sake is like. You can't give something to another you don't know or have yourself.

That way, when the young women decide to really join the Guild and become Companions, they are making an informed choice.

PS: Is your fic finished yet? Is your fic finished yet? Is your fic finished yet??

...

How about now? *G*

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Thursday, March 8, 2007 2:17 AM

SPACEANJL

I can't help but think of the Bene Gesserit every time with the Companion's Guild. (And I know Joss is a Frank Herbert fan.) If you follow the overarching political themes in the 'Verse, it's an idea that makes sense. Inara knows something that made her leave Sihnon; whatever she's running from is personal, since she is still working for the Guild.

Book; there's definitely something dark in that past. My thought is that he was a bent cop, but something very high up, military IA or something. Again, political themes. I think he went out in the world looking to see what decisions he made might have helped to do. But he wasn't necessarily a major player.

Wash - has a reputable set of skills turned to disreputable ends by circumstance. Serenity:TLB has him say as much. He stayed on Serenity because of Zoe, because he loved the ship, and because of that fragile bond of loyalty and friendship that Mal binds his crew with.

Kaylee and Jayne, I think both come from poor worlds. I've written my version of Jayne's family. A world once highly industrial but now worked out, and the scrabble to survive there. Kaylee, I think, comes from somewhere a bit more rural. Possibly a smaller, dustier version of Shadow, accounting for Mal's tension at being stranded there.

I think it would be too much of a coincidence if everybody on that ship was somehow connected into the heart of all the government conspiracies. The fact is that Joss gave us a set of 'normal' people battling their own small problems, and then threw in a great big Conspiracy to mess their lives up further.

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Thursday, March 8, 2007 9:22 AM

MAL4PREZ

Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
PS: Is your fic finished yet? Is your fic finished yet? Is your fic finished yet??

Nope. Nope. Nope.

Quote:
How about now? *G*

Still nope.

But I'm trying...

-----------------------------------------------
I'm the president. I don't need to listen.

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Thursday, March 8, 2007 10:12 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
PS: Is your fic finished yet? Is your fic finished yet? Is your fic finished yet??
Nope. Nope. Nope.

Quote:
How about now? *G*
Still nope.

But I'm trying...

-----------------------------------------------
I'm the president. I don't need to listen.

Answer less bulletin board messages. WRITE.

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Thursday, March 8, 2007 11:20 AM

MAL4PREZ

Quote:
Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
Answer less bulletin board messages. WRITE.

No problem - if you'll just make these talk slides for me...

Real life.

-----------------------------------------------
I'm the president. I don't need to listen.

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