Hello,
I scoff at the notion that Bonnie is a black and white thinker.
In 'Comparing Apples to Unicorns,' Diane Sylvan's brief analysis of Bonnie's naïveté challenges readers to ascribe her discomfort with certain vampires, to an inability to think and function maturely. Despite her trust in Stefan's judgment with Caroline and despite her questionable choices in dating partners, the author seemed adamant in painting the character as an unyielding and inflexible caricature. Naturally, as a fan, I tend to disagree.
Bonnie's unwillingness to overlook the foolish things that Damon does or the potential danger that vampiric Caroline may present is a skill that many TVD characters lack. That skill is called mature thinking. She has the ability to acknowledge the danger these creatures present, and act on it. So, if an ultimatum is needed to give Caroline a reality check and if an aneurysm is called upon to put-down a sociopathic vampire, then I'd view her actions and her words as a testament to maturity. On the other hand, she's demonstrated an ability to trust a vampire's (Stefan's) judgment. When Damon needs Bonnie's help, he sends Stefan to request her...um...services, knowing that he is the Salvatore brother to whom she'd lend a willing ear. Bonnie's trust in Stefan coupled with her discomfort with Damon has continually thrust her into a world shaded in gray.
Then there is the question of her naïveté. Is that part of her personality indicative of a black and white thinker? The answer is yes and no. Diane Sylvan would have readers believe that Bonnie's naïveté is an extension of her prejudice towards vampires. Well the show has already established that that is not so. However, there is no denying that it does exist and its existence directly correlates with her experiences with men.
To begin with, her naïveté took a holiday in ‘Masquerade.’ She met the first witch, outside of grams, with open suspicion and hostility. It was not until Lucy physically grabbed Bonnie's arms that Bonnie was able to distinguish Lucy as family and also as a good witch. Clearly, Bonnie was, rightfully, on guard as her life and the lives of others weighed in the balance. But her naïveté with men is still in question. She seems to form a quick attachment to boys.
Ben was her first mistake. After paying her compliments and saving her from Damon's unwanted advances, Ben became Bonnie's first supernatural date. A single kiss lead to mayhem and Bonnie ended up in a rotten ditch where an ancient cellar used to reside. Her choices in dating partners hasn't faired any better with her fledgling friendship with Luka. Clearly Luka's dad needs Bonnie to fulfill a dark prophecy but there is no denying the growing bond between Bonnie and Luka. Her need to be with someone like herself and his conflicted desire to obey his father while he unwittingly obeys his heart, has created an unlikely friendship. A witch of light parlaying a dark warlock is recipe for disaster but Bonnie is a 17 year old kid, who's lonely and has never met another boy quite like herself. I'd like to attribute her experiences with boys with her relationship with her father, but as of now, all we know is that he has privately ostracized her from his life but I digress.
Is it unreasonable to assume that she might want companionship? Or should we denote her need to 'belong' as a byproduct of immaturity and call it day? That my dears, is a question I'll leave up to you. But I will say this, despite her inexperience with men/boys, Bonnie has proven to be a character with many layers and more often than not, those layers seem to continually edge along the gray aspects of a highly developed psyche.
Thank you for reading.
