Amelia

Amelia in "Camp Fear"

Daria Morgendorffer's only known fan/follower, a teenager at Camp Grizzly in the episode, "Camp Fear" (her only appearance or mention in the Daria series). Freckled Amelia is taller than Daria and of stockier build, with dark bangs parted in the middle. Her dark glasses have square frames.

Amelia in "Camp Fear"

Amelia saw herself and Daria as having a lot in common -- the main reason Amelia came to the reunion was so that she could meet Daria again. She sees Daria as the ultimate rebel, whereas most of Daria's "rebellious" acts during her stay at Camp Grizzly could be explained through either unluck or through Daria's conscious choice to isolate herself from others.

Amelia's idolization of Daria is so great that when Jane refers to Amelia as "Daria having a secret fan club", Amelia takes the statement literally and assumes that Daria has an actual fan club. In Amelia's imagination, both she and Daria are examples of "not following the crowd".

When Daria tells Amelia that she doesn't have to follow Skip's planned agenda for the Camp Grizzly reunion, Amelia tells Daria that she wants to hang out with her. Daria tires of Amelia's clinginess and points out that Amelia has done nothing but follow Daria around since her arrival. Daria tells Amelia that she not only doesn't want to follow a crowd around, she doesn't want to gather a crowd, either. She tells Amelia to go practice being an individual somewhere else.

Amelia angrily turns against Daria, telling Daria that's she's learned the truth -- Daria just doesn't like anybody.

During Skip's final speech to the campers, Daria comes over to the table where Amelia is sitting -- alone -- and makes a sarcastic comment about Skip's speech. This prompts Amelia to interrupt Skip's speech with a speech of her own. She criticizes Skip for always talking and never listening to anyone, and says that she had been following along with Skip against her will. Amelia tells the crowd that the only reason she returned to Camp Grizzly was to meet Daria her "role model" and "inspiration". She notes that even though Daria is an unpleasant person (her opinion of Daria has clearly changed), Daria follows no one's marching orders. From now on, Amelia will do the same -- even if it leaves her a friendless and unpleasant outcast, just like Daria.

She states that she will never return to Camp Grizzly. Amelia's heartfelt speech is greeted with the campers pelting Skip with their Camp Grizzly T-shirts in support of Amelia.

At the end of the episode, Daria and Amelia have partially reconciled. Amelia is hoping that her speech didn't hurt Daria's feelings; Daria commends the speech for its truthfulness.

The opinion of Skip Stevens, camper

Skip complains on the ride home that Amelia is the "worst camper ever" who "doesn't even try to sing" and "never won anything".

Amelia in Daria Fandom

There is some debate among fans of the series (without supportive evidence) that Amelia was meant to be an archetype for Daria fans in general: slavishly following her every move, misunderstanding her intentions, pretending to be just like her, etc.). The meeting between Daria and Amelia, according to this line of thought, was meant to be a cautionary tale, showing how Daria would actually react to discovering she had fans. And perhaps a poke at fans to keep their perspective (just a cartoon, after all). No one knows the answer here.

One is made to wonder whether Amelia's final rebellion wasn't just another way of imitating her personal idol, and not part of a true emotional breakthrough. If Daria can dislike everyone, Amelia figures she can, too. The issue is left unresolved, though it is worth noting that Amelia takes the time to make sure things between her and Daria are patched up before Daria leaves. If she had been serious about her adoption of Daria's attitude, she would not have cared. (And didn't Daria make an effort to be reconciled with Amelia before the latter's outburst at Skip? And wouldn't that open the door to Amelia doing the same with Daria?)

Amelia in Daria Fanfic

Amelia is not often used in Daria fanfiction, but fanfiction has occasionally addressed the issue of whether Amelia could possibly have been friends with Daria under any circumstances. An adult Amelia, now a county sheriff in Montana and Daria's real best friend, appears in the post-canon story "Darkness," by The Angst Guy. In an alternate-universe tale by TAG, "After the End," he also showed Amelia becoming Daria's best friend after Jane Lane dumps Daria for good when the romantic triangle with Tom Sloane develops.

Other fans have been less optimistic. Kristen Bealer has often pointed out the selective and unrealistic way Amelia looks at Daria and their relationship, constantly missing cues correcting her false perceptions. "Country Wisdom" encapsulates this view perfectly with a strong in-canon flavor. "John Lane 41: Friends and Rediscovery," by Richard Lobinske, makes a similar point and adds a startling twist as well. In "Prisoner of Hope," TAG did depict a depressed Amelia shortly after the end of "Camp Fear," when she realizes Daria could not be her friend after all.

Curiously, Amelia appears as a first- or second-rank character in a number of alternate-universe fanfics with science-fiction, fantasy, and adventure themes.

External Links

Information on and Discussion about Amelia

• Amelia on Glitter Berries's Daria Character Database
• Excerpt from "P.O.V." thread on PPMB (Amelia = Daria fans?)
• "Amelia info" thread on PPMB
• "Some Friend?" thread on PPMB
• "Has she really done it?" thread on PPMB
• "Camp Fear" transcript on Outpost Daria

Fanfiction featuring Amelia

• "After the End," by TAG (AU)
• "Country Wisdom," by Kristen Bealer (pre-canon)
• "Darkness," by TAG (science fiction)
• "John Lane 41: Friends and Rediscovery," by Richard Lobinske (AU)
• "Prisoner of Hope," by TAG

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