Tara: 1st Anniversary Character Posting Party
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Being shy is a thing, a lot of people are shy and with what she appeared to have gone through, it appears to me quite normal actually. But anyone noticed how much she's the more mature of the scoobies. Even more than Giles sometimes. A lot of exemple come to my mind : in Yoko Factor, when scoobies start to have a fight, she just take Anya to the bathroom because she knew that they had to deal with their issues by their own at first. In the Body, she really is the only one who knows how to deal with death, and how to comfort people. Not only because she didn't knew Joyce for a very long time but because she had learn from her life experiences. Then in Forever, when she did her little speach about witches responsabilities, and about what can be done and what cannot, and how to deal with death, that was quite mature, even more if we compare to Willow's reaction. "You make a place for her in your heart. It's sort of like she becomes a part of you. " "Magic can't be used to alter the natural order of things." "Because witches can't be allowed to alter the fabric of life for selfish reasons. Wiccans took an oath a long time ago to honor that." She always wonders about consequences of acts, so I believe that, if Willow has to get a little darker next season, she will be the one who'll help her to get back. Ok, I agree that in Family she didn't act very maturily but everyone has a dark side and can lose control about one specific thing. Then her idealism. Well, I'll come back with some of the same scene because these were quite her strongest moments but I'll had some others. She appears to really believe that respecting rules and morality will make the world a better one. The first scene that comes to my mind is in Forever. The exact same speach about witches is very very idealistic. She has the power to do things that could lower Dawn's pain but she believes that if witches doesn't follow rules, the world would get upside down. she's against sellfishness which is idealist too, because everyone are sellfish, at least a little. She prooved what whe said in Tough Love. Everybody would have understand if she would have give up Dawn under torture. I mean Giles did in Becoming part 2. I believe that at a point, a human body cannot stand torture without giving up. But she didn't. I know there is a lot more things to say about it, but I'll maybe come back later coz I really don't have anymore time now. |
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May I disagree slightly with this? I don't think this was a question of maturity, but a result of her desire not to lose her 'new' family. Obviously, the way she was brought up was the influence here - she desperately didn't want the Scoobies, and especially Willow, to find out that she (as she mistakenly thought) was a demon, and, once again, we are shown that magic is not something to be used hastily. The spell Tara used could have had fatal consequences, and she didn't think it through, any more than Willow did in Something Blue'. I don't think it was her 'dark' side, but her frightened side which came to the fore. Wiccagirl - loved the first 'Anniversary Post'! |
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Tara is, in many ways, a conservative character. She operates in the existing framework, not wishing to disturb the status quo. When we first see her, she is in the Sunnydale University Wicca group. Even though the group are obviously not interested in magic, Tara sticks with them. She would rather conserve her postion (however lowly it might be) than risk losing it by speaking out, even though she is learning nothing from them. We can see the same dynamics when we look at her approach to the scooby gang. She does not like to talk about her feelings of isolation, (broaching the subject to Willow makes her feel very uncomfortable), and prefers to stand on the sidelines thumb-wrestling with Dawn whilst the gang investigate the murder scene (she actually refers to herself as a non-scooby in "The Real Me"). This need to follow existing rules and perceived group norms is also present in her view of magic. In "Forever" she tells Dawn that ressurecting the dead isn't possible, and when conradicted by Willow explains that it isn't possible because Wiccans took an oath not to perform such spells. To Tara the oath is a tie that binds her options. She can only work within the given parameters established hundreds of years ago (contrast her attitude with Willow's who, whilst agreeing with Tara vocally, surreptitiously helps Dawn). The crucial episode to look at when dealing with Tara is "Family". We can clearly see how Tara became the woman she was. Imagine what it must have been like to be told that you aren't human. That you have a demon inside you, that you are, to some extent, evil from birth. That, at some point, that demon will come forth and that you will not be able to prevent it by yourself......you will need your family. What do you do? You hide, you draw back and avoid attention. You try to learn about magic. You seek out groups, try to make yourself a new family, people who wont be shocked and disgusted by what you are. You don't get angry, you don't raise your voice because there is an evil demon in you just waiting to burst out. So, when her blood family come looking for her, she acts true to her form. She allows her arguments to be beaten down, she accepts the prevailing group view, and is prepared to go home with her family, no matter how unhappy it makes her feel, until Willow and the rest of the SG's show her that she has a new family, a