Dissecting Danielle
Posted: Aug 8th 2008, 6:30 pm
My thoughts on why Danielle was extremely essential to the show etc...
DANIELLE CHASE
Danielle Chase is absolutely necessary to My So-Called Life. Aside from being completely adorable, she serves as a backdrop against which the viewers witness Angela's transformation from a child into a young woman. In a way, she serves the same purpose as Sharon does in the beginning of the series--she is a depiction of the past or childhood--the thing that Angela is trying to escape.
Exhibit A: In "Father Figures" Graham comes home to find Angela and Rayanne in the kitchen, and tries to kiss Angela on the cheek. Angela pulls away and tells him his whiskers scratch. She then voices mistrust towards her father in the following voice-over. There is a distance growing between Angela and her parents as she starts to become an independent individual and notice their flaws. (Or as Patty says later, Angela is taking Graham "off his pedestal" and "she's right on schedule")
Later in the same episode, Angela is sitting downstairs trying to do homework (I believe) and Graham is sitting on the couch nearby with Danielle cuddled up next to him. Danielle giggles and exclaims that she likes the way it feels when he doesn't shave. Graham then proceeds to bury his whiskers into her hair and make monster noises. Angela gets irritated and storms upstairs. This is something you can imagine Angela doing when she was little and still had graham on his "pedestal." However, this is not something she wants to even witness anymore. She wants to discard of her connections to her family and be her own person.
Exhibit B:
In "The Zit" Patty is practically forcing Angela to do the charity fashion show with her. Why doesn't she even think of asking Danielle to do it when Angela is being a total ass about participating? Simple. Patty NEEDS to feel connected to Angela. Her teenage daughter has been distant from her lately, and she is using this opportunity to bond and gain more influence in Angela's life. Danielle is still close and willing to "bond" with her mother. Therefore, Patty can safely take advantage of this willingness without fear that Danielle will stop wanting and needing her.
It is not until Danielle stops wanting her mother's attention that Patty even notices. Take a look at the following scene from "On The Wagon"
The phone rings, and Angela answers it:
Angela : Hello? Yeah. It's your boyfriend, Ryan.
Danielle: He's not my boyfriend. He was, but we're keeping it loose.
[Patty, Graham, and Angela all look at Danielle. Danielle puts
the phone down on the counter] I'll take it in the other room. [She leaves]
Patty : Are either of them married yet? I mean, how much have I
missed?
Then after a few minutes, Danielle gets back from talking on the phone:
[Danielle enters. Patty grabs her as she walks past]
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait wait wait wait wait.
Who is this Ryan?
Danielle: Mom, I have to go to school. [She leaves]
[Graham hugs Patty]
When Patty hugs Graham in defeat we see that she is realizing Danielle will grow up and grow distant in the same way Angela is beginning to. And this scares her. If there had been a second season, perhaps we would have been able to see more of an exploration of Danielle's revolution from young child, to young child wanting to be an adult. I think we already see a little of this when she dresses up for Angela on Halloween, and then adoringly handles her things the next morning (upon returning clothes she borrowed to Angela's room). This is even more pronounced when she finally gets to narrate an episode! In "The Weekend" she expresses her excitement about hanging out with her "big sister and her cool friend" (Rickie).
To be Continued...
DANIELLE CHASE
Danielle Chase is absolutely necessary to My So-Called Life. Aside from being completely adorable, she serves as a backdrop against which the viewers witness Angela's transformation from a child into a young woman. In a way, she serves the same purpose as Sharon does in the beginning of the series--she is a depiction of the past or childhood--the thing that Angela is trying to escape.
Exhibit A: In "Father Figures" Graham comes home to find Angela and Rayanne in the kitchen, and tries to kiss Angela on the cheek. Angela pulls away and tells him his whiskers scratch. She then voices mistrust towards her father in the following voice-over. There is a distance growing between Angela and her parents as she starts to become an independent individual and notice their flaws. (Or as Patty says later, Angela is taking Graham "off his pedestal" and "she's right on schedule")
Later in the same episode, Angela is sitting downstairs trying to do homework (I believe) and Graham is sitting on the couch nearby with Danielle cuddled up next to him. Danielle giggles and exclaims that she likes the way it feels when he doesn't shave. Graham then proceeds to bury his whiskers into her hair and make monster noises. Angela gets irritated and storms upstairs. This is something you can imagine Angela doing when she was little and still had graham on his "pedestal." However, this is not something she wants to even witness anymore. She wants to discard of her connections to her family and be her own person.
Exhibit B:
In "The Zit" Patty is practically forcing Angela to do the charity fashion show with her. Why doesn't she even think of asking Danielle to do it when Angela is being a total ass about participating? Simple. Patty NEEDS to feel connected to Angela. Her teenage daughter has been distant from her lately, and she is using this opportunity to bond and gain more influence in Angela's life. Danielle is still close and willing to "bond" with her mother. Therefore, Patty can safely take advantage of this willingness without fear that Danielle will stop wanting and needing her.
It is not until Danielle stops wanting her mother's attention that Patty even notices. Take a look at the following scene from "On The Wagon"
The phone rings, and Angela answers it:
Angela : Hello? Yeah. It's your boyfriend, Ryan.
Danielle: He's not my boyfriend. He was, but we're keeping it loose.
[Patty, Graham, and Angela all look at Danielle. Danielle puts
the phone down on the counter] I'll take it in the other room. [She leaves]
Patty : Are either of them married yet? I mean, how much have I
missed?
Then after a few minutes, Danielle gets back from talking on the phone:
[Danielle enters. Patty grabs her as she walks past]
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait wait wait wait wait.
Who is this Ryan?
Danielle: Mom, I have to go to school. [She leaves]
[Graham hugs Patty]
When Patty hugs Graham in defeat we see that she is realizing Danielle will grow up and grow distant in the same way Angela is beginning to. And this scares her. If there had been a second season, perhaps we would have been able to see more of an exploration of Danielle's revolution from young child, to young child wanting to be an adult. I think we already see a little of this when she dresses up for Angela on Halloween, and then adoringly handles her things the next morning (upon returning clothes she borrowed to Angela's room). This is even more pronounced when she finally gets to narrate an episode! In "The Weekend" she expresses her excitement about hanging out with her "big sister and her cool friend" (Rickie).
To be Continued...