I like Joss Whedon and the universes he creates. Firefly
is one of my favourites and I have a book of essays from various people talking
about the show. Some are
flattering. Some aren’t.
One essay asked where all the Asian people had gone. In the Firefly-verse,
we are supposed to be seeing a future where Chinese and American culture
fused. The characters all speak Chinese,
especially in moments of stress. Chinese
art and decoration permeates the sets.
But the writer did make a valid point that we don’t actually get to see
anyone of Asian descent except in occasional crowd scenes.
I’d like to propose an alternative theory to her suggestion
that it was an Anglicized bias and that Asian culture had been reduced to an exotic
sampling. Not saying it couldn’t have
been, but here’s another way to think on it.
We don’t see any of the true nobility of the Alliance. Not the truly powerful people. We see their minions and agents and we see
the people who are struggling at the bottom.
The closest we come are the Tams, River and Simon’s family, during
flashbacks in the episode “Safe.” The
essay writer believed they were part of the upper nobility but I don’t think
that’s true because of two simple factors.
One: Simon works for a living.
Even as a boy, his father is encouraging him to become a
brilliant doctor. He’s not being groomed
to take over the family business or enterprises. The family’s status in society is enhanced if
he is a prestigious and respected doctor at a posh hospital. It’s a cushy job but it’s still a job and
he’s expected to perform it.
To me, that suggests the Tams are not nobility but instead
are upper working class. Very upper
working class but still, not the people in charge.
My second argument in favour of the Tams being below the top
rungs of society: River and the Academy.
The purpose of the Academy remained shrouded in mystery but
one thing was clear: they were building black-ops weapons out of people using
torture and experimentation. The children
of your top families would not be recruited for that. Instead you would look for socially hungry families
who are looking for a way to break into the upper crust. It’s the same reason drug dealers don’t
target children of Mafia families, the payoff isn’t worth the risk of bringing
that much power down on you.
I think, had the series continued, we would have discovered
Asian characters at the very top of society.
People imitate what their social betters and superiors do. It’s how fashion, especially celebrity
fashion works. Thus the Asian flavour to
much of the architecture and decoration.
The higher the status, the more Asian things appear. The Tam’s home wouldn’t have looked out of
place in China or Japan but the villagers on the outer planets only have a few
bits of decoration.
I can’t be sure but I think the theory fits the evidence
available. I suppose Joss could tell us
if he’d thought that far ahead. But so
far, he’s kept quiet on it.