William Faulkner's writing is often concerned with a common theme of modernist literature, that of mankind's struggle between his inherent nature and his desire to become a man of his own making.  The character of Joe Christmas, from Faulkner's novel Light in August, clearly illustrates this idea.  Being part Negro, Christmas believes that his mixed ancestry predestines him to be an animalistic brute, thwarting any attempts to assimilate into society.  A similar dilemma can be seen in Spike the vampire of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Though an inherently evil being, Spike's admiration (and eventual romantic love) for the heroine Buffy, the implantation of a muzzling chip in his brain, and the restoration of his human soul all work together to bring about a desire in Spike to be good.  In his essay from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy entitled, "No Big Win: Themes of Sacrifice, Salvation, and Redemption," Gregory J. Sakal points out that, "[u]nlike the animal [Spike] once was, where his primary motivation was his own pleasure and satisfaction, his behavior now takes into account the feelings and needs of others..." (Sakal 247).  The struggles of Spike and Christmas with their inner demons illustrate this debate which modernists contend is essential to an understanding of human nature.