Philosophical Meanings of Faith and Hope

Faith

Faith was introduced in Faith, Hope, and Trick. I was thinking about how Buffy has hope, and that's what keeps her going. And I was thinking about the possible significance of the character Scott "Hope". How he used to follow Buffy around, and eventually abandoned her in Homecoming, because she had "lost her spark", and what it could possibly mean...had she lost hope? And how Faith stood up for her at the dance. Well. I came up with an idea.

Perhaps the hope that Scott represented was the false hope that Buffy could have a "normal" life, with a "mundane" boyfriend, school dances, yadda yadda yadda...the things most teens have. And maybe, just maybe, in Homecoming, she finally lost that hope. (Look at where her attempt to attend the dance put her). And, on another level, perhaps even the "hope" that she is making a difference, in the larger scheme of things, as a Slayer, is unfounded. After all, Slayers and Watchers have been battling big evil things from time immemorial. Perhaps, ultimately, evil will prevail. Perhaps she's just staving off the inevitable. Or perhaps good and evil are fated to battle each other forever...there will never be a resolution. In any event, it's highly unlikely that Buffy will see a resolution in her lifetime...she will fight the fight for her own personal "forever", and will never know if her side is ultimately successful.

So maybe what Buffy has, or has to get, is faith. Faith, defined in my trusty Websters, is "unquestioning belief that doesn't require proof or evidence". In order to go on, Buffy needs to believe, even though she may never have proof, that what's she's doing is ultimately worthwhile. Thus the introduction of Hope and Faith...Faith wins out. It/She is something Buffy needs. And check this out...in The Wish, Giles displays faith at its best...when Anya says: "How do you know the other world is better than this one?" Giles replies: "It has to be." So, it is significant that Giles was the Watcher of Faith, because, in a way, he is the guardian of Buffy's faith that someday things have to be better than they are now...there must be a purpose to what they do.