An Essay on Firefly and Traditional Gender Roles

I did this one for an English class on Westerns in college:

Alternative Female Gender Roles on the Frontier

In the essay Go West, Young Woman! By Gary Heba and Robin Murphy, the authors argue that the concrete stereotypes found in traditional westerns provide an excellent measure of social change. (326) Due to the strong backing placed behind gender roles, both post-westerns and late westerns have drawn on former ideals in order to emphasize alternative identities. High Noon and Firefly both intentionally draw contrast to the traditional roles found in the western genre in order to defy expectations and strengthen characters.

Several comparisons can be made between Inara Serra from Firefly and Helen Ramirez from High Noon. Inara lives in her shuttle, which is docked in the back of Serenity. Ms. Ramirez lives in an upstairs room of the saloon she owns. Both locations are physically elevated above the activities of other characters. Not only are they elevated, but they are also the personal property of each character, symbolizing not only their wealth, but an elevated level of respect. In Inara's case, this could also represent the elevation of social class. On Serenity, dining and storage areas, living quarters, and even the pilot's station are all below Inara's shuttle. It is secluded, and other characters occasionally visit, as though journeying to another wold. As the perspective changes from ship to shuttle, the entire aesthetic changes from the cold metal of the ship to silk curtains and warm scented candles.

Both characters are promiscuous and unmarried, yet powerful. We can assume that Ms. Ramirez has had several lovers, since we know for a fact that she has been involved with at least two men from the same small town. When Harvey tries to embrace Helen after upsetting her, she rejects him and states that men only touch her when she wants them to. Not only is she elevated for someone of her gender, but she is also very successful for someone of her race in that setting. She says, “I hate this town. I always hated it - to be a Mexican woman in a town like this.” yet even with that limitation, she is one of the influential members of the very town she hates. She is independent enough to simply pack up, sell her saloon, and board the train to the next town when she foresees conflict.

Inara is a Companion. Reminiscent of the Japanese Geisha, rather than being considered a lowly prostitute, she is an educated guild member. Inara is fully licensed and trained in areas such as psychology, self defense, and speech craft, which we see her demonstrate against the character Saffron. Due to the breadth of this training, the services she provides are not strictly sexual, and are sometimes similar to cognitive or physical therapy. Inara's profession keeps her fairly wealthy, and remarkably well clothed compared to her crew mates. One remarkable difference between a Companion's role and a common prostitute is that the Companion is allowed to select her clients. These clients must apply in order to be selected, making time spent with a Companion something of a privilege rather than the materialistic sale of a woman's body for the proper amount of cash.

Although Inara is free from racial bias and Ms. Ramirez isn't, she experiences a cultural bias instead. Inara views sex freely, and without shame. Considering the similarities between the Japanese Geisha and the Companions, her views appear to be somewhat eastern. However, Book's Christianity is of western influence. Mal also appears to have fairly western views, and considers Inara's occupation lowly rather than respectable. Admittedly, some of this judgment may be clouded by hidden feelings he has for her.

Typically, women in westerns do not own property at all. Instead, they are portrayed as house wives or daughters who stay home and clean while the men of the family work or tend to the family farm. A frequent alternative to this lifestyle is that of a female saloon woman, who bar tends or entertains, or even sells herself for her keep. All three roles are highly sexual, and often involve being below some form of male management. Both of the portrayals are highly dependent upon men for survival, while Inara and Helen are not. Lasciviousness is classically shamed rather than esteemed, yet both women manage to display their sexuality in a proud and respected way.

Not only is Ms. Ramirez portrayed as a powerful and independent woman, but a brave and wise one. Amy goes to her seeking advice, and she responds “If Kane was my man, I'd never leave him like this. I'd get a gun. I'd fight.” Curiously, this implies that she still has some romantic feelings for Kane, but the relationship has been over for quite some time regardless. She places Kane above her current lover, Harvey. “You're a good looking boy. You have big broad shoulders, but he [Kane] is a man. It takes more than big broad shoulders to make a man, Harvey, and you have a long way to go.” Otherwise, it could represent the respect she has for Kane.

Similar to Helen's rejection of Harvey, Inara also rejects potential mates. In the episode Shindig, Inara is invited to an upper class dance on the planet Persephone with a client. Artherton Wing is a renowned swordsman from an influential family, and has a great deal of wealth. He asks Inara to be his personal Companion. In other words, he would like her to be his personal mistress.

