Buffy Summers is NOT a strong woman
This post explores feminine and masculine representation of Buffy Summers from the television show BTVS through a feminist lens.
A person does not have to be a man to be masculine, and does not have to be a woman to be feminine. Allan G. Johnson in his article “The Gender Knot”, explains that these words in regards to gender, are nothing more than an illusion. Culture and society may dictate that these two should not mix, and cannot mix, but on the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the main character Buffy Summers, is a powerful example of why they should do just that. Through the understanding of Johnson’s concepts on gender it is clearly recognizable that the show BtVS explores what it means to be powerful, heroic, and human, and how it does so through a female protagonist who embodies many qualities that are commonly assumed to be unable to coexist within a singular personality. Johnson also makes it possible to see clearly how BtVS addresses the ways in which femininity and masculinity are expressed through relationships, and the ways in which patriarchy abuses the concept of gender in order to limit female power.
To begin with, in Johnson’s article he explains that gender is made important by culture and not by any realistic biological reasoning. Gender in this case is the representation of sex through personality traits considered to be either masculine or feminine. In support of this assessment Johnson notes “In the simplest sense, masculinity and femininity are cultural ideas about who men and women are and who they’re supposed to be” (Johnson 61). The idea that these terms are what makes a man, a man and a woman, a woman is ridiculous. On BtVS, Buffy Summers continuously exhibits traits from both of these supposedly opposite categories, and despite the numerous ‘masculine’ qualities she possesses, it is never in question that Buffy is a woman. As Johnson adds “How people feel and behave depends more on the social situation they’re in than it does on some rigid set of underlying traits that define them in every circumstance” (Johnson 61, 62). This is evident when determining when Buffy exhibits ‘masculine’ traits and when she exhibits ‘feminine’ traits. When performing her duties as a slayer, Buffy is daring, independent, active, dominant, self-confident, and strong; All of which are commonly associated with what it means to be masculine. However, when in what is considered a normal, every-day, situation, Buffy is often nurturing, dependent on her family as well as her friends, and when it comes to romantic relationships she is extremely emotionally expressive; All of these traits are considered to be ‘feminine’. Moreover, the characteristics she possess that are ‘feminine’ often reveal themselves in situations alongside her more ‘masculine’ traits. An example of this lies in her ability to use her intuition to determine if there is a vampire or other evil creature in Sunnydale (her hometown). Intuition is considered to be ‘feminine’ yet Buffy uses it in her decidedly ‘masculine’ role of being heroic. This combination of what are supposedly non co-existing traits, leads to a well rounded, and powerful woman.
However, this power often leads Buffy to feel isolated, and like an outsider. This is because she does not conform to what society deems normal. She does not fit neatly into the role of a high school girl, because she must also be the slayer. The idea of gender being a defining element of our human identity’s ties in with the basic human desire to be accepted. Because culture dictates that femininity and masculinity are important factors in determining where an individual fits into society, it becomes increasingly important that one fits into the assigned gender roles. Buffy Summers is not immune to the desire to fit in, and her inability to do so while being the slayer, causes her to rebel against her slayer duties. In the very first episode when confronted with the reality of vampires at her new school , Buffy immediately attempts to remove herself from her slayer duties, and reinforce the idea that she is ‘normal’ by insisting that vampires are not what she should be concerned with. In the library of her new school Buffy declares “It’s my first day. I was afraid that I’d be behind in all the classes, that I wouldn’t make any friends, that I’d have last month’s hair. I didn’t think there would be vampires on campus. And I don’t care” ( Welcome To The Hellmouth, BtVS). This simple rejection of her role as the slayer, solidifies Buffy’s desire to just be normal.
Later on in the series, as Buffy matures, she begins to accept her role as the slayer and even to redefine it. This redefining is actually a common way of changing oppressive situations, as Kavita Ramdas mentions in her TED talk, tradition is often the best way to promote change (Ramadas). Buffy uses the tradition of the slayers being controlled by the watchers council to redefine what it means to be a slayer by refusing to follow their orders, and remaining independent of their control. However, even as she rebels against the oppressive authority of the council, she still finds herself at war with society and its view on women with power. Never truly escaping the confines of her gender, in season five of BtVS on the episode “The Gift”, Buffy saves a young man from being killed by a vampire and immediately after his rescue he argues “But you’re just a girl”, this statement alone shows a subconscious reluctance to admit that a woman is strong, and Buffy’s reply of “That’s what I keep saying” shows that she recognizes that in the eyes of society she shouldn’t be as powerful, strong, or heroic as she is, and because she is, she will never quite fit in.
Furthermore, Buffy’s power does not only exclude her from social acceptability, it also paints a big red target on her, because female empowerment can undermine the structure of patriarchy. This is what leads to the masculinization of desired character traits. If the traits that are valued by society are considered to be masculine, then when a woman possesses these traits, she will be considered an anomaly, not a standard or precedent for all women. In the words of Johnson “What is culturally valuable is associated with masculinity and maleness, and what is devalued is associated with femininity and femaleness, regardless of the reality of men’s and women’s lives. Courage and heroism for example are associated with masculinity” (Johnson 64). This assignment of value leads to a view of women that is unsatisfactory. This limit placed on femininity is an attempt to mask the power that women possess. Eve Ensler explains why this is so in her TED talk “Inner Girl”, where she discusses what it really means to get in touch with your ‘feminine’ side. As Ensler elaborates “Being a girl is such a powerful thing, that we are taught not to be that” (Ensler). Buffy Summers however, rebels against this idea and often shows these valuable ‘masculine’ traits as facets of her own identity. When Buffy’s seems to be getting too good at using her powers the watchers council steps in, and actually injects her with a serum that will nullify her powers. They claim this is a tradition in which the slayer’s ability to function without her super abilities is put to the test. But it really comes off as more of an attack on Buffy’s power because she is using it in a way that cannot be controlled by them. This is a great example of art imitating life, because even in real life, women who are powerful face the threat that at any moment their power can be taken away by a man. However, as Buffy proves, it is not her power that makes her a hero, it is her bravery, courage, and heart that deem her so; and while they may be able to take her power away, they will never be able to strip her of the traits that make her who she is.
In conclusion, society must recognize that while it is true that men and women are not the same, their differences should not define their worth. Johnson’s article supports this statement, as Johnson himself declares “We need to pay attention to how we think about gender differences and what happens when we attach great importance to them” (Johnson 73). These consequences that accompany over stressing gender differences, include but are not limited to: devaluing women, restrained personalities, limited female empowerment and inequality. Patriarchal societies need to recognize that femininity and masculinity consist of interchangeable characteristics, and are not limited and confining definitions of male and female. Buffy Summers is the epitome of a well rounded individual. Buffy is not strong because she is masculine, and she is not strong because she is feminine, her strength comes from her complexity, well balanced development, individualized personality and good character. She is not just a strong woman, she is a strong person, and that makes all the difference.
Credits/Bibliographic info:
Allen G. Johnson The Gender Knot
Eve Ensler TED talk Inner Girl
Kavita Ramdas TED talk Untitled
So that’s it, no weapons, no friends, take all that away and what’s left?
Me.
Define Mind. 
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