Analysis of Nurse Christine Chapel
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| Title: | Analysis of Nurse Christine Chapel (title in the table of contents), Analysis of the Star Trek Character Nurse Christine Chapel (title on the essay itself) |
| Creator: | Diane Marchant |
| Date(s): | 1975 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Topic: | |
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| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Analysis of Nurse Christine Chapel is a 1975 essay by Diane Marchant.
It was printed in Beyond Antares #1.
Similar Essays by Marchant
- Analysis of Nurse Christine Chapel (1975)
- Concerning Spock (1975)
- Pandora's Box... Again (1975)
Some Topics Discussed
- Marchant invites fans to send her their thoughts and observations about Christine Chapel: "Please tell me how wrong you think I am, give me your honest ideas. Tear mine to pieces, present new ones. I am waiting to assimilate and digest them."
- Marchant felt exasperation with Christine Chapel at times
- what drives and motivates Chapel? Guilt, self-punishment? Nobility? Inability to comprehend? Indecision? Her residual feelings of loss regarding Dr. Korby?
From the Essay
Nothing is too irrelevant or insignificant. Very little has been made evident in (till now) existing publications that it has been my good fortune to read. So it is up to us to ad "grist to the ill". This is part of Star Trek's great fascination, the involvement of the individual. The challenge to surmise and interpret. And it is by "pooling" our impressions, ideas, etc, that we can gauge anything close to the depth and individuality of the characters that are still "living" for us. From what I have read, heard and seen, I regard it as almost criminal that the person of Christine Chapel and her importance to our main interest, Spock, is passed over far too lightly </ref>
Christine's "I don't understand" might have been prompted by perhaps disbelieving her own interpretations. (At any rate for some obscure reason, her words infuriated me!) Why? (Was I wrong to feel exasperated with her, and for her?) For, after all, could she have thought she was being noble, not naive? Actually, she hadn't quite "muffed" it, even at that stage. For Spock opened the "gate" again by suddenly touching the back of his hand to her cheek, and whispering, on the exhalation of one breath, "Your face is wet." Now why didn't she react predictability? Most warm human females would have taken the initiative and snuggled close. At least she, if true to her own prior form would have caressed his face and hands, and in his situation, that would have been enough!! But no, our level-headed, dedicated Miss Chapel was on a mission, from which she seemed to be determined not to be deterred.
[...]
I must admit to confusion and more than a little perplexation. Nurse Chapel seemed grateful to pick up the crumbs when the cake had been within her grasp.... Was she deliberately, if subconsciously, trying to punish herself. Could she have a guilt complex?