Most likely. I admittedly don't remember what Julien was like in the Red and the Black (I remember reading and loving that book in high school or junior high - but that was also over forty years ago). But yes, I think you may have nailed it. I had a writing professor warn me once about writing about myself or inserting myself into fiction - you'll either make yourself too good to be true or incredibly awful.
I think Whedon kind of did that with Xander. And the other writers worked to deconstruct it - which I think Whedon loved. He loved to deconstruct things.
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But yes, I think you may have nailed it. I had a writing professor warn me once about writing about myself or inserting myself into fiction - you'll either make yourself too good to be true or incredibly awful.
I think Whedon kind of did that with Xander. And the other writers worked to deconstruct it - which I think Whedon loved. He loved to deconstruct things.