“When we last left our hero, he had introduced himself as a champion of character! Now, he aims to take on Joss Whedon’s character, Shepherd Book from the popular one-season t.v. show, Firefly. Will Joy-Rider find something good about this character? Or is Shepherd Book really a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Read on, dear explorers to find out!”
Hello all!
First off, I need to know what to call you people. In the blurb above, you were called explorers. Is that good with you? If you’re reading my blog, it probably means you want to explore character a lot better so maybe explorers is the best word for you… for now, that’s what I am going to call the readers of this blog. So… yeah…
Hello explorers!
As mentioned above, today we will be looking at Shepherd Book from Firefly. The reason I wanted to tackle this character was because of how Christians are normally portrayed in media. I am a Christian and I have seen a lot of Christians portrayed in really two different ways. In V for Vendetta, Christians are portrayed a power-hungry government control freaks. Although this portrayal is seen in real life (Just check out Rick Perry’s terrible Strong video on youtube… clearly a “Christian” who is trying to force his view of morality on others) I feel like it is an unfair portrayal of the average Christian. No, to find a fair portrayal of the average Christian, you have to go to the movie Easy A starring Emma Stone. In it, she runs into a group of “Christians” who are overly judgmental and have no problem with being sinful because, well, they have God on their side. This attitude is seen most often in fringe groups like Westboro Baptist Church but I have also seen it in famous preachers (who I will not name) who lead thousands of people in their congregation. I have also seen it in students at the Christian college I go to. Students, by the way, who are studying to be pastors and missionaries.
I put the word “Christian” in quotes because I do not believe these people represent what it means to be a Christian. They may say they are Christians, but they do not act like Christians. They think the best thing to do is to force their ways on others or to judge people harshly even though they don’t know them. They feel sin is perfectly acceptable because they have a relationship with Jesus (something I would question because of their actions).
Then you have Shepherd Book. He is the type of Pastor I want to be when (if) I graduate. I could tell you all the reasons I love Shepherd Book, but this is a character study and so instead I am going to look at how Christianity affects the way Shepherd Book acts in certain situations. After all, no one really refers to his first name even though he has one. His connection to Jesus is so prevalent to his character that everyone just refers to him by his title (Shepherd is used in place of the title “Pastor” or “Minister”). I’m going to look at a few different things about Shepherd Book (the way he looks, the way he acts, etc.…) in order to flesh out how this is influenced by his Christianity. So let’s jump right in, shall we?
Appearance:
What we look like and how we talk is often a great reflection of who we are inside and it is also the first thing we notice about people. I wear a lot of green and use a lot of green when I present myself because I am all about regeneration and life. Green is often associated with trees and other plants which usually have a tendency to grow back and live after being torn down.
Take a look at Shepherd Book. What do you notice?
His smile and eyes give him away quite well. The smile is only slight. It is neither big nor extravagant. It tells me that he is a simple man. His eyes show a mixture of joy and forethought or wisdom if you will. I think it could be safe to assume he is at peace, but he has a lot of experience, He has a past. Beyond that, his clothes are simple. Grey is a very neutral color and he is often seen wearing it. He is also seen standing up for what’s right instead of what others may perceive to be right making grey the best color for him to wear.
Overall, Shepherd Book looks like a man who yearns for peace and has some of it as well. The other examples of Christians I listed above seemed to have a flare for the extravagant. It shows in some of the things they wear and in the way they act. Although (according to the Bible) Jesus was pretty a pretty extravagant guy, He was always humble and preferred a simple way of life. He also encouraged others to live a simple life. Everything about Shepherd Book’s outfit and face says that about him He’s not dumb, but he is simple and wants a simple, peaceful solution to any and all problems he comes across.
Behavior:
Obviously, the most important part of someone’s character is not so much what they look like but how they act on a day-to-day basis. Shepherd Book may look like a peaceful man with tons of experience, but if he doesn’t live that way, what good is it?
The first thing that really impressed me about how Shepherd Book lives is the way he treated Inara. While Malcolm Reynolds treated her like a common whore (she was a prostitute, but she was also a bit more than that according to the culture they all live in) Shepherd Book treated her like a human being and an equal. In fact, his second meeting with her was when he brought food into her shuttle, Inara commented to Shepherd Book visiting her by saying, “So… would you like to lecture me on the wickedness of my ways”.
