From: ramsey@cua.edu (Betsy Ramsey)
Subject: Re: B7 Character Analysis
Keywords: Blakes 7, Blake, Avon
Organization: The Catholic University of America
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 03:39:02 GMT

In article <1992Nov13.011603.3838@netcon.cua.edu> Dorian <dejordy@faxon.com>
writes:

> [...] it is Avon himself that keeps Blake's mission alive during the
> fourth season.  [...] it is clear that he is never far from Avon's
> thoughts.

Yes, in fact it often seems to me as if Avon is deliberately trying to
distract himself from thinking about Blake in the third season prior
to Terminal.  First he throws himself into scientific investigation of
the sopron, then for no apparant reason he gets it in his head to go
kill Shrinker, and, after some distractions not of his own making in
"Sarcophagus" and "Ultraworld", he (pretty much unconsciously, IMO)
involves himself more and more in Blake's cause.  He follows Servalan
in "Moloch", he intervenes in her little scheme in "Death-Watch".  And
after "Terminal", he deliberately takes up Blake's cause: "Vila, I
won't run!"

Avon was speaking of Servalan, but I agree with you, Dorian.  It's
actually Blake who is never far from his thoughts.

> During the first season [Blake is] just a little too altruistic and
> forgiving.  Avon in particular treats Blake terribly all during the
> first season.  And Blake lets him get away with it!

Well, I think that this was Blake's sneaky little way of getting the
best of Avon, literally.  No matter what horrible thing Avon said to
him in the first season, Blake let it roll right off him.  Blake
always acted as if he expected the best from Avon.  And guess what.
He almost always got it.

> In the second season [Blake] is just a bit obsessed with his mission.
> Being an idealist, that's his right.  And, my theory is that it is
> his encounter with "The System" in "Redemption" that pushes him over
> the edge [...]

Very interesting theory!  It explains why Blake makes the sudden jump
to obsession.  Blake certainly makes a number of poor-judgement calls
in the second season (the Terra Nostra, the attack on Central Control,
his unwillingness to listen to reason regarding the disposition of
Star One).

What amazes me about the last part of the second season is that Avon
didn't put his foot down and stop him when Blake was so obviously
letting his obsession get in the way of common sense.

> [...] in a cold, rational way we can explain Avon's actions if we
> are willing to believe that Avon needs to be needed.

I hate cold, rational reasons :-).  Your analysis as elaborated in
your followup message "Avon and Idealism" is very convincing, however.

It's always seemed clear to me that Avon needs people.  I think Blake
knew it.  I don't think it was fortuitous happenstance that Blake a)
left Avon the Liberator and b) departed with Jenna.  I think he knew
that Avon needed their Liberator family more than he himself did, and
by taking Jenna with him, he guaranteed Avon a clear title to the ship
and them.  And even though he would never admit it, Avon knew it.  I
think that's why he didn't leave at Horizon when he could have.

And, yes, Avon likes to lord it over people.  Your examples are good
ones.  But somehow everyone manages to see through that, to the man
that Avon really is.  Dayna said to him "We are involved [in your
problem].  However much you like to pretend you're a loner, you're not
really.  We depend on each other."  No one denied it, even Avon.  And
(the "real") Dorian echoed her: "You care for each other.  After what
you've been through together, you couldn't fail to care for each
other.  Even you, Avon...  I wouldn't expect you to admit it, but you
belong to them, Avon, just as they belong to you."

> [...] his is the character that changes the least, in my opinion,
> over the four series.  That's a pretty uncommon view, I would guess.
> Nonetheless, everything that Avon does can be tied to his need to a)
> prove he is superior and b) keep people who are only slightly
> inferior to him around so feed his own ego...

I agree that Avon's propensity to lord it over his fellow beings
remains remarkably consistent throughout the series.  But in some
other ways, he changes quite a bit.  In particular, we have the change
from wealth being the only reality to winning (against the Federation)
being the only safety.

> [Avon's relationship with] Blake [...] is rewarding to Avon in that
> Blake is his "equal" and therefore, proving himself to be superior
> to Blake is VERY SATISFYING to Avon, and therefore Avon actually
> grows fond of feeling that satisfied, and though he'd not really
> admit it, he grows fond of Blake as result.

Yes, Avon often did derive a lot of satisfaction out of proving Blake
wrong.  But it was usually a temporary satisfaction or, worse, an
empty satisfaction.  And that's because for all his obsessiveness and
sometime lack of judgement, Blake was right.  The Federation was evil
and corrupt and deserved to be overthrown, and people less well off
deserved help from the more fortunate.  I think his fondness from
Blake came not so much from proving him wrong, but that Blake stuck to
his guns anyway, prompting Avon to finally admit that "idealism is a
wonderful thing" so long as you have "someone rational to put it to
proper use".

> It is not his "amazing capacity for reason" that makes him so
> interesting, it is his amazing interaction with others...

That's certainly what intrigues me about Avon.

-------
   Betsy Ramsey, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
            Internet: ramsey@cua.edu,  Bitnet: ramsey@cua
		 Opinions expressed here are my own.
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