Inara still feels attached to the crew, particularly Mal, who is also attending the dance in order to get in touch with a contact and potentially land a job. Artherton does not help his case by being critical of her crew mates, and insults Serenity, calling her the slang equivalent of a “piece of shit.” Mal asks Inara to dance, in order to talk to her privately. Atherton soon interjects and tries to dance with Inara himself because “money changes hands.” He is treating her like a possession, and overprotective Mal punches Atherton in the face. Mal did not know it at the time, but on Persephone, punching someone is a challenge to a duel to the death by sword fight.

In the episode, Inara expresses concern that she is not getting any younger. Similar to a marriage, committing herself to Atherton would assure that Inara would live well and securely for the rest of her life. That appeal of the woman being supported by the husband is found ubiquitously throughout westerns. Atherton has a charming appearance, but as that charm wears away and the episode progresses, the audience sees more of his flaws. Shindig uses that stereotype to portray Inara as a stronger character by defying the predetermined expectation of a woman wanting to be supported by her husband. The character development is deepened further by the implication that she tempted by that traditional desire, but instead resists it.

Through Ms. Ramirez's apparent admiration for Kane in High Noon, we see that same contrast between Ms. Ramirez and Amy. While Ms. Ramirez lives an independent life, Amy is freshly married and she is financially dependent upon Kane. However, her assistance in the show down between Kane and Frank Miller shows that his well being is also reliant upon her.

Some similarities can also be seen between the show down in High Noon and the showdown in Shindig. Deceptively, Amy shoot's Frank Miller's crony in the back to assist Kane and potentially prevent him from being killed. To help Mal, Inara attempts to teach Mal how to fight properly, recalling her Companion training. Previously, he had no practice with a sword whatsoever, and would have likely been dead meat without her assistance.

Furthermore, when Mal is fighting Antherton, he is nearly slaughtered. Inara assists Mal by saying that she will come live with Anterton if he spares him. Like Amy in High Noon, Inara is facing Antherton's back when she chooses to support Mal. Antherton responds with surprize, and Mal corners him. Rather than arriving getting revenge by murder, Mal refuses to take his life and arrives at a truce with Antherton.

Although he lives, justice is reached in this episode. Enraged at his defeat, Antherton displays his true colors and says “You set this up, whore, after I bought you and paid for you. I should've beat you up good, so no one would want you.” In retaliation, Inara adds a black mark beside Antherton's name in the Companion's registry, so he will never be able to purchase their services again. Rather than siding with him in order to achieve the lifestyle she wanted, she has denied him her companionship because of his selfish actions, and asserted her own self worth.

While several people go to Ms. Ramirez for wisdom, many characters are also found seeking advice and comfort from Inara. The character who seems to disrespect her opinions is Book, due to philosophical disagreements that arise from his religious background contrasting with her line of work. However, he still tries to understand her and respect her as a person, despite his dislike of her occupation. As Mal makes clear in the episode Shindig, he respects her as a person, but does not respect all of her views or actions. However, he still holds a low degree of regard for her morals.

While Inara's role is sexualized in a positive way, Kaylee is somewhat more repressed. We see in Serenity that she was originally having sex with the ship's mechanic, and that is how Malcom learned of her mechanical abilities. Throughout the series, she is pursuing Simon, who is a class above her, and oblivious to her interest in him. Though she is not successful in the show itself, Simon and Kaylee successfully pair off in the movie. Unlike women in westerns, she is not chastised for having sex premaritally.

Kaylee's occupation emasculates her. Even in this futuristic universe, technical proficiency seems to be a rare talent for women. However, that divergence from the norm makes her abilities seem even more impressive. As I have previously mentioned, it was rare for women to have a role aside from companionship of one nature or the other. This makes her something of a Calamity Jane character.

In the episode Bushwhacked, Kaylee demonstrates her talent by releasing Serenity from a trap placed by the Reavers. Had she made a mistake, the ship would have been blown to pieces. However, without her on the crew, they would have stood no chance at being successfully freed.

Despite her apparent aptitude in mechanics, Kaylee is often criticized for her naivety, and portrayed as a girl rather than a woman. A similar innocence is seen in Amy in High Noon. She has been married, though she has not yet experienced sex. Amy is not necessarily unintelligent, but does appear to be uneducated, and sheltered after the death of several of her family members. Rather than arriving to her own decisions, she has to seek out the help of Ms. Ramirez. Kaylee often goes to Inara to talk about her feelings about Simon, as we see in the episode Safe. The two characters also share the similarity of pacifism and an admirably altruistic nature. Which Kaylee does not explicitly say that she would rather not hurt someone, she does not draw a gun even in potentially life-threatening situations.

In Shindig, she encounters a frilly pink dress in a shop window, and is smitten by it. When she finds out that she will be accompanying Mal to a fancy party on Persephone, it is like a childhood fantasy come true. She arrives in her dress, happy and beautiful. However, some of the rich guests encounter her, and criticize the garment by saying that it was obviously from a shop, rather than personally tailored for her. However, there is an interesting turn of events when an older gentleman takes her under his wing, and mocks the women for their shallowness.

