231/479 10 Feb 90 05:55:14
From:   Bill McVay
To:     Kim Storment
Subj:   Misogynistic Fairy Tales
Attr:   recvd 
------------------------------------------------
 > But the "usual and accustomed interpretations" are what
 > those tales teach!  You can't attack the interpretations
 > and keep the story.  The princesses *are* generally
 > beautiful and passive and waiting for the prince to come
 > and rescue them.  Keep them around, for historic
 > perspective, but don't use them to teach children about
 > life!

There is a definate flip side to these archetypical myths for some males.  
Within a dysfunctional family there are only a few common survival stratagies 
use by children.  Frequently these are described as "roles".  One common role 
is that of the "lost child".

Kids who become such "lost children" have a rich fantasy life, often based upon 
the above archetypical myth.  One result of the above myth is that female "lost 
children" seem to keep a core of hope that they will someday be rescued from 
the madness of their family life; and this hope often literally keeps them 
alive. Many of the males, however, as reality intrudes more and more into their 
life, lose all hope and suicide.

The difference seems to be built into the myth, for the mythical male _is_ the 
rescuer, and as it becomes more and more obvious to the young man that he 
doesn't have what it takes (al a the myth), to escape the craziness, he losses 
all hope and self-destructs.

Tho the above is extreme, I've come to believe that the male responsibilities 
inherent in such myths are just as destructive to men as the passive nature of 
the female is to women.

Peace from the Wilds of Calahoo,

Bill

--- FD 1.99b
 * Origin: Addictions BBS: Calahoo, AB, Canada HST (77:1910/8)