new group she can be part of. We can see the change in her attitude in "Shadow" where she is able to interact with the rest of the group as an equal, giving her views on the Magic Box yellow pages advert ("Catchy in a hard to say type way"), and contradicting Giles' view on Glory (telling him she thinks Glory is something very old, rather than something new). She does call Giles "Mr Giles" (shades of Joyce there), but whether this is because she doesn't feel entirely comfortable, or whether she is just being over-ly polite is debatable. We see her compassion and willingness to listen in "The Body" and "Forever" offering emotional support to both Buffy and Dawn (maybe deserving the title "comfortador" more than Xander). Then, in "Tough Love" we are reminded of how fragile Tara's new found confidence is. In her argument with Willow we see a number of her fears laid bare. She is scared of being abandoned by Willow, afraid that Willow is just going through a phase, and that Willow doesn't feel what Tara feels. More worringly she fears where Willow's powers are leading her. Her first fear, fear of rejection, is answered quite beautifully in "The Gift" (who amongst us didn't feel a warm glow when Willow told Tara that she would always find her?), but her second fear might yet prove to be a valid one. And lets not overlook the fact that Tara FACED DOWN A GOD in "Tough Love", even when she was in incredible pain and knew that she would lose her sanity if she didn't cooperate. Brave woman. Tara, like Oz, provides support for Willow, and is able to help her grow as a magic user in ways that Oz couldn't. She can help Willow use her natural talents, and prevent her from going too far down paths best avoided, as long as she doesn't allow herself to be ignored. If we step outside the box for a moment we can also appreciate the other qualities Tara brings to the show. She is different. Her body shape and her sexuality are rarely seen on American TV, and the writers of BtVS should be applauded for bringing her onto the show. And yet........ Well, it's when I step outside the box that I begin to have problems with Tara. I truly believe that the character has been let down by pedastrian acting and awful writing. It really annoys me to see a character with such great potential used in such a sloppy, cliche-ridden way. Anyway....... Tara does seem to operate as an empowerer; someone who strengthens others (augmenting Willows telekenetic abilities in "Hush" and "The Gift"), avoids conflcts (refusing to get involved in the Anya/Willow argument in "Triangle"), and helps to heal wounds (giving comfort to Buffy in "The Body"). An Earth Mother to Willow's Sky Father, perhaps? Once again, thanks to Wiccagrrl for kicking off the 1st anniversary celebrations with such a nice first post. But where's the birthday cake? And the balloons? And the party poppers, and the pressies, huh? Huh? |
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I also believe that Tara's most important episodes are "Family" and "Tough Love;" however, I disagree that Amber's acting is "pedestrian." The fight in "Tough Love" between the women was more intense because of Tara's subdued, meek response -- a stark contrast to the accusations, innuendoes, and final melodramatic storming out by Willow. To me, this scene demonstrated that Tara has a long way to go before she escapes from her upbringing -- I see little difference between the way Willow treated Tara and the way Tara's family treated her. Tara escaped from one abusive situation to find herself in another. Am I reading too much into the exchange? Well, there are other times when I question whether Willow was as dedicated to the relationship as Tara was -- in "Triangle", for example, Willow and Anya are fighting over Xander. In IWMTLY, we saw this exchange (regarding April -- Taken from Pyche's Transcripts): XANDER: Somehow I don't think a girl that looks like that's gonna be lonely for too long. WILLOW: Definitely not. (Willow grins and nods, then notices Tara, who frowns and folds her arms.) WILLOW: Oh, not me, I, I was just saying, a pretty girl like that, there's always someone lurking around, looking for some action. And in "The Gift": XANDER: Smart chicks are soooo hot. (looking fondly at Anya) WILLOW: You couldn't have figured that out in tenth grade? Willow and Xander exchange a smile. (Xander is flirting with Anya, but Willow is flirting with Xander) I would say that even without knowing the Xander/Willow history (Clothes Fluke era) that Tara has plenty to be apprehensive about in her relationship with Willow. Furthermore, a Willow/Tara break-up would cut Tara off from all her friends (as happened with Cordelia and Oz). She has severed ties with her own family and has no visible means of support -- she is dependent upon Willow in many respects. Perhaps the ordeal that Tara and Willow have just gone through will bring them closer together and the conflicts will melt away. But perhaps Willow triumphing over Glory by bringing Tara back to reality will eliminate whatever parity was left in the relationship. I have like Amber's acting. She is a beautiful person, but manages to convey the impression that Tara is awkward and ungainly in many instances. In "Who Am I," especially, I felt bad for her when eerily perceptive Faith (in Buffy's body) reduced her to quivering wreck. Sure, her acting isn't Olivier, but Olivier was always a bit over the top for my tastes. |
