The Gift: Sacrifice or Suicide?

[VisionGirl]

First of all, I just want to say to get it out of the way that I love The Gift. It's a spectacular episode, visually stunning, incredibly touching, with some really surprising moments. It's one of my favorite season finales.

However, I've never been one to feel that BTS should've ended with The Gift. I enjoy seasons 6 & 7 and feel that Chosen is a better series finale. But in this current re-watch, I've found another reason why I'm glad things didn't end with The Gift.

We all know that in FFL, Spike tells Buffy:

Every day you wake up, it's the same bloody question that haunts you: is today the day I die? Death is on your heels, baby, and sooner or later it's gonna catch you. And part of you wants it... not only to stop the fear and uncertainty, but because you're just a little bit in love with it. Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp. That look of peace. Part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. Every Slayer... has a death wish. Even you.

And in FFL, Buffy never denies it. Although she does spend time in season 5 fighting against it. She realizes that she was never there for Riley, she's afraid that she's losing her ability to love. In spite of the First Slayer refuting that, the biggest thing taken away from her quest is that "Death is [her] gift".

The thing that makes Buffy different from the other Slayers is, as Spike says, her ties to her friends and her family, her refusal to separate herself from her personal life and her humanity. I thought that we really saw the progression of that in this season, especially with her realization of her part in the dissolution of Briley, and her relationship with her mother & sister. I thought that maybe Spike was wrong, that Buffy was the first and only Slayer that didn't have a death wish. Buffy has proved others wrong before in their conventional thinking. She breaks the Slayer mold so to speak.

However, now I think that I was proven wrong. I now see that Buffy did indeed have a death wish. As evidence:

From Weight of the World: I remember I was in the magic shop. Reading. I put a book back for Giles. Nothing special about it. And then, it hit me....I can't beat Glory. Glory's going to win. WILLOW: You can't know that. BUFFY: I didn't just know it. I felt it. Glory will beat me. And in that second of knowing it, Will ...I wanted it to happen. WILLOW: Why? BOOKSHELF BUFFY: I wanted it over. This is all - all of it -
it's too much for me. I just wanted it over. If Glory wins, then Dawn dies. I would grieve and people would feel sorry for me. But it would all be over. And I imagined what a relief that would be.

And from The Gift: BUFFY: I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew ... what was right. I don't have that any more. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that... I just wish my mom was here. The spirit guide told me ... that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all.
GILES: I think you're wrong about that.
BUFFY: It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting.

I know that the 1st quote is in reference to Dawn dying, but we all know that if Dawn dies, if Glory is successful, then they all die. So I think it's that that Buffy is talking about, the relief of "it" being all over, "it" being life. Buffy didn't have to die in The Gift, Dawn was willing & able to stop the destruction with her own life. Buffy didn't let her. I believe that Buffy wanted to die. She told Dawn to tell Giles that she was at peace. Yes, she did it because she had to, she did it to save the world, but she also did it because she wanted it. I think the events of Season 5 wore her down so much, she didn't see or pursue another option. Contrast this to season 1 Buffy in Prophecy Girl: "I'm only 16, I don't want to die". And people think that season 6 is depressing!

That's why I'm glad it didn't end in The Gift. I think that Buffy did indeed find a reason and desire to live in subsequent seasons (although yeah, it took all of season 6 LOL!).

So what do you think about Buffy's death in The Gift: a selfless sacrifice to save the world? A selfish act of despair? An unavoidable solution? Or a combination of the above?

 

[xfivebyfive]

I think Buffy's main thought when she sacrificed herself was she could save Dawn, I think those were the first thoughts to go through her mind. But I do think it's possible she wasn't upset about dying possible even welcomed it, she had gone through a lot that season and was in a dark place the main thing keeping her there was Dawn. But after she realized she could do this for Dawn I think she could have also thought that she could finally have peace.

BTW I like how you used the quote from Spike in FFL.