Shepherd Book responds by saying, “I brought you some supper, but if you prefer a lecture, I have a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin and hell fire. One even has lepers.”
Of course you lose something when it is written out like that. You lose the sarcasm. Shepherd Book was being playful with someone who (according to the book he follows) is beneath him morally. He is more concerned with showing her love than showing her contempt or judgment. He brings her food and shows love to her. It reminds me of the story of the woman caught in adultery. After Jesus told the people hurting the female adulterer that only someone without sin could cast the first stone, everyone started walking away. When Jesus and this woman were alone, Jesus (eventually) told her to go and sin no more. He didn’t excuse what she did, but he didn’t hold it against her either.
Because nothing extreme has happened yet (there were only introductions at this point… no fighting) we can only conclude that Shepherd Book acts like this on a regular basis. This is his go-to stance. See someone, love them. That is who Shepherd Book is.
Extreme Situations:
Shepherd Book at one point quotes a warrior poet from 208 b.c. who says something along the lines of, "Live with a man forty years. Share his house, his meals… speak on every subject… then tie him up, and hold him over the volcano's edge. And on that day, you will finally meet the man.” The meaning of this is quite clear; you don’t know a man until you’ve seen him in the most extreme situation.
Luckily, being a sci-fi action show, there are plenty of extreme situations in the first episode!
*SPOILERS*
So, there is a part in the first episode where they find a traitor on board. The traitor ends up being a government official looking for two other passengers on board (not the crew, but passengers). Shepherd Book warns the captain of this betrayal but he also protects the government official despite the possibility of Shepherd Book being killed by the crew of the ship. All he is, after all, is another passenger and one they have only just met. Why should they spare his life? Shepherd Book lays his own life on the line for someone who is quite possibly a terrible enemy. One does not have to stretch their imagination too far to see Jesus doing this for someone else. After all, Jesus did tell people to love their enemies!
*END SPOILERS*
There are many other circumstances where Shepherd Book shows he is a man who knows what the right thing to do is even if it looks like the worst thing to do. If I had not rambled on so much earlier, I could tell you, but if I did that, then you may not watch the show (which you really should do). Shepherd Book is willing to suffer and die so that the right thing can be upheld.
All in all, Shepherd Book is the best representation of Christianity I have ever seen in pop-culture. He is simple, loving, peaceful, and willing to sacrifice. He is truly a great Christian.
But is he a good character? Well, I would say, yes, he is. A good character should remind us of ourselves so we have a connection to them. Even a villain has to remind us a bit about ourselves if the villain is to be a good character. For example, the Joker. In The Dark Knight, the Joker is not presented as a bumbling fool. He is presented as a criminal genius who wants to spread anarchy. As sick as this is, I’ve felt that way before. I’ve wanted anarchy, or at least a watered down version of it. Back in my high school days, I smoked pot and did not understand why it was illegal. I was willing to break the law, because what is the law good for if I can’t get high? A great example of this is the law against distracted driving. It causes accidents and the lives of innocent people, but a lot of people do it. Why? Because they don’t think the law should apply to them. The Joker is the most extreme example of this that I have seen, but it’s the same idea, really. He reminds us what anarchy is and he reminds us that we do at times desire it.
Shepherd Book does the opposite. He reminds us that good is worth fighting for. He reminds us of our nobler spirit. The one that tells us to buck up and do the right thing! It’s easy to look at a prostitute and not agree with what she’s doing. It’s a lot harder to look at one, not agree with what she’s doing, and then offer her food without forcing your beliefs on her. Shepherd Book is well thought out. He has dimensions to him. He doubts his faith and actions at times, but he stays true to who he is.
Joss Whedon didn’t just make a great character, he made a great Christian character. He made up someone who is loving to everyone but discerns the best way to show that love. He dresses according to how he acts, and he acts in a way that speaks to how he presents himself in every other regard.
Shepherd Book is a wonderful character.
Well, that is my first attempt at looking critically at a character. Let me know, oh fellow explorers, what you think about Shepherd Book. Also, let me know what I should do in the future. Stay tuned next week (or whenever I decide to write another one of these) for another look In Character!
Sincerely,
Joy-Rider!
“Who will Joy-Rider look at next? Will it be a friend, or foe? Find out next time in: IN CHARACTER!”
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