We later see Kaylee enjoying herself at the party once more, with a crowd listening to her stories about working as a mechanic. Here, her tomboyish qualities are elevated. Not only are they masculine and more interesting to the men than a few pretty faces, but it becomes clear that she has knowledge about real life situations. Rather than looking foolish for enjoying her relatively inexpensive dress, the women look foolish for caring about such a thing to begin with. Though she lacks superficial sophistication, it is portrayed as a positive rather than a negative here.

The commonness of her character is also put down by Simon, though not intentionally. While she speaks in southern slang words like “ain't”, Simon has a rich and academic vocabulary. In the episode Safe, Kaylee, Simon, and Inara are shopping. Kaylee finds a plate that she thinks is particularly pretty, and thinks about what Simon would do if she bought it as a gift for him. As she is talking about the idea with Inara, he walks in with River, who quickly finds an item in the shop and starts to play with it.

Simon: River, careful with that, that's... What is it?
Kaylee: That's a post holer. You dig holes for posts.


Book: That right?

Simon: It's dirty and sharp. Come over here! (to River)

Here, we see Simon first ask Kaylee about the functionality of a tool that he is completely ignorant about. He does not thank her for the information. Instead, he downgrades the farmer's equipment, and her class indirectly, by simply calling it “dirty and sharp” rather than appreciating its usefulness. Next, he takes the plate she is holding and reads the decorative text, saying “Dear God. They ask money for this crap?” Kaylee looks a bit taken aback, but Simon is paying so much attention that he doesn't seem to notice. She attempts to continue small talk until he snaps at her.

Kaylee: I'm glad you're out. Give you a chance to loosen up a bit.

Simon: What's that supposed to mean? “Loosen up?”

Kaylee: Right... I just... well, you never seem to have any fun, is all.

Simon: Fun. Right. I consider this "fun." It's "fun" being forced to the ass-end of the galaxy, and get to live on a piece of garbage wreck and eat molded protein while playing nursemaid to my not entirely sane sister. "Fun."

Here, Simon makes a dire mistake by referring to Serenity as a “piece of garbage wreck. Her reaction to any insults regarding her beloved ship are similar to the over-protectiveness that you might see a character display regarding a horse, or a gun. Kaylee views Serenity as a beautiful and reliable vehicle, much like the biological complexities of an actual living creature. She often speaks to Serenity, calling her “girl” and praising the vessel when it pulls off a difficult maneuver. Heatedly, Kaylee the conversation cont:

Kaylee: Serenity ain't garbage.

Simon: I didn't mean...

Kaylee: Yes you did, you meant everything you just said.

Simon: Well, no... I was being ironic. In the strictest sense I...

Kaylee: You were being mean, is what, and if that's what you think of this life, then you

can't think much of them that choose it, can you?

The argument ends from here, when Simon is not sure how to defend himself. Kaylee is constantly belittled due to class, although she has one of the most reputable and honest jobs on the ship. Conversely, Inara maintains a positive reputation despite being comparable to a prostitute. Though his character is underdeveloped by the end of the series, we can see that Book likely has some dark secrets in his past; in the same episode, the reverend is shot, and mysteriously accepted for medical help my the Alliance.

Simon is a doctor, though he was privileged to get to that position. Kaylee was raised on the frontier, or the old west. Since she is so intelligent when it comes to fixing ships, it is safe to assume that with an equal amount of education, she would be quite respectable. Instead of academics, Kaylee enjoys the simplicity of hard work that is idealized in western films. Conversely, Simon wishes for safety and luxury. Kaylee would rather explore space and live on a ship, which is her mobile home. Due to her western morality, Book and Mal both seem to be very respectful and appreciative of Kaylee, and even watch over her as father figures.

In High Noon, Ms. Ramirez shares this quality. She never wishes to truly settle. Like Ms. Ramirez, Kaylee very rarely feels a sense of belonging. Here, we see a juxtaposition between the comforts of modern life in western society, and the allure of the vast frontier.

Zoe is perhaps the strongest and most capable woman on the show. She breaks countless gender stereotypes by being the dominant one in her relationship with Wash. Rather than depending on him to protect her, he instead must be dependent on her, since she is the primary source of defense for the ship. While Was is a competent pilot, he is never depicted with a gun.

