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ways_back_room2004-07-20 09:28 pm
pjpettigrew.livejournal.com) wrote in ways_back_room2004-07-20 09:28 pm
Analyses of Crowley
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copingoggles, an analysis of Crowley--well, three analyses, but there isn't enough room for all of them in one post. Here's the first one.
daegaer: Actually, I have a theory that Crowley isn't as fallen as he thinks. This ties in to my reading of Adam as not the anti-Christ at all.
I would agree with Daegaer. Crowley has several defining moments, above and beyond his conversion, that indicate that he isn't nearly as damned as he thinks.
We know from the beginning that Crowley is anything but enthusiastic about the end of the world, and that, once he delivers the infant Antichrist to the hospital to be switched, he immediately contacts Aziraphale. Even so, this could be passed off as cowardice and fear of Hell on the one hand and a desire for company on the other. (After all, Aziraphale is the only other permanent field agent of a supernatural realm on Earth, though there appear to be a fair number of temporary agents.)
The first less-than-hopelessly-damned moment occurs at St. James Park when he and Aziraphale are feeding the ducks. Crowley, out of mischief, makes one of the ducks sink. Aziraphale reproves him:
"Really, my dear," he murmured.
"Sorry," said Crowley. "I was forgetting myself." The duck bobbed angrily to the surface.
This is the first indication we have that Crowley can choose, deliberately, NOT to do evil. Choosing, moreover, not to do evil at the instigation of an angel. Finally, choosing to apologize to that angel for doing something wrong in the first place. And Crowley doesn't even seem conscious that he is doing anything even vaguely un-demonic.
On the heels of that follows Crowley's first spoken avowal of commitment to the mortal world. Aziraphale tells him that "his people" are very keen on the idea of Armageddon: "Flaming swords, the Four Horsemen, seas of blood, the whole tedious business." He shrugged.
And what does Crowley say? "I like the seas as they are."
It's easy to miss that kind of statement, for it's tossed off so casually. It's particularly easy to miss because we've already learned that Crowley likes humans.
But Crowley's liking for humans could have been interpreted as being ambiguous; there is evil in human nature, as well as good. And yet note what Crowley is saying; he likes the seas as they are. That is, as they were created. He's actually praising part of God's creation--something completely unthinkable for a demon. Granted, he doesn't go so far as to praise God in the process, but that one sentence says so much about how far his loyalties have been compromised that I honestly expected infernal fire to appear after that remark.
It's also Crowley's idea to try to interfere with Armageddon. Aziraphale doesn't like the idea, but initially, at any rate, he considers going along with it. Crowley is at the top of his form here, debating, convincing, persuading and otherwise tempting Aziraphale...and yet what is he tempting Aziraphale to do? To thwart a diabolic plan. To do the right thing. (Aziraphale doesn't mind being convinced that much, either.)
The third defining moment comes post-conversion, as he is driving in his Bentley and loathing himself deeply for his part in helping to bring about Armageddon. He knows that the world is about to end. He knows there is no hope for him, whether Heaven wins or Hell does. The only light at the end of the tunnel, as he puts it, is an onrushing train.
And Crowley--demon and resident of a realm where it is always Too Late--refuses to accept it. He tries for a long shot to save the world. Not himself--he's in Hell's bad books, and he knows what that means. But he's not thinking about saving himself. He's trying to save mortals.
As far as I remember, doing good when there is no hope of reward, simply because it's the right thing to do, ranks VERY high morally.
And finally--after Adam flat-out refuses to end the world and Lucifer gets rather shirty about his son's refusal--Aziraphale asks Crowley to fight Lucifer by Aziraphale's side. Crowley, after a bit of an argument, agrees. Only the interference of Adam prevents Aziraphale and Crowley from death and destruction in a hopeless, if noble, battle. It's a parallel, if Crowley would bother to think about it, of the War in Heaven at the beginning of time. The end of the world has just been averted...and here's Crowley, marching to battle against the Devil on the side of the angels.
(It's also interesting that, while Aziraphale arms himself with his flaming sword--an angelic weapon--Crowley arms himself with a tire iron from his beloved Bentley. Symbolically, the weapons of angels and men against ultimate evil.)
Crowley doesn't seem to realize at the end of the book just how many important choices he has made in favor of goodness, though he is definitely thinking about the ineffable plan and its meaning. You might say that he is "sauntering vaguely upward." But he can't saunter back into Heaven; he would have to recognize what he was doing, and the choices he had already made. It would have to be a conscious and deliberate choice without any reservations. And Crowley isn't ready to make that kind of commitment yet.
The potential is there, though.
And I'm sure that Aziraphale would pray for his friend...and keep his fingers crossed as well.
copingoggles, an analysis of Crowley--well, three analyses, but there isn't enough room for all of them in one post. Here's the first one.daegaer: Actually, I have a theory that Crowley isn't as fallen as he thinks. This ties in to my reading of Adam as not the anti-Christ at all. I would agree with Daegaer. Crowley has several defining moments, above and beyond his conversion, that indicate that he isn't nearly as damned as he thinks.
