Xander Harris The Guy Who Fixes the Windows Essays - Buffy Summers

Xander Harris: The Guy Who Fixes the Windows Xander Harris: The Guy Who Fixes the Windows At its heart, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a story about empowerment. It is a television show that turns horror movie tropes upside down and transforms the stereotypical scared, blonde cheerleader into someone to be feared. Joss Whedon has been quoted as saying: The first thing I ever thought of when I thought of Buffy, the movie, was the little, blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed, in every horror movie. The idea of Buffy was to subvert that idea, that image, and create someone who was a hero where she had always been a victim (Whedon, Welcome to the Hellmouth, DVD Commentary). Whedon accomplished that goal, and for seven seasons gave young women someone they could look up to and be inspired by. Even though not in Joss Whedons original mission statement, he also gave young men a character to look up to and relate with in Alexander Lavelle Harris. Surprisingly, in a show whose focus is mainly on the strong female characters, Xander stands out to remind men that bein g average or normal does not mean they cannot make a difference. The prophecy of the Slayer states: "Into every generation, there is a chosen one. One girl in all the world. She alone will wield the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness; To stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. She is the Slayer." Unlike all slayers who came before her, Buffy breaks this prophecy in many ways. Most importantly: She alone will wield the strength and skill. It is true that Buffy Summers is the only girl who possesses the strength of the slayer [until Kendra, Faith and potentials show up], but as proven by her friends, slayer power is not the only strength required to stand against the forces of darkness. Willow, though not a slayer, proves to be as powerful, if not more than Buffy, with her Wiccan magic; and Xander, possessing no supernatural powers or training whatsoever, relies on the strength of his heart, and the faith and trust of his friends. Despite this fact, he effectively contributes to the team and has saved his super powered companions on many occasions. By examining Xanders role in the series and looking at ways he uses his everyman characteristics, it is clear that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is truly a show about empowerment, not only for women but for men as well. From the first moment the audience meets Xander, he is immediately seen as a character that is easily relatable to many young men. He is clumsy and is easily distracted by beautiful women, as shown when he bumps into Buffy in the first episode: Can I have you? ... uhh, Can I help you? (Welcome to the Hell Mouth, 1.1). This Freudian slip will be the first of many as Xanders subconscious desires work against him. The awkwardness continues as Xander and Buffy part ways: Xander: Well, uh, maybe I'll see you around. Maybe at school... since we...both... go there. Buffy: Great! It was nice to meet you. [leaves] Xander: We both go to school. Very suave. Very not pathetic. (1.1) His early awkwardness when he meets Buffy is an experience all male teenagers have gone through at some point. Xander has not had an easy life, but Joss does not focus on it, only revealing a few small details at a time throughout the series. The way in which Joss hides many of the details of Xanders home life and up bringing is reminiscent of how a teenage boy would hide aspects of his life of which he is embarrassed. Like a regular guy, Xander over time becomes more comfortable with Buffy, and eventually Anya, opening up more and letting a few more of his secrets out. Xander has a very detailed backstory with which many men around his age can identify. Xander's father was a depressed alcoholic while his mother was a battered mess; both parents were negligent and even abusive towards Xander, leaving him with various insecurities. Xander dated his best friend Willow