Buffy the Vampire Slayer was once the most-watched children’s and youth series. The project, which was launched in 1997 by Mutant Enemy Productions, was designed by Joss Whedon. Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is a high school student who has just moved to the town of Sunnydale and is also a vampire hunter. Buffy, who tries to fulfill this duty that has been passed down from generation to generation, also wants to be like a normal high school student. Buffy, who follows her destiny, experiences a seven-season adventure with her friends who help her on this journey.
Buffy initially has difficulty adapting to these duties and responsibilities, but as she sees the people whose lives she touches and understands the importance of her responsibilities, she becomes more willing to compromise her normal life. The points she cannot give up become her strengths. The friendships she thinks she should stay away from become loyal friends who help her in her duties. Her greatest forbidden love becomes her greatest supporter.
Her friends Xander and Willow accidentally learn that Buffy is a secret vampire hunter and decide to help her. Angel, a vampire who has managed to keep his soul, helps Buffy and informs her about the vampire world. The love that will form between them will be their greatest curse.
Vampire Depictions and Psychoanalysis
Vampires are fear-based creatures mentioned even in the oldest mythologies. We know that they are depicted differently in the myths and legends of many different cultures. This commonality is interesting and points to a common aspect of this myth for humanity. Since Bram Stoker’s Dracula, one of the most famous vampires, the appearance of vampires in literature and cinema has increased. Their general characteristics are described as creatures that are immortal, suck blood, have superhuman strength and speed, and act with lust and instinct. In fact, they are often depicted with animal characteristics rather than human characteristics.
These boundless and pleasurable descriptions of vampires remind us of Jacques Lacan’s concept of jouissance. Lacan defines jouissance as painful pleasure. This pleasure also points to boundlessness and integrity. The boundlessness in this pleasure is the painful part of jouissance. I think that vampires appear as representations of the concept of jouissance in myths with their immortality and their unceasing passion for hunting. The melancholic depictions of vampires also reinforce their definition with this concept. The depictions mentioned in Buffy the Vampire Slayer are in line with this. The vampires mentioned in the series are described as losing their souls and becoming demons, and are treated more like animals than humans. Their only purpose is to hunt humans and try to expand their kingdom. They continued their lives by terrorizing the people of Sunnydale in endless pleasure and enjoyment.
Buffy and Psychoanalysis
The character of Buffy, unlike vampires, constantly gives up her pleasure and prioritizes her duties and responsibilities. Since becoming a vampire hunter, her biggest dream is to return to her old, normal high school student life. She always feels jealousy towards her friends and tries to act like them when she gets the chance. However, trying to be an ordinary high school student in addition to her duties is almost impossible. Buffy, who cannot study for her lessons and cannot get out of trouble, is also constantly in trouble with authority figures.
Buffy represents a castrated subject by giving up her pleasures. According to Lacan, the castrated subject abandons the concept of jouissance and chooses desire. This means working hard and taking responsibility in order to desire. Desire is not permanent, it requires effort and changes when it is achieved as a result of effort. Buffy first tries to fulfill her duties out of necessity, as a result she thinks she is protecting her acquaintances and does her job with this desire. However, later she realizes that she is helping everyone she knows and does not know living in the town. Her desire has now changed places. In order to live out these desires, he constantly works, improves himself and tries to hunt vampires.
In Conclusion
Vampires are mythical creatures found in all cultures and are the representation of Lacan’s concept of jouissance. Their representation with eternal life and power reflects the limitlessness of their pleasure. This limitlessness brings their pleasure to the peak while at the same time causing them pain.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer series contributes to these depictions of vampires. At the same time, the Buffy character reflects the castrated subject, which is the exact opposite of vampires. She puts her pleasures aside and prioritizes her responsibilities and duties, preferring the desires that come with them.
In short, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a beautiful work that will make you think while watching it and take you on a beautiful and entertaining adventure of seven seasons.