The episode Bushwhacked says yards about their relationship. Each member of the crew is individually interviewed by alliance officers when they are found docked beside an abandoned ship. In the interview, Zoe is stark. She gives away as little information as possible, and is far from a blushing bride. When asked about her relationship with Wash, she refuses to give any details, and when asked why, she responds “Don't see how it's any of your business, is all. We are very private people.” The seen is cut to the interview with Wash, where he is saying “The legs. Oh yeah, definitely have to say it was her legs. You can put that down. Her legs, and where her legs meet her back. Actually, that whole area. That, and above it.”

Not only is Zoe adept at combat, but she is psychologically very stoic, rather than expressive like the typical helpless woman. In a tough situations, she remains calm. For example, when Book is shot in the episode Safe, Book is shot and wounded severely:

Zoe: Battle wounds are nothing new to me, Preacher. Seen men live with a

dozen holes in 'em that size.

Zoe: It surely is. Knew a man with a hole clean through his shoulder once.

He used to keep a spare hanky in there.

Although Zoe assures Book that he will be alright by comparing him to former combat buddies, it is clear from her expression that she knows the damage is life-threatening. Furthermore, the comment seems like more of a white lie when you consider that she and Mal were two of the few to survive their last battle. Not only is this degree of emotional control atypical to the western genre, but it is still the reverse of the prevalent unstable emotionality of women found in an abundance of modern media. We also see that she is being somewhat mothering, though indirectly. She is comforting Book, though in a joking, harsh sense.

Zoe idealizes Mal and considers him a hero, even though she followed him in a battle that they lost. She fulfills the trope of the “right hand man”, although her skills, knowledge, and common sense seem to surpass his. In The Message, Zoe is giving advice to another soldier:

Zoe: First rule of battle, little one. Don't ever let them know where you are.

Mal: Woo! Here I am! I'm right here! I'm right here! You want some of this? Yeah you do.

In this selection and others, her competence is illustrated as superior, or at least much more professional. Since Zoe is so calm, Mal often seems irrational. Rather than being an incapable sidekick, as you might see in a western, she is a contrasting character who draws attention to Mal's flaws rather than strengths. Instead of seeming indestructible, he is clearly human. Since Zoe follows him so strictly, it means that her life is in more danger than if it were in her own hands. Overall, it makes the audience quite concerned about the possibility of a situation turning bad, as they often do in Firefly. Since Zoe's duty to Mal is so strong, there is some friction between Mal and Wash. Mal seems to be unconcerned, but Wash wants to be Zoe's top priority. Fortunately, Zoe never has to choose between her loyalties.

The dynamic of leadership found in High Noon is comparable. Amy has strict beliefs against violence, yet chooses to follow her husband anyway. Though she does this for concern of his life more than confidence in his cause, she chooses to fight along side him because she feels such a strong sense of duty toward her husband. However, he is skeptical of his own cause, and the audience worries that the battle may end poorly for both of them.

River Tam is Simon's sister. After being forced into a government experiment because of her intellectual abilities, she escapes with a warrant and extreme psychological issues. When describing River's intelligence for the first time, Simon lists off his accomplishments, and explains that they are nothing in terms of his sister's abilities. River's character is definitely a stereotypical science fiction character, rather than a western one, particularly because the studies done on River are central to her character, yet the technology or knowledge of psychology was not present enough to have such profound effects. She is the result of civilized restriction, tampering, and governmental corruption rather than a lawless society.

However, River loves to square dance, and more importantly, she is an incredibly impressive shot. Her ability to shoot three men with three bullets in nearly no time at all is reminiscent of a villain. She would be excellent at show downs. Since the preconceived connection between the villain and sharp shooting exists, along with her instability, we are more likely to fear River as a potential threat rather than a useful crewmate.

The Reavers are the science fiction version of “savages.” They are found only in space, the equivalent of the wilderness and uncivilized space. They do not appear to communicate with humanity, and are rumored to rape and skin their victims. These rumors might have also been said about Native Americans. The Reavers are viewed as hostile and a seperate species, even though they are physically human. The survivor from Bushwhacked, and Mal's commentary provides us with some insight into the Reavers as well. They modify their bodies with piercings, which is a practice found ubiquitously throughout tribes in humanity.

Due to the early end of the series, we do not find out much about the exact details of experimentation. However, the movie Serenity does offer some slight resolution by implying that the bulk of her psychological problems stem from an understanding of the creation of the Reavers. Looking back at the episode Bushwhacked, she was drawn to the mysterious ship, and knew that the survivor from the carnage was having a break down without being in contact to him.

Both High Noon and Firefly portray women in roles atypical to the traditional western. Through examining these characters, we see the growing acceptance of alternative lifestyles for women. By contrasting them to the dependent or disrespected women common in the genre, we elevate the value of each skilled and dependent individual. All of the characters described are brave and capable women that represent social change and the progression toward sexual equality.