Who is the Real Spike?

[Cast No Shadow]

The "Was Spike Influenced?" thread has got me thinking, and made me ask this question.

In my opinion, Spike was performing to an audience in all facets of his "life", and always trying to get respect and acceptance.

Whether this was through poetry and trying to get the attention of Cecily in his human life, then by trying to gain respect from his vampire peers by being "badass", and turning into a killing machine, proving that he is NOT the nobody that he was before, and although he constantly strove for acceptance, and to be noticed among his contemporaries it would never happen, now they had no choice but to notice him, and in turn he got the respect of the vamps.

There was the "killing a slayer" kudos that he seemed to go for, in order to gain respect and notoriety.

And finally, there was the "man that Buffy wanted him to be", another persona he attempted to achieve.

Which, if any, do you think is the "real" Spike? Were we ever shown the real Spike, or was he always putting on a front?

Or is all this part of what makes up Spike?

 

[Washburne]

Who is the real "you" anyway? Many people put up masks depending on the situation. Or so we think. We see how people behave different with different people. They might show a different side when you're alone with them. So is there one thing/behavior that's real while the others are fake?

I don't doubt for a second that there's times we act different to what we would like, mostly to "fit" in or not show weakness. That can definitely be seen as fake but as a whole I think it all come together as "you", plain and simple. We also change during our lives. The real teenage you can be very different than the real middle age you. Drag that out for hundreds of years as with many vampires and you'd hope there's some change.

I think that wanting respect and recognition/acceptance, at least from the people we love/care about no matter the reason, goes for more or less everyone.

For me I'd say that "all this part of what makes up Spike?" is the way to go.