Amy Barksdale
Amy Barksdale is the youngest sister of Helen Morgendorffer and has often appeared in Daria fanfic as a support giver for Daria Morgendorffer. Her roles and appearances in fanfiction are many times greater than her appearances in the series (three total).
Fanfiction Portrayals
Amy of the Undefined Job
One issue with which a number of fanfic writers wrestled was Amy's occupation. What exactly did she do? Kara Wild (in the Driven Wild Universe) suggested that she was an art appraiser, an idea that was adopted by other writers, such as Greystar in his The Longest Year series. The Abruptly Amy parody brought forth the intriguing notion that Amy was secretly a spy, which was also taken up elsewhere (e.g., The Angst Guy's "Prayers for a SAINT" and "Invisible Planet"); Brother Grimace parlayed this even further in "It's All About Respect," where the insinuation was made that Amy was part of a special-operations group with the U.N. (However, Brother Grimace has retconned his works to bring this Amy into line with the Falling Into College series.) Peter Guerin's fanfics portrayed her as an intrepid reporter, while Richard Lobinske set her up as a college professor at Tennyson Universityin the Falling Into College series and as a magazine writer in "Misery's End." Show creator Glenn Eichler offered his own suggestions (see "External Links").
Saint Amy
The most common stereotype, particularly in fanfics written just after Season Two in the TV series, is "Saint Amy." Amy Barksdale is believed to have developed a special relationship with Daria in "I Don't" and "Through a Lens Darkly," offering her advice and moral support. In certain ways she appeared to be a grown-up version of Daria herself (see their mirrored images in "I Don't"). This has been taken to the extreme in fanfiction, leading to situations in which Amy rides in like the cavalry to rescue Daria from bad situations.
However, in "Aunt Nauseam," Amy tries and fails to make peace between her sisters, prompting Daria to remark, "So, then, after Aunt Amy arrived to save the day and within three minutes had totally regressed into the same pre-school encounter group as her sisters...." The notion that Amy could "save the day" was not inherent in the episodes where she appeared; in "I Don't," she and Daria just bonded, while in "Through a Lens Darkly," she advised Daria to get contact lenses (which Daria ultimately discarded). Where did the writer of "Aunt Nauseam" get the notion that Amy could "save the day"? Possibly from Daria fanfiction or fan comments.
Trivia
Amy Barksdale's facial appearance changes and becomes more angular between her two earlier appearances in the series and her final appearance in "Aunt Nauseam." Why this happens has never been determined.
In "Through a Lens Darkly," Daria asks her aunt if she wants a picture of Daria with her new contacts. Amy replies, "Either that or a shot of Ralph Fiennes. Whichever." In "Aunt Nauseam," Rita Barksdale initially says she cannot visit Helen because "I promised Ralph—you know, the actor I've been dating—I promised to take him to New York for his birthday, maybe catch a play or two." Did Rita steal Amy's secret heartthrob?
External Links
- "Amy: Savior or Chimera?" (essay) by Kara Wild
- First March 2005 interview with Glenn Eichler on DVDaria, with possible career mentioned for Amy (magazine writer)
- Second March 2005 interview with Glenn Eichler on DVDaria, with another possible career for Amy (public relations account executive)