If life and death are opposites, then doesn't fighting for life automatically imply one also fights against death? No, I don’t think so. I mean surely Ten's tragedy was that he was so busy running from death and pain that he forgot to live...
But I have thought about this, and my answer is threefold (and yes, there is a part of my brain that is busy headdesking at my inability to EVER do short):
1. Death is a part of life. You can’t have one without the other - Jack being the walking, talking proof of the unnaturalness of the absence of death, and Miracle Day will explore this theme too. People are born, they live, and then they die. A child dying is tragic, because it was taken before it’s time, but an old person dying peacefully, after a good life, is not a bad thing, and shouldn’t be fought against. (See Cassandra, trying to extend her life and becoming gruesome in the process, or the Toclafane, literally destroying their ancestors because they can't accept that their time is up.)
2. There are worse things than death. Look at the gasmask people in Moffat’s first Who story - the horror of them is that they’re neither dead nor alive. And the Doctor opts to effectively kill the Star Whale in The Beast Below as it is the least worst option. In The Library we have Donna’s horror at the donated face and the ghosting. The half-human Winders. Ursula who becomes a paving slab (I still think this is the single worst fate of anyone in the whole of DW). The Ood and the Gangers, enslaved and in pain. I’m reminded of this quote from LotR:
Eowyn: I fear neither death nor pain. Aragorn: What do you fear, my Lady? Eowyn: A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them, and all chance of valour has gone beyond call or desire.
(Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' of course tackles this too.)
3. Death can be... noble. To go all Biblical for a moment: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Going back to my point above, but expanding - someone who is ready to die/is dying for a greater cause, and accepts it, can meet death with peace:
DALEK #1: Exterminate! They raise their guns. JACK: I kinda figured that. He opens his arms, ready. The Dalek fires and Jack slumps down against the wall, dead.
IANTO: Um, if we start transmitting, then the subwave network is going to become... visible. I mean, to the... Daleks. HARRIET JONES: Yes, and they'll trace it back to me, but my life doesn't matter. Not if it saves the Earth. JACK: (stands to attention, salutes) Ma'am. HARRIET JONES: Thank you, Captain.
DOCTOR: I wish I'd known you better. OCTAVIAN: I think, sir, you know me at my best. DOCTOR: Ready? OCTAVIAN: (closes eyes) Content.
With joy, even:
DOCTOR: Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. (smiles at her, so proud) Absolutely fantastic. And d'you know what? Rose shakes her head. The Doctor grins. DOCTOR (cont'd): So was I.
Plus there is another side, for which I am going to indulge in Lord of the Rings clips:
The proud last stand; meeting death head-on, even when there is no hope... There is something glorious in that:
Theoden: So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate? Aragorn: Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them. Theoden: For death and glory? Aragorn: For Rohan. For your people.
This is one of my favourite scenes ever. Which is echoed in this exchange between Frodo and Sam:
Frodo: What are we holding onto Sam? Sam: There is some good in this world, Mr Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for!
The elves needn’t have come, they could have left for the Grey Havens. Frodo knew that his quest would probably kill him. But they considered their deaths a small price to pay...
Doctor: Wilf - it's my honour. ~ Doctor: Live well. Love Rory. Bye bye Pond.
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No, I don’t think so. I mean surely Ten's tragedy was that he was so busy running from death and pain that he forgot to live...
But I have thought about this, and my answer is threefold (and yes, there is a part of my brain that is busy headdesking at my inability to EVER do short):
1. Death is a part of life. You can’t have one without the other - Jack being the walking, talking proof of the unnaturalness of the absence of death, and Miracle Day will explore this theme too. People are born, they live, and then they die. A child dying is tragic, because it was taken before it’s time, but an old person dying peacefully, after a good life, is not a bad thing, and shouldn’t be fought against. (See Cassandra, trying to extend her life and becoming gruesome in the process, or the Toclafane, literally destroying their ancestors because they can't accept that their time is up.)
2. There are worse things than death. Look at the gasmask people in Moffat’s first Who story - the horror of them is that they’re neither dead nor alive. And the Doctor opts to effectively kill the Star Whale in The Beast Below as it is the least worst option. In The Library we have Donna’s horror at the donated face and the ghosting. The half-human Winders. Ursula who becomes a paving slab (I still think this is the single worst fate of anyone in the whole of DW). The Ood and the Gangers, enslaved and in pain. I’m reminded of this quote from LotR:
Eowyn: I fear neither death nor pain.
Aragorn: What do you fear, my Lady?
Eowyn: A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them, and all chance of valour has gone beyond call or desire.
(Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' of course tackles this too.)
3. Death can be... noble. To go all Biblical for a moment: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Going back to my point above, but expanding - someone who is ready to die/is dying for a greater cause, and accepts it, can meet death with peace:
DALEK #1: Exterminate!
They raise their guns.
JACK: I kinda figured that.
He opens his arms, ready. The Dalek fires and Jack slumps down against the wall, dead.
IANTO: Um, if we start transmitting, then the subwave network is going to become... visible. I mean, to the... Daleks.
HARRIET JONES: Yes, and they'll trace it back to me, but my life doesn't matter. Not if it saves the Earth.
JACK: (stands to attention, salutes) Ma'am.
HARRIET JONES: Thank you, Captain.
DOCTOR: I wish I'd known you better.
OCTAVIAN: I think, sir, you know me at my best.
DOCTOR: Ready?
OCTAVIAN: (closes eyes) Content.
With joy, even:
DOCTOR: Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. (smiles at her, so proud) Absolutely fantastic. And d'you know what?
Rose shakes her head. The Doctor grins.
DOCTOR (cont'd): So was I.
Plus there is another side, for which I am going to indulge in Lord of the Rings clips:
Riding out
The proud last stand; meeting death head-on, even when there is no hope... There is something glorious in that:
Theoden: So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?
Aragorn: Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them.
Theoden: For death and glory?
Aragorn: For Rohan. For your people.
And: The elves arrival at Helms Deep
This is one of my favourite scenes ever. Which is echoed in this exchange between Frodo and Sam:
Frodo: What are we holding onto Sam?
Sam: There is some good in this world, Mr Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for!
The elves needn’t have come, they could have left for the Grey Havens. Frodo knew that his quest would probably kill him. But they considered their deaths a small price to pay...
Doctor: Wilf - it's my honour.
~
Doctor: Live well. Love Rory. Bye bye Pond.