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In her family, females are told that they are part demon. Growing up, surrounded by that stigma surely affected how she was treated by others, both her own age and older. She was surely taunted and teased by brothers and cousins while older family members treated her like a second-class citizen. She felt worthless. Her mother was most likely the only shining light in her life, offering her understanding and attention and when her mother died, Tara was once again beaten down. If we had seen her character while her mother was alive perhaps she would be vastly different. But a few years of no one to turn to for a kind word or even a physical touch of acceptance taught her that she wasn't one of the worthy members of society and that her lot was simply to stand on the outside looking in. As we saw in Family, even the female members of her family treated her with jibes because she would continue to try to have people love her. She had hope that one day someone would look at her with love and acceptance and her female family members resented it. They tore with rapacious claws at the shaky walls surrounding her hope not only because such hope had long since been beat out of them, but also because it was kinder to destroy it instead of allowing her to continue in servitude with the vain hope that she mattered. Suppose one day her brother or father smiled at her and said thank you for some small act that she did, perhaps a cake that she made. She could have opened herself up, started talking, trying to suggest other recipes that she could try, other occasions, and so on. They would look at her first with amusement, allowing her to continue for a few minutes, then they would put her back in her place. She would learn not to offer her opinion. Not to open herself up. But she is simply not the sort of person who can harden herself against family and so she would continue to hope. She would be the dog who's been kicked repeatedly but still fawns, desperate and pathetic, over her master. We see all of this in her character when she thinks Willow has chosen Oz over her. A grim acceptance that once again she tried to fool herself into thinking she was worth something, that she could be loved. And she was so desperate not to let the stigma she grew up with to destroy this love that she screwed up that demon-finding spell. Family was a turning point for Tara because it showed her that she is accepted as who she is. And that there is no secret that her friends would not accept. They are most likely the first and only friends she has ever had and this shows in her physical uncomfortableness around them. She fidgets, doesn't know where to stand, sit, always wants to help, but doesn't want to offer her opinion because surely the great Scoobies know much more than she could offer. And some part of her feels like their pet, not like truly one of them. Before Family, she dressed in drab, oversized clothing and it is only recently that she has started to personalize herself. Her confidence is improving. Willow's love helps her overcome her feelings of worthlessness but she feels that it is not permanent. One day Willow will wake up and realize that she could do better. And Tara is happy for every moment she has with Willow until then. Haven't any of us been in a relationship that we felt was out of our league? We don't want to argue, differ in opinion or even wear any clothes that might not be liked. Basically we don't want to rock the boat in case that one small act is what brings the other person back to the reality that we are basically losers. I know I've felt like that. It is only the love of a great man (and don't anybody dare to tell him that or there'll be no living with him!) that's given me the freedom to live beyond the confines I've set for myself. I see a lot of myself in Tara and hope that Willow's love allows her to become more than herself, to touch that inner core of limitless potential that she had blocked off for fear of failure and rejection. Tara is a deceptively quiet character. But, as my father says, silent waters run deep. She has the complex nuances that tug and wind themselves into your affection. I also find it interesting the choice of name. Tara is home. It was the ancient hall of high kings in Ireland, their mecca, where wisdom and grandness lived. It is also, spelled Terra, Earth. She is the earth mother, pure and deep, simple yet beautiful. I hope that is a sign of what her character will become. |
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Kinda reminds me of a very nice quote from a W/T fanfic that was posted at he Kittenboard. (Sorry, I don't remember who the author was, but I do remember the quote, especially because a couple of people were using it as a sig line.) It was set after Tough Love but before Tara's been restored. And Willow's crying. And Tara says: "A Willow is a tree that weeps, but Tara is firmer and will hold." |
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Tara Tibetan Sgrol-ma, Buddhist saviour-goddess with numerous forms, widely popular in Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia. She is the feminine counterpart of the bodhisattva ("Buddha-to-be") Avalokiteshvara. According to popular belief, she came into existence from a tear of Avalokiteshvara, which fell to the ground and formed a lake. Out of its waters rose up a lotus, which, on opening, revealed the goddess. Like Avalokiteshvara, she is a compassionate, succouring deity who helps men "cross to the other shore." She is the protectress of navigation and earthly travel, as well as of spiritual travel along the path to Enlightenment. In Tibet she is believed to be incarnate in every pious woman, and the two wives--a Chinese princess and a Nepali princess--of the first Buddhist king of Tibet, Srong-brtsan-sgam-po, were identified with the two