 

[BuffyElevated]

When I watch "The Gift", never once does Buffy's death come off as a way for her to escape her life. It comes across to me as Buffy giving the ultimate sacrifice for her sister, friends, and the rest of the world. Like fivexfive said, I do think it's possible that maybe Buffy wasn't all that upset to sacrifice herself because maybe it was a relief to her that she was finally free of all the pressure, but if there was any other way to save Dawn, I don't think she would have jumped into that portal.

 

[StarSlayer]

So what do you think about Buffy's death in The Gift: a selfless sacrifice to save the world? A selfish act of despair? An unavoidable solution? Or a combination of the above?

I think it was a combination of both. More so of a sacrifice, but I think a part of Buffy wanted it to end. As she says in "After Life," she felt finished and complete, knowing that everyone she loved was all right. And that was one of her struggles in s5. No matter what she did, it never seemed to end. However, when she figured out that "death is your gift" meant her death gave Dawn and everyone else the chance to live (and survive), she wasn't scared. She actually looked at peace with it when she figured it out. She knew this was the end of the road, but she accepted it. And I think part of her wanted to accept it because she had gotten to a point where it was too much.

Also, going back to FFL, I think that's one of the reasons why Buffy gets angry with Spike and his comment that every Slayer has a death wish, even her. She doesn't say, "No, you're wrong. I don't have a death wish." She tells him to get out of her sight. Maybe it's because she thinks he's right. She's thought about it ending at various times, and she's ashamed to admit it. Yet, with her sacrifice in "The Gift," her death wish was also being able to save Dawn, the ones she loved, and the word. In that sense, Buffy didn't only accept death, but she accepted that as the slayer, she needed to make the ultimate sacrifice. Her death meant them living.

 

[VisionGirl]

Also, going back to FFL, I think that's one of the reasons why Buffy gets angry with Spike and his comment that every Slayer has a death wish, even her. She doesn't say, "No, you're wrong. I don't have a death wish." She tells him to get out of her sight. Maybe it's because she thinks he's right. She's thought about it ending at various times, and she's ashamed to admit it. Yet, with her sacrifice in "The Gift," her death wish was also being able to save Dawn, the ones she loved, and the word. In that sense, Buffy didn't only accept death, but she accepted that as the slayer, she needed to make the ultimate sacrifice. Her death meant them living.

I do agree with this paragraph. Although I will re-assert my opinion that I'm glad that the series didn't stop here: because her death here was just like all the other Slayers. They all died attempting to save someone, to save the world, although we don't always know the details. Did they do it for love, like Buffy? I don't know. I just think Chosen is a more fitting finale, because it totally usurps the Slayer role the patriarchial Shadow Men set up in the first place (& that the Watcher's Council continued). And I still think there's was some desparation in her act: she was tired of the world.

 

[StarSlayer]

I do agree with this paragraph. Although I will re-assert my opinion that I'm glad that the series didn't stop here: because her death here was just like all the other Slayers. They all died attempting to save someone, to save the world, although we don't always know the details. Did they do it for love, like Buffy? I don't know. I just think Chosen is a more fitting finale, because it totally usurps the Slayer role the patriarchial Shadow Men set up in the first place (& that the Watcher's Council continued). And I still think there's was some desparation in her act: she was tired of the world.

Oh, I'm SO glad the series didn't end with "The Gift." 🙂 I love s6 and s7 too much. And I agree. I think Chosen is a more fitting series finale.

With Buffy in "The Gift," I don't know if it was desperation (I think she reached that level more so in OMWF), but I agree that she was at a point where she grew tired of it all.

 

[Kean]

I say sacrifice.

If there was a way Buffy could have saved Dawn, the world and herself I fully believe she would have. I think she did what she had to do, both as a sister and as a slayer. For me, it could only really be called suicide if Buffy went into that battle with the intent of ending her life. I think the relentless way she fought is proof enough that that wasn't her intention.