We know from the beginning that Crowley is anything but enthusiastic about the end of the world, and that, once he delivers the infant Antichrist to the hospital to be switched, he immediately contacts Aziraphale. Even so, this could be passed off as cowardice and fear of Hell on the one hand and a desire for company on the other. (After all, Aziraphale is the only other permanent field agent of a supernatural realm on Earth, though there appear to be a fair number of temporary agents.)
The first less-than-hopelessly-damned moment occurs at St. James Park when he and Aziraphale are feeding the ducks. Crowley, out of mischief, makes one of the ducks sink. Aziraphale reproves him:
"Really, my dear," he murmured.
"Sorry," said Crowley. "I was forgetting myself." The duck bobbed angrily to the surface.
This is the first indication we have that Crowley can choose, deliberately, NOT to do evil. Choosing, moreover, not to do evil at the instigation of an angel. Finally, choosing to apologize to that angel for doing something wrong in the first place. And Crowley doesn't even seem conscious that he is doing anything even vaguely un-demonic.
On the heels of that follows Crowley's first spoken avowal of commitment to the mortal world. Aziraphale tells him that "his people" are very keen on the idea of Armageddon: "Flaming swords, the Four Horsemen, seas of blood, the whole tedious business." He shrugged.
And what does Crowley say? "I like the seas as they are."
It's easy to miss that kind of statement, for it's tossed off so casually. It's particularly easy to miss because we've already learned that Crowley likes humans.
But Crowley's liking for humans could have been interpreted as being ambiguous; there is evil in human nature, as well as good. And yet note what Crowley is saying; he likes the seas as they are. That is, as they were created. He's actually praising part of God's creation--something completely unthinkable for a demon. Granted, he doesn't go so far as to praise God in the process, but that one sentence says so much about how far his loyalties have been compromised that I honestly expected infernal fire to appear after that remark.
It's also Crowley's idea to try to interfere with Armageddon. Aziraphale doesn't like the idea, but initially, at any rate, he considers going along with it. Crowley is at the top of his form here, debating, convincing, persuading and otherwise tempting Aziraphale...and yet what is he tempting Aziraphale to do? To thwart a diabolic plan. To do the right thing. (Aziraphale doesn't mind being convinced that much, either.)
The third defining moment comes post-conversion, as he is driving in his Bentley and loathing himself deeply for his part in helping to bring about Armageddon. He knows that the world is about to end. He knows there is no hope for him, whether Heaven wins or Hell does. The only light at the end of the tunnel, as he puts it, is an onrushing train.
And Crowley--demon and resident of a realm where it is always Too Late--refuses to accept it. He tries for a long shot to save the world. Not himself--he's in Hell's bad books, and he knows what that means. But he's not thinking about saving himself. He's trying to save mortals.
As far as I remember, doing good when there is no hope of reward, simply because it's the right thing to do, ranks VERY high morally.
And finally--after Adam flat-out refuses to end the world and Lucifer gets rather shirty about his son's refusal--Aziraphale asks Crowley to fight Lucifer by Aziraphale's side. Crowley, after a bit of an argument, agrees. Only the interference of Adam prevents Aziraphale and Crowley from death and destruction in a hopeless, if noble, battle. It's a parallel, if Crowley would bother to think about it, of the War in Heaven at the beginning of time. The end of the world has just been averted...and here's Crowley, marching to battle against the Devil on the side of the angels.
(It's also interesting that, while Aziraphale arms himself with his flaming sword--an angelic weapon--Crowley arms himself with a tire iron from his beloved Bentley. Symbolically, the weapons of angels and men against ultimate evil.)
Crowley doesn't seem to realize at the end of the book just how many important choices he has made in favor of goodness, though he is definitely thinking about the ineffable plan and its meaning. You might say that he is "sauntering vaguely upward." But he can't saunter back into Heaven; he would have to recognize what he was doing, and the choices he had already made. It would have to be a conscious and deliberate choice without any reservations. And Crowley isn't ready to make that kind of commitment yet.
The potential is there, though.
And I'm sure that Aziraphale would pray for his friend...and keep his fingers crossed as well.
Analysis 2: Why Crowley Can't Apologise
I daresay Aziraphale can't understand why all demons just don't own up to being wrong and say they are sorry. Why would they want to continue being miserable in Hell if all it takes to open Heaven's doors is a simple "I'm sorry"?
But to Crowley, an apology would be absolutely impossible. First off, he didn't fall dramatically--he just hung around with the wrong people. Crowley is capable of doing evil things, but he's not intrinsically evil. I don't think he feels that he deserved to wind up in Hell. (I suspect that is a common reaction.)