major forms of Tara. The White Tara (Sanskrit: Sitatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-dkar) was incarnated as the Chinese princess. She symbolizes purity and is often represented standing at the right hand of her consort, Avalokiteshvara, or seated with legs crossed, holding a full-blown lotus. She is generally shown with a third eye. Tara is also sometimes shown with eyes on the soles of her feet and the palms of her hands (then she is called "Tara of the Seven Eyes," a form of the goddess popular in Mongolia). The Green Tara (Sanskrit: Shyamatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-ljang) was believed to be incarnated as the Nepali princess. She is considered by some to be the original Tara and is the female consort or sexual partner of Avalokiteshvara. She is generally shown seated on a lotus throne with right leg hanging down, wearing the ornaments of a bodhisattva and holding the closed blue lotus (utpala). The white and green Taras, with their contrasting symbols of the full-blown and closed lotus, are said to symbolize between them the unending compassion of the deity who labours both day and night to relieve suffering. Under the influence of Tibetan Lamaism the different forms of Tara multiplied to a traditional 108. Tibetan temple banners frequently show 21 different Taras, coloured white, red, and yellow, grouped around a central green Tara. The figure of the "self-born" Buddha, Amitabha, is often shown in her headdress, as she, like Avalokiteshvara, is considered to be an emanation of Amitabha. In her ferocious, blue form, invoked to destroy enemies, she is known as Ugra-Tara, or Ekajata; as a red goddess of love, Kurukulla; and as a protectress against snake bite, Janguli. The yellow Bhrkuti is an angry Tara, with frowning brows. |
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According to the tale I was told, the young woman immediately took two vows. First, to seek enlightenment and still return to the world, until all sentient beings could join her in bliss (thus becoming a Bhodissatva). Second, to incarnate only in female bodies forever. This Tara rocks! Look back on Amber's quote for a moment (Wiccagrrl's initial posting). Any connection? |
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I don't think Tara is a loser and I don't think your a loser. Also remember Willow really was a lot like Tara is now. maybe Tara just needs the time to grow like Willow did. |
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Tara's upbringing surely molded the woman she would become, though I think that without the presence of her mother sheltering and guiding her, she would be hardened and not as open to love. Not to mention, most likely not be as brave as she is. It really is too bad that we never got to meet this woman who instilled such morals and values in Tara. Basically, I was just trying to show how the character portrays herself. What is her center of gravity and the thoughts and emotions that make her the Tara we know and love. I used to act and direct theatre and so that is my habit of deconstrucing a character - to climb right on in and see how that person sees herself, then analyze how that affects the way she sees the world. Analyzing how others see her is infinitely more difficult for me and I am in awe of the wonderful posts in this discussion. My little grey cells are working overtime trying to keep up! Solitude, I love that text about the Buddhist saviour-goddess meaning of Tara. I'm sure there's a reason why Joss chose that name and you might have hit the nail on the metaphorical head! |
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Is our Tara perhaps the source of Willow's power and her true home as Tara was for Scarlett? |
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Just want to make sure we don't overlook the obvious: Tara's lesbianism. Sure, the Scoobies accept her, we would expect no less of them, even though they may have been initially *surprised* by Willow's revelation, but that kind of acceptance of sexual preference is probably not the norm in Tara's world. I think you guys must have discussed this before I found ATPoBtVS, the whole Wicca/lesbian analogy thing...the point being, Tara, shy as she is, has been very, very brave in refusing to hide neither her spiritual practice nor her sexuality. She may seem awkward, and stammer and stutter with insecurity, but, boy howdy, she walks her talk! Just my $.02 ;o) |
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Well, I'm hoping, and I'll be thrilled if and when it happens... |
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Like I said in my first two posts on this subject, Tara has so much potential, but the writers seem happy to waste it. |
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I was reminded of this when I thought about 'The Body' and the way Tara just seemed to appear next to Buffy when she was losing hope - it was important that later on, as Buffy got more and more stressed out that there was no comfort / that everything was on the line. I agree that it is frustrating sometimes when a character seems to remain underdeveloped for a while, but the story has to come first and I think that's what happened here. |
