A Great and Terrible Beauty: Week 3 Story
 |
| Vénus d'Arles by unknown artist. The work currently resides in the Louvre. Found on wikimedia. |
People worshiped her, comparing her to a goddess they neglected in favor of Psyche. But it was so lonely, being held in such regard for her so-called loveliness.
The only people who talked to her were her family. Her