Second, all of the apologies in the world wouldn't wipe out what had already occurred. "Innocence, once lost, can never be regained," says Lucifer in Gaiman's Season of Mists when telling Morpheus why he could never go back to Heaven--even if he were forgiven. I think he was right.
Crowley, after all, fought on the wrong side. He probably killed at least one other angel; if he did, I'm sure he still remembers every last detail. He certainly saw angels, both righteous ones and rebellious, killing other angels. He saw the looks of contempt and loathing for the rebels on the faces of angels he had once called friends. The moment that he was thrown out of Heaven and excluded from God's Presence must still be reverberating in his soul.
All the forgiveness in the universe wouldn't erase the pain, the terror, the guilt, the rage, the hate...or the deaths. Crowley can't go back to being the innocent angel he was before the First Fall. Chickens can't go back into eggs.
And finally, I think that Crowley feels, deep down, that any apologies should come from God--for hurting them for the sake of His ineffable plan. We already know from GO that Crowley will, when push comes to shove, side with people ahead of plans.
And Aziraphale will never understand any of this.
Apologising.
So logical, from an intellectual point of view.
So impossible, from an emotional one.
Analysis 3: Crowley--Avoiding Demonhood, Seeking Humanity
Crowley's toys, on the other hand, aren't about reflecting his demonic nature, but about concealing it, even from himself. The 1926 Bentley, the technology that looks good but doesn't really do anything, the offensively elegant flat, the verdant and terrified plants--it all creates an image of a strong, proud, independent and self-reliant young man, fearing nothing and prepared for each and every contingency. And all of the self-identification with his favorite movies and performers...he really does want to be an action hero.
And please note the word. "Hero." Part of Crowley does want to be a good guy--he imagines himself as James Bond or Bruce Lee, who habitually battle hordes of evil enemies and win, thanks to superior strength and cunning. He doesn't acknowledge this desire consciously because it hurts too much, but the hunger for goodness leaks out in odd ways...like the mortal environment that he constructs for himself. Or a bizarre friendship with an angel.
I think that Aziraphale knows about this desire, and has known for a very long time. He's kind enough to let Crowley maintain his self-disguise most of the time. Perhaps he knows that this is all that permits Crowley to endure.
For Crowley is one of the loneliest beings on the planet. He has little in common with his fellow demons; Hastur and Ligur annoy and unnerve him, while Crowley's superiors, save in the case of Dagon and Beelzebub, are nameless, faceless and menacing. He fears death, not because it's the end, but because it means returning to Hell. Nor is he good enough for Heaven. Crowley cannot speak to God or enter His presence. He's shut out on both sides: too bad for heaven, too desirous of goodness for Hell.
Moreover, he's been walking a fine line for ages by trying to create little annoying evils that don't actually harm anyone. Most of his deeds in the book focus on his efforts to create mass amounts of low-grade evil that just faintly tarnishes souls. Hastur is right; Crowley isn't trying very hard to secure souls for Lucifer. Mostly, he seems to be marking time, doing the absolute minimum of work while seeming to do much more. In a realm of the outcast and the lost, Crowley is a misfit.
A misfit who wants to be a real boy...and a real hero.
As I said, I think that Aziraphale knows this. I also think he's hoping that redemption will sneak up on Crowley, one of these days.
It's just that sometimes, Aziraphale gets a tad impatient for that day to arrive.
Re: Analysis 3: Crowley--Avoiding Demonhood, Seeking Humanity
*forever indebted*
Ask anything of me, and it is yours. Anything.
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Re: Analysis 3: Crowley--Avoiding Demonhood, Seeking Humanity
It's...
It's like Christmas has come early.
Re: Analysis 3: Crowley--Avoiding Demonhood, Seeking Humanity
I'm rambling. Again. I'm going to have to come in at a normal time of day at some point, merely so people know that I don't always talk rubbish. Just...
*awe*
Thanks for that. *g*
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Re: Analysis 3: Crowley--Avoiding Demonhood, Seeking Humanity
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I'm in the middle of explaining character backstory over at the bar, but still - *worships*
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no subject
Excellent analysis! Thanks for sharing.
*worships*
Re: Analysis 2: Why Crowley Can't Apologise
Did Crowley fight on the wrong side? I'd got the impression that he'd sort of avoided the battle entirely. (Not sure where I got that impression, though. I need to reread Good Omens. *adds it to the list*)
While I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of how forgiveness can't wipe out sin -- after all, that's kinda how Divine forgiveness is supposed to work -- I will buy in a second that Crowley believes forgiveness doesn't work that way. Believes on an emotional level, that is. Even if he's told that Divine forgiveness will wash away his sins completely, he won't really believe it possible. He'll still know what he did.
And the idea that Crowley thinks God is the one who should apologize is spot-on. Which is another thing that Aziraphale, being unFallen, will never quite understand.
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O_O