User blog:NerdWithAKeyboard/PG Removal Proposal: Sally



With Christmas coming up, I figured now was the best time to cover why Sally doesn't qualify as Pure Good.

Now before you get up in arms, I do like this character and the franchise she comes from. But there are strong mitigating factors that I feel need to be looked at.

What's the Work?
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 stop-motion animated film that features a story of when the holidays of Halloween and Christmas collide.

Who is Sally?
Sally is the deuteragonist of the film and Jack Skellington's love interest. She is a living rag doll created by Dr. Finkelstein that has a massive crush on Jack, but is too shy to admit it.

Why She Doesn't Qualify
Sally is a rebel, and a mischievous one at that. She is restless from being cooped up by her overprotective, but still caring "father" Dr. Finkelstien, and resorts to sneaking out against his wishes to participate in Halloween Town's festivities. However, in order to sneak out, she repeatedly poisons the doctor's soups and tea to make him fall asleep before running off, a process that leaves him in pain the next day. Despite the doctor assuring her that her restlessness is just a phase and that she'll be safe if she stays with him, as well as knowing what she is doing is wrong, she still continues to do it. Granted, the reason she does it is to try and connect with her crush, but she nevertheless poisons Dr. Finkelstien a total of four times before he finally disciplines her by grounding her to her room. However, even then she refuses to behave, and sneaks out yet again, finally causing Dr. Finkelstien to loose his temper and decide to make a new creation to replace Sally. Though Sally tries to help Jack, Dr. Finkelstien is ultimately proven right about her not being ready, as she is captured and almost killed by Oogie Boogie. Even after all of it, she never even attempts to apologize or make her wrongs right, instead avoiding the doctor at every opportunity.

Now it may be argued that Dr. Finkelstien is in the wrong here, and while he is certainly overprotective and a touch possessive, he still cares for Sally and wants her to be safe. When he does become angry and finally "disowns" her, it is because of her repeated betrayal and poisoning of him.

Verdict?
Again, I do like this character a lot, but her repeated acts of doing harm against her overbearing, but still well-intentioned "father" and her refusal to amend her wrongs make her a "cut" in my book.