I was working on a different story, Arthorian in nature, when the idea of male-dominated churches and their history of stifiling the mythically innate magic of women, by stifiling their sexuality.
What is more representative of that than the most Islamic tradition of the Burka.
Suddenly a title came to me: Medea in Medina. The first sentences of the story followed: "Is the opposite of Rape also a violation? Is virginity and chastitiy at knife point, at gun point, at the point of being stoned a crime? Should it be?"
I've spent a week going in circles debating where to go from here.
Women's power in Celtic traditions, Norse, even ancient Greek mystery cults are summed up in the two powers women had that men didn't, the power to give birth and the power to sexually entice men. How would the spirit of Medea, of Sybil, of Bridgid (who some archeologists claim, became St. Bridgette after being nuetered a bit), of Aphrodite and Venus respond to this modern tradition of burying the female in cloth, hiding her from all but family.
On the flip side, how would that same spirit react to a Western woman like Paris Hilton, or several teen age girls I knew, who's identity is equal too, and does not surpass the sexual. Is rape via cultural bias and peer pressure a crime?
One is denied their "magical" feminine power, the other is captured by it.
So how do I put that in a story?
I started with a young Islamic woman tempted to disrobe in public by some demon, female spirit, innervoice, tempted to free her magic.
I thought of having the spirit, like a wind, trying to influence a young woman, but finding no purchase past the burka till she found the eyes.
I thought of a debate between the spirit of Medea and Merlin, overlooking a small arab village.
I thought of the inner debate a young Islamic woman would be having, dressed in her burka, shopping in the stalls of her town, while stories she's read, found on the internet, mailed from a female friend in school in England or America tempts her.
I thought of the spirit of woman's power flowing through the streets and materializing into a female who disregards each item of clothing in public going from shy to powerful as she does so, the opposite of what one would expect.
Yet all of these just didn't flow right. I'll probably settle for one or a combination of the above, but I also thought, why not see what you folks think.
I do have an ending. It to popped into my mind as a final scene. The young woman--16, 18, 21?--does not disrobe. She has all these thoughts and fantasies, debates and moral insights, but ultimately just continues her life. She buys an apple from one of the vendors. We end the story with her sinking her pearl white teeth into its juicy flesh, her red lips meeting its red skin, and the crunch, followed by a thoughtful? tempting? wicked? sigh.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Uh...
I don't know that I'd use Medea in anything approaching a sympathetic voice... I mean, sure, Jason abandoned her, but that's no reason to go and murder your sons...
(The story's been told different ways, I know-- but Euripedes' version is my favorite...)
quote:this modern tradition of burying the female in cloth, hiding her from all but family.
Hardly modern, Dan.
quote:The first sentences of the story followed: "Is the opposite of Rape also a violation? Is virginity and chastitiy at knife point, at gun point, at the point of being stoned a crime? Should it be?"
The premise is good-- I hope that you aren't saying you literally started the story with those questions, though.
quote:She has all these thoughts and fantasies, debates and moral insights, but ultimately just continues her life. She buys an apple from one of the vendors. We end the story with her sinking her pearl white teeth into its juicy flesh, her red lips meeting its red skin, and the crunch, followed by a thoughtful? tempting? wicked? sigh.
IMO, too cliche. Eve references have been done to death.
quote:when the idea of male-dominated churches and their history of stifiling the mythically innate magic of women, by stifiling their sexuality.
Meh. Also done to death. How about a story where the strictures give the women magic, powerful, incredible, insane magic, but one woman wants to give up that magic for more social freedom? But the men in their world depend on women's magic to survive...
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:The first sentences of the story followed: "Is the opposite of Rape also a violation? Is virginity and chastity at knife point, at gun point, at the point of being stoned a crime? Should it be?"
Scott already commented, but let me point out that this is not the opening of a story, it's the opening of an essay or op-ed. Stories are about people.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I like the idea of Medea finding ways to flout the customs and get away with it (in a sort of assertive yet mature way). But then I felt like such a story would end in a tragedy as Medea is violently killed. It would fit in your premise of the opposite of rape still being a violation. It would be interesting to see such a heroine living in a culture where she encounters both violations.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
BlackBlade:
In most mythologies, Medea DID flout customs.
And got away with it.
Every single time.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
I know the begining lines are an op-ed peice. They would be either spoken, or thoughts coming from the protaganist.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R: BlackBlade:
In most mythologies, Medea DID flout customs.
And got away with it.
Every single time.
Did not know that, get these microchips out of my head! They are making me think mythological thoughts!
Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R:
(The story's been told different ways, I know-- but Euripedes' version is my favorite...)
Why thank you.
I've got to ask though, is Euripedes an alternate spelling of Euripides? I've always seen it spelt with the 'i' and was under the impression that it was the spelling most faithful to the original Greek. Just wondering, because people spell it Euripedes here 3 times out of 5.
quote:Originally posted by Scott R:
quote:when the idea of male-dominated churches and their history of stifiling the mythically innate magic of women, by stifiling their sexuality.
Meh. Also done to death. How about a story where the strictures give the women magic, powerful, incredible, insane magic, but one woman wants to give up that magic for more social freedom? But the men in their world depend on women's magic to survive...
No thanks.
Dan, how about a European landscape artist who is touring a Middle Eastern country, and meets an unmarried woman there. The relationship builds slowly, and when the woman removes the burqa from her face (or maybe the man accidentally sees her in other clothes in her apartment), he asks if he can paint her. I like the idea of mixing the physical (the beauty of the female form) with some form of magic (though I prefer to use the magic only as a metaphor).
I wouldn't use the apple allusion. Doesn't that work against your premise?
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
It's entirely possible that I'm spelling Euripedes wrong. Likely, even.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
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