 

[BibliophileAnn]

I say sacrifice.

If there was a way Buffy could have saved Dawn, the world and herself I fully believe she would have. I think she did what she had to do, both as a sister and as a slayer. For me, it could only really be ca🙂lled suicide if Buffy went into that battle with the intent of ending her life. I think the relentless way she fought is proof enough that that wasn't her intention.

I would have given you rep Kean if I could have. You posted what I would have.lol 🙂

 

[zobothehobo]

Sacrifice. She gave her life to save the world. Something good came out of her death... therefore it's sacrifice.

 

[white avenger]

I think that, ultimately, it was Buffy's fate to die at the end of Season 5. And it was a fate that was inescapable. The Powers That Be told Angel that, if he stayed human, the Slayer would die within a year's time, trying to protect him. Thinking that he could somehow save her from that destiny, Angel gave up his most precious gift, his humanity, so that the woman who he loved could live.

And she died anyway, within just a few months of the time foreseen by the Powers. Buffy died died protecting someone who she loved, maybe not Angel, but someone who she loved just as much or more. She died then, there, and under those circumstances BECAUSE THAT WAS HER FATE. Luckily for all of us, we had a very powerful she witch standing by who knew exactly what to do in order to bring her back to the land of the living, if not so very happy. And that, too, was Buffy's fate, as inescapable as if it were carved in stone, because even in the Jossverse, you may not have to stay dead, no matter how many times you die, but fate is something that is ultimately unavoidable.

So, ultimately, Buffy's death wasn't either sacrifice or suicide as much as it was simple destiny.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Hmm, interesting question.

I think it was more of a sacrafice then a suicide. Buffy had plenty of things to live for, she just had to realize what they are. Her sister was in danger, so she did what she knew she had to do.

 

[The Unspoken]

To decide on whether it's sacrifice or suicide, you have to first look at why exactly death is Buffy's gift. We know it's not because she has the power to kill others, Buffy herself realizes this at the end.
Because of all that she's experienced as the Slayer, Buffy can have her death be a gift, not because she has to die, but because she can die - willingly and peacefully. If Dawn had jumped instead, I doubt her death would be the peaceful surrender that Buffy's was. 'Death is your gift' therefore refers not to Buffy's actual sacrificial death, but to the fact that it was a truly peaceful death.

 

[VisionGirl]

So, nobody agrees with me, eh? LOL

Maybe I should've asked this question: Was Spike correct: does Buffy have a deathwish?

 

[StarSlayer]

So, nobody agrees with me, eh? LOL

Maybe I should've asked this question: Was Spike correct: does Buffy have a deathwish?

Hehe, I said I did in some aspects 🙂 And I absolutely think Spike was correct in that Buffy had a death wish. As I mentioned in my previous post, that's why I think Buffy got angry with him because he was right, or at least getting somewhere.

 

[zobothehobo]

So, nobody agrees with me, eh? LOL

Maybe I should've asked this question: Was Spike correct: does Buffy have a deathwish?

Absolutely. Yes, it was a sacrifice... but she does have a death wish... or she did... I think after season 6, it went away. I don't think that's even a question. Honestly, I don't think the death wish is a slayer thing. I think it's a human thing. I mean, we all wonder what death is like and that's what makes it so scary. It's just with a slayer, they're surrounded by it. Their death wishes are magnified by the fact they can never escape death. They can never not see it. It's always there.... and not even in the back of their mind. Death is at the front of a slayer's mind.

 

[Big Damn Hero]

I think it was sacrifice, but also that Spike was right and that made it just that little bit easier for her to do.

 

[white avenger]

So, nobody agrees with me, eh? LOL

Maybe I should've asked this question: Was Spike correct: does Buffy have a deathwish?