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I really loved reading everyone's posts on Tara. She is one of the characters I really struggle to understand, because it's not really immediately obvious to me what her role in the Buffyverse actually is. She's like an enigma to me. In some ways, I think she's almost completely defined by her relationship to Willow. Now, I love that relationship. It portrays the the softer and sweeter side of love (which counterbalances Xander/Anya's relationship of earthy sexuality, and Buffy/Angel's relationship of love as pain). But it's hard for me to get a read on her as an individual. The ep that reveals the most about her as an individual is, of course, Family. Now, this is an ep which takes a direction different than Joss's original plan. At first, Tara was actually to be a demon (or part demon) and this ep would define her history. But Joss made a change, and the ep, instead of defining her in terms of what she is (demonic), defines her in terms of what she's isn't (demonic). So I'm still left with the sense: 'Okay, I know who she isn't. But who is she? Is her only function to serve as Willow's love interest?' Now I'm wondering if Tara is Joyce's spiritual/symbolic replacement. Joyce functioned IMHO as a grounding maternal force within the Buffyverse. Tara has now begun to articulate some of that same earthly, maternal wisdom. I can see Tara making cocoa for everyone, can't you? Is Tara the Gaia or Demeter of the Buffyverse? And will we eventually see the darker side of her? |
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You basically hit my comment right on here. I think Tara is going to be very instrumental in keeping Willow on the light side. Willow has already proven that she is willing to take chances that could have serious repercussions to protect the people she loves. In doing so, she is becoming far stronger and may reach a point where she can no longer control what she has become. Hopefully, Tara will be able to keep her on the right path. My only issue with the relationship between the two gals is the sing-song, dippy attitude that became more pronounced in Season 5. Sometimes, I just wanted to knock their heads together and scream "College Girls?? GROW UP ALREADY!" (They especially made me insane in the interview in Checkpoint. I am not convinced they were that naive.) I love Seth Green. I loved the Oz character, but the sweetness of Willow and Tara's relationship seems more real and the love they have for each other is obvious. However, I still believe that Willow's one-liners, covert looks and side comments to Xander in just about every episode exhibit far more chemistry and love than with either Tara or Oz. First love doesn't always die and I would love to see some conflict in the future between the three of them. (Anya and Xander don't work for me, but that's for another time :0) |
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For a great deal of my childhood, I was the same way. In public, I would very rarely raise my voice above a murmer and always doubted my ability to interact with other people. Most other kids in school do not understand how to deal with a child like this, and so brand them "weird," "loser," etc. as usual because they are different. I think that this non-understanding of shy people extends into adulthood. Many people think someone is being rude, cold, or distant, when in fact the person is just painfully shy. They do not choose to be so. I luckilly have outgrown this and have worked to battle my shyness, as it seems Tara does now. But the fact remains is that I remember clearly how it feels. A character who does not talk a lot does not necessarily make them "cardboard." I find every character on "Buffy" to be extremely multifaceted, and real people to boot. I think a lot of the viewers who react to Tara negatively is a reaction to the same way they feel about shy people they meet in life: they don't understand them and so think they have no personality or depth. As we have seen with Tara, when she is alone with Willow, or once she became more comfortable with the Scooby Gang, she opened up more, has shown her sense of humor and bright personality. She's just more guarded with it. I give the script writers great credit in understanding how to write a quiet character, and Amber Benson even more for being able to convey so much about this character through her eyes and facial reactions. Her face says so much that words do not need to express. That's why I think it was so fitting that she first appeared in "Hush." I believe the character of Tara is very important to the spiritual center of the entire show. She is a calm, loving, maternal figure, whose benevolence has touched all of the characters. And she and Willow's relationship is one of the most touching and healthy ones we are likely to see on television or in the movies for a long time. Rarely do we see people with such unabashed love for each other: the fact that she's a lesbian matters little. Rarely do we see straight people with such passion. The most beautiful moment in the show's history was not, I believe, any of Buffy and Angel's passionate embraces and kisses, but that quietly beautiful scene at the end of "Family," where Tara and Willow danced in the middle of the party and slowly began to rise into mid-air, subtly hovering over the crowd. And Willow's promise to Tara in "The Gift" that she would always find her broke my heart into a million pieces as well. |
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But to sum, yes, I agree, it's horrible that Amber felt she had to defend herself. Personally, I think she's one of the sexiest on the cast, though Willow is a close second. (But sorry, Evil Willow beats 'em all, hands-down.) |
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We've got to stop living in this world where women need to be a size 0 to retain their attractiveness on TV. I'm sure to a certain extent that male actors suffer from this as well. |
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--- ~ end of thread ~ |