I think they are both persons and metaphors, that's what makes the dynamic so interesting. The difference between Spike and the other human characters, though, is that Spike is in principle stakable and the others aren't. And that difference requires that we place some weight on the demon-as-personal-evil metaphor on pain of seeing Buffy as a vigilante who gets to gun down branded outlaws.
Buffy stakes newly risen vampires all the time, often before they make any threatening move. Buffy letting vampires flee from time to time doesn't add up to an explanation for her persistent choice to let a vampire she knows personally to walk repeatedly. I think Harmony's ongoing existence (beyond the sheer plot contrivance) is also down to the fact that she's a person to Buffy. I recall two times Buffy has staked people -- Ford, who she stakes immediately to keep from really seeing what she's doing; and Holden -- which is a staking meant to make us feel squicky about the borderline between metaphor and person that vampires inhabit.
I think it's possible Spike wouldn't have accepted the idea of being a requited lover. But I also think that Spike didn't believe Buffy, so I don't think Chosen answers the question of whether he would or would not have accepted it. See my reply to Elisi for a sketch of why I really don't think Spike believed her.
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Date: 2010-02-22 05:27 pm (UTC)Buffy stakes newly risen vampires all the time, often before they make any threatening move. Buffy letting vampires flee from time to time doesn't add up to an explanation for her persistent choice to let a vampire she knows personally to walk repeatedly. I think Harmony's ongoing existence (beyond the sheer plot contrivance) is also down to the fact that she's a person to Buffy. I recall two times Buffy has staked people -- Ford, who she stakes immediately to keep from really seeing what she's doing; and Holden -- which is a staking meant to make us feel squicky about the borderline between metaphor and person that vampires inhabit.
I think it's possible Spike wouldn't have accepted the idea of being a requited lover. But I also think that Spike didn't believe Buffy, so I don't think Chosen answers the question of whether he would or would not have accepted it. See my reply to Elisi for a sketch of why I really don't think Spike believed her.