Now, there, we have a totally different question. My opinion on that is that, while Buffy doesn't really want to die, except for maybe during her depressed time during Season 6, she does know that, as the Slayer, her death is not only inevitable, but, with the Slayers' life expectancy, it's probably going to be pretty soon, and almost certainly going to be unpleasant in the extreme. With that kind of certain knowledge of her ultimate fate constantly hanging over her, the suspense must certainly be maddening. It's not death as such that a Slayer reaches the point of desiring as much as it is just a desire to be finished with it all. To not have to face the fear, the pain, and the danger, She just wants it to end.

 

[zobothehobo]

Now, there, we have a totally different question. My opinion on that is that, while Buffy doesn't really want to die, except for maybe during her depressed time during Season 6, she does know that, as the Slayer, her death is not only inevitable, but, with the Slayers' life expectancy, it's probably going to be pretty soon, and almost certainly going to be unpleasant in the extreme. With that kind of certain knowledge of her ultimate fate constantly hanging over her, the suspense must certainly be maddening. It's not death as such that a Slayer reaches the point of desiring as much as it is just a desire to be finished with it all. To not have to face the fear, the pain, and the danger, She just wants it to end.

Spike mentions that... but he says it's also because she's a little bit in love with it. I think the whole statement is true. Death is her art.. and she is a bit in love with it. She'd have to be to be good at her job. It's as much to stop the fear and uncertainty as it is to experience that thing she practices every day.

 

[Willow My Love]

I don't think we would have had the right amount of closure over what happened in Sunnydale if the series had ended with The Gift.

So what do you think about Buffy's death in The Gift: a selfless sacrifice to save the world? A selfish act of despair? An unavoidable solution? Or a combination of the above?

I think it was a sacrifice to end an unavoidable situation. Buffy could have let the world end and been there with her sister when it did, but she didn't. She took matters into her own hands and stopped it.

Just like killing Angel. She could have given in and been with Angel in the last few moments on Earth, but instead, she sacrificed what she really wanted and saved the world. I don't get it when people talk about how selfish Buffy was. She was incredibly selfless and sacrificed everything over and over again, but stayed pretty upbeat because she had people she loved, and that was what mattered.

I don't think Buffy really had a death wish. She'd tasted death before. But she couldn't just let Dawn jump and kill herself. Buffy always knew she would die young. It was her time to go, and the next Slayer's to carry on (even if Faith really didn't so much.) She was fulfilling her destiny. "It's Summers blood. It's just like mine." She knew Dawn couldn't jump.

I just feel so horrible for Dawn, losing her mother and her sister all in the same year.

 

[Ms.Trick]

I always have considered this to be a mix of sacrifice and suicide.
Well, the line between the both is like super thin.

At that point, Buffy, as the Slayer, died once, had to kill her boyfriend, saw her co-slayer die, was betrayed by her second co-slayer, was the victim of the Council, which she finally quits, had to face a goddess (so, probably the more powerful ennemy she had at that point), she has seen and being through a hell lot of pain.
As Buffy the human, she ran away, she saw Angel leave, she got a sister out of nowhere she had to take care of, her mum got sick, Riley left, her mum died.

I think it's pretty fair to say that at that point, Buffy has had it. It can makes you believe that her deathwish had grown so much that she killed herself to make it stop.

And then, there is Dawn. Dawn, who must die. Dawn, whose blood has already been used. I think at that moment, Buffy realised that she managed to survive psychologically through everything. But if she had to kill Dawn, that would have been the one thing too much. Buffy had already seen a lot in her life. Dawn was still so young, she had a lot of things to discover from life. I think at that point, Buffy thought "My life against hers. I'm done here, she isn't. Oh, and the first Slayer told me that death was my gift. I get it now. I get to die and find peace, she gets to live. I'm okay with that. Still is a better solution than killing my own sister."

So, it can be seen as a suicide because of all she has been trough, it seems like a way to get away from it. But I trully think it was more of a sacrifice, because she gave up her life...to save Dawn's.