Introduction
Joss Whedon’s Firefly plays with concepts of good and evil through its diverse cast of criminals and law enforcement. The protagonist, Malcolm Reynolds, captain of Serenity, a rundown Firefly-class ship, works illegal smuggling jobs in order to make money with his crew. However, amidst these illegal jobs, he maintains a strict moral code. Mal’s constant struggle between doing what he believes to be just while carrying out blatantly illegal activity complicates the viewer’s understanding of the dichotomy of good and evil—in fact, it dispels all notions of a dichotomy existing at all. Coupled with Mal’s struggles, the Alliance, law-abiding government officials, further complicate the idea of a dichotomous relationship between good and evil; many Alliance-affiliated characters are presented as ruthless, merciless, and unethical—sometimes even more so than the criminals. The multidimensionality of plot and characters leaves the audience pondering their own instinctive decisions on who the true heroes and criminals are in Whedon’s Firefly. The series carefully illustrates that concepts of good and evil are not dichotomous by nature, but fluidly intersect and interact with one another.
NATURAL RIGHTS AND POSITIVE LAW
In Firefly, concepts of natural rights and positive law are portrayed through both characters and institutions; the portrayal of natural rights and positive law help dispel the notion of a dichotomous relationship between good and evil existing. Natural rights are rights inherent to all human, where “‘…natural’ implies universal or independent from cultural” (Chudnow). Positive law can best be defined as manmade law or “…the law enforced by human courts…” (Murphy). Characters in Firefly interact with rules and laws that have been enacted by the Alliance, the main governing institution. Despite being an institution that attempts to stop lawbreaking criminals like Mal and his crew, the Alliance is ironically portrayed as “the bad guys” in the show. This is one way Firefly simply, but definitively complicates the idea of a dichotomous relationship between good and evil—the “good guys” who are supposed to be catching criminals and enacting justice are actually the “bad guys.”
An example of the evil deeds the Alliance partakes in occurs in is through River, the mysterious girl aboard Serenity. As a child, River was sent to a private school for the most gifted. However, River’s brother, Simon, discovered that the “school” was actually an Alliance facility that was conducting unethical experiments on River. In episode 9, Simon discovers that the people experimenting on River cut into her brain, confirming his suspicions about the Alliance. In this example, the Alliance—the institution that creates and maintains laws—infringes not only on River’s natural rights, but the positive law they are supposed to enforce.
An example of Mal’s reactions to natural rights and positive law takes place in the second episode when Mal takes a job to rob an Alliance shipment from a train. Initially, Mal has no problem with breaking positive law—so long as the Alliance is on the receiving end of the theft. Mal and Zoe manage to successfully steal the loot but end up getting stranded in the town where the cargo was headed. After spending a night in the town, Mal and Zoe find out that the contents of the stolen cargo were actually medicine for the town, which is completely disease-ridden. After this recognition, Mal takes action—he decides to defy Niska, despite any harm that may fall upon him and his crew. Mal later returns the medicine to the town. In his moment of recognition, it is made clear that Mal deeply values the preservation in the most fundamental of all natural rights: The right to life.
An example of the evil deeds the Alliance partakes in occurs in is through River, the mysterious girl aboard Serenity. As a child, River was sent to a private school for the most gifted. However, River’s brother, Simon, discovered that the “school” was actually an Alliance facility that was conducting unethical experiments on River. In episode 9, Simon discovers that the people experimenting on River cut into her brain, confirming his suspicions about the Alliance. In this example, the Alliance—the institution that creates and maintains laws—infringes not only on River’s natural rights, but the positive law they are supposed to enforce.
An example of Mal’s reactions to natural rights and positive law takes place in the second episode when Mal takes a job to rob an Alliance shipment from a train. Initially, Mal has no problem with breaking positive law—so long as the Alliance is on the receiving end of the theft. Mal and Zoe manage to successfully steal the loot but end up getting stranded in the town where the cargo was headed. After spending a night in the town, Mal and Zoe find out that the contents of the stolen cargo were actually medicine for the town, which is completely disease-ridden. After this recognition, Mal takes action—he decides to defy Niska, despite any harm that may fall upon him and his crew. Mal later returns the medicine to the town. In his moment of recognition, it is made clear that Mal deeply values the preservation in the most fundamental of all natural rights: The right to life.
MEN OF HONOR IN A DEN OF THIEVES
Morality in Firefly becomes a hazy subject when analyzing the actions, and the motives behind said actions, of the crew on Serenity, the Alliance, and all other characters throughout the show. According to Roger Crisp in A Third Method to Ethics?, morality can be subdivided into four categories: Deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics, and ethical relativism. Of these four aspects, deontology and consequentialism are most prominent in Firefly. Deontology reflects on actions that are for or against rules and/or duties. Representations of these rules would be legal and natural laws; in short, breaking of the rules is wrong (evil), while following the rules is right (good). Consequentialism is the concept that the consequences of one’s conduct are judged in terms of the “wrongness” or “rightness” of said consequences. The fact that Characters in Firefly meddle with all aspects of morality only serves to further obscure the line between good and evil.
From a deontological perspective, Mal is immoral—he is a criminal who is constantly breaking positive laws. Jayne, on the other hand, who would also be considered immoral by deontological standards, (almost) falls into the right when he attempts to sell out Simon and River to the Alliance (episode 1.9); because Simon and River are fugitives, turning them in would be an act abiding by the law. However, at the end of the episode, Mal finds out about Jayne’s betrayal and threatens, “You turn on any of my crew, you turn on me.” Jayne clearly broke the “laws” existing on Serenity—no selling out fellow crewmembers. Although Jayne attempted to commit a morally good deed, by selling out his crewmates, he ended up committing a morally evil deed by Mal’s standards. This simultaneous breaking of rules forces the viewer to subconsciously decide which laws are more important to abide by.
Consequentialism is also prevalent in the cast of Firefly. In episode 13, Mal decide to defend a brothel (at request of Inara) from a man trying to reclaim “his” son from a prostitute he who claims to have impregnated. A large shootout ensues in which many people are killed on both sides. Based on the consequences, it becomes difficult for the viewer to determine whether or not Mal and his crew have done wrong. It should be noted that the original mission was successfully accomplished—the baby was protected. Although they were able to save the baby, it was at the cost of not only the lives of those he was trying to protect, but the lives of the pursuers. Sacrifice and murder were required in order to accomplish the mission. The actions of Mal and his crew force the viewer to question whether ends justify means. Are Mal and his crew heroes for saving the baby? Or are they no better than a group of self-righteous murderers? These questions reinforce the ambiguity of morality.
From a deontological perspective, Mal is immoral—he is a criminal who is constantly breaking positive laws. Jayne, on the other hand, who would also be considered immoral by deontological standards, (almost) falls into the right when he attempts to sell out Simon and River to the Alliance (episode 1.9); because Simon and River are fugitives, turning them in would be an act abiding by the law. However, at the end of the episode, Mal finds out about Jayne’s betrayal and threatens, “You turn on any of my crew, you turn on me.” Jayne clearly broke the “laws” existing on Serenity—no selling out fellow crewmembers. Although Jayne attempted to commit a morally good deed, by selling out his crewmates, he ended up committing a morally evil deed by Mal’s standards. This simultaneous breaking of rules forces the viewer to subconsciously decide which laws are more important to abide by.
Consequentialism is also prevalent in the cast of Firefly. In episode 13, Mal decide to defend a brothel (at request of Inara) from a man trying to reclaim “his” son from a prostitute he who claims to have impregnated. A large shootout ensues in which many people are killed on both sides. Based on the consequences, it becomes difficult for the viewer to determine whether or not Mal and his crew have done wrong. It should be noted that the original mission was successfully accomplished—the baby was protected. Although they were able to save the baby, it was at the cost of not only the lives of those he was trying to protect, but the lives of the pursuers. Sacrifice and murder were required in order to accomplish the mission. The actions of Mal and his crew force the viewer to question whether ends justify means. Are Mal and his crew heroes for saving the baby? Or are they no better than a group of self-righteous murderers? These questions reinforce the ambiguity of morality.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
Although Firefly focuses heavily on Mal’s (and his crew’s) relationship with the Alliance as very much of a “good vs. evil” story, it also presents dynamics between Mal and other criminals that also force the viewer to question morality—not as a dichotomous issue, but as one with layers. In the second episode, Mal takes a job from a feared leader of a crime syndicate by the name of Adelai Niska. When making business arrangements with Mal, Niska makes it explicitly clear that failure to complete the job or any attempt to double-cross him will result in a fate far worse than death. Despite Niska’s threats, Mal ultimately fails to finish the job, earning a spot on Niska’s blacklist. In episode 9, Niska manages to track down Serenity and detain Mal and Wash, subjecting them both to intense torture via electrocution; Wash is eventually released, but Mal is continually electrocuted, stabbed, has his ear cut off, and is even tortured to death, only to have his heart started again in order to be tortured further. This episode is crucial in the illustration of morality in the Firefly ‘verse. Throughout the series, it is accepted that although Mal and his crew are little more than a bunch of criminals, they have a limit to how far they will go. Below is a list of all the times Mal could have killed out of self-defense, but stopped himself:
Mal’s respect for natural rights is what separates him from criminals like Niska; Niska has no problem with torturing people for the sole purpose of sending a message. Mal, on the other hand, has trouble even killing out of self-defense. In Firefly, the Alliance, the governing institution of and for the people, is shown to be corrupt and riddled with evil; in contrast, criminals like Mal are shown to possess a strong sense of morals, in spite of constant disregard for positive law. To add yet another dimension to the already-multidimensional cast in Firefly, criminals like Niska are shown to have no regard for both natural right and positive law. This diverse cast creates a spectrum of morality.
- Mal knocks out and saves a survivor of a Reaver attack who attacked Jayne (1.3)
- Mal spares Atheron in a duel to the death (1.4)
- Mal spares Saffron after she double-crosses him and his crew and leaves them for dead (1.6)
- Mal spares the space pirates who shoot him and plan to steal Serenity; he simply kicks them off the ship (1.8)
- Mal spares Jayne after he attempts to sell out Simon and River and endangers the whole crew (1.9)
- Mal spares Niska after being subject to hours of torture (1.10)
- Mal spares Saffron (again) after she attempts to double-cross him (again) (1.11)
- Mal spares Burgess after he attacks the brothel and kills many of the prostitutes (1.13)
Mal’s respect for natural rights is what separates him from criminals like Niska; Niska has no problem with torturing people for the sole purpose of sending a message. Mal, on the other hand, has trouble even killing out of self-defense. In Firefly, the Alliance, the governing institution of and for the people, is shown to be corrupt and riddled with evil; in contrast, criminals like Mal are shown to possess a strong sense of morals, in spite of constant disregard for positive law. To add yet another dimension to the already-multidimensional cast in Firefly, criminals like Niska are shown to have no regard for both natural right and positive law. This diverse cast creates a spectrum of morality.
Conclusion
Even more than undoing the concept of a dichotomous relationship existing between good and evil, Joss Whedon’s Firefly illustrates for viewers that morality is a far more diverse concept that spans beyond broad concepts such as “good and evil.” Furthermore, morality is not a dichotomous issue that is as simple as “breaking the law is bad” and “obeying the law is good.” On the contrary, Firefly powerfully demonstrates how crucial the different aspects of morality are. Characters throughout the show are complex, featuring aspects of both good and evil. Although not explored in the essay, characters like Book, a Shepherd with a mysterious past, and Inara, a high-class prostitute (known as a Companion), exemplify just how varied and multifaceted the cast of Firefly is. Coupled with concepts of good, evil, and morality are philosophical theories like natural rights and positive law. Is breaking a positive law wrong if the law itself infringes on natural rights? Are there any natural rights that unanimously reach across all cultures and peoples? When do the ends justify the means? Through watching Firefly, the viewer learns that not only are characters multidimensional, but so too are their actions, the consequences of their actions, and the morality behind it all.