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Current Talk '06 I / Re: Thoughts on 1840
« on: April 27, 2006, 06:57:29 PM »[spoiler]It is correct to say, and even Barnabas says, that never felt he could love Angelique while she still had her selfish ways as a witch. BUT when she lifts his curse, for the first time Angelique asks for no price, just that he try to love her. She does not assume Barnabas loves her, but rather she would like him to try and see if he can develop a love for her, and that is to me what happens.[/spoiler]
[spoiler]Everything Valerie/Angelique did at the climax of the 1840 storyline was to secure Barnabas' love. After the curse was lifted and the couple had reconciled, she didn't want to save Quentin and Desmond; she wanted for Barnabas and her to go away together. It took his we-can-never-be-more-than-friends speech to shake her out of her complacency for Quentin's plight. After their conversation, she told his portrait (from RobinV's summary): "'I will do what I can to help Quentin, but what I'm about to do, is really for you, Barnabas, because I love you and I need your love--if I can't prove myself to you this way, then there is no way." Not to mention that saving Quentin and Desmond had the added benefit of dealing with her mortal enemy. Asking someone to try to love you in exchange for a favor is, as you said, still a price; altruism is doing something without regard for your own needs. While her plan risked her personal safety, the girl was desperate to secure his love and as she said, there was no other way.[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]As we see, he gradually comes to realize that he loves Angelique as she loves him, ...[/spoiler]
[spoiler]But it wasn't gradual, and that's the biggest problem I have with the end of 1840 When Barnabas cajoled Valerie into helping Quentin and Desmond, he mentioned that the men were going to be executed in 24 hours. And when he professed his love for her, it was for "what you did tonight." So after hating her in 1795, 1968, 1897 and 1840, he not only set aside their history, but he went from being fond of her yet not ever capable of giving her the love she wanted to "I love you" in less than a day![/spoiler]
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[spoiler]... and that comes about when Barnabas realizes she is indeed capable of being selfless and genuinely caring and prove her love for him.[/spoiler]
For Barnabas to not see the selfishness in her motives says a lot about his naivete.