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In the episode Ted, the Scoobies have a discussion about Buffy killing a person that follows as such:
This entire section of dialogue is an allusion to the book Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. One of the central themes in Crime and Punishment was the concept of the Overman theory by Nietzsche, which is commonly refereed to as the ‘Superman’ theory in English. Nietsche’s theory is that there are certain extraordinary people who are beyond good, evil, and especially the laws of society. Dostoevsky uses Napoleon as an example in his book. In the book the main character plans to, and commits, murder to see if he is one of these great people who are above society. After committing said murder, the main character is over taken by grief, guilt, and the fear of being found out. |
| Source: | › Thanks to Ryan |
| Related Trivia: | |
| Suggested by: | › Jess |
| Added: | › 24th February 2006 |
| Updated: | › |
| Hits: | › 386 |
February 24th, 2006 at 9:44 pm
I should read this book, as it sounds cool (unfortunatly I’m too lazy, I think). Amyway. that is a nice reference to this until-now-unheard-of (at least for me) book.
February 26th, 2006 at 7:53 am
Hmm…they have Sparknotes? Reading…not exactly my strong point….except my (shameful) obsession with Buffy fanfic..
February 26th, 2006 at 11:44 pm
Can we really be categorical that this is an allusion to “Crime and Punishment”? Seems to me the mention of “superman” isn’t really enough to guarantee that. Still, it’s a possibility.
Am quite impressed that people haven’t heard of it (not that I’ve ever gone so far to read it, or anything)
February 28th, 2006 at 8:52 am
i agree that this may be a ‘reaching-too-far’ allusion. axe-murderer analogy buffy may be a bit much. and consider. . .while cordy did kick butt on the sat’s, is she really the character to be alluding to dostoyevsky? turgenev, maybe. tolstoi, of course. but not dostoyevsky. ;)
and the murder scene in ‘crime and punishment’ is second to none. read it, folks. much like camus’ ’stranger.’
March 1st, 2006 at 9:32 pm
I tried to read Crime and Punishment when it was assigned in high school English. I never made it through the book. Thank The Powers That Be for the Cliff notes! It’s kind of hard to sympathize with the main character. He has a HUGE ego to think that he might be one of the supermen who are above the law, but he proves he isn’t a superman by killing an innocent person to see if he is. Irony at it’s finest. Anyway, it’s a tough read.
March 2nd, 2006 at 1:35 am
Boring and long read at that. I too was put under the strain of attempting to read that monstosity of a book in high school. I probably STILL wouldnt be able to read that thing. Boring sick and ironic, (funny because I love irony and books that have sick topic) but to attempt to make me do that at 16? They should have titled the book Cruel and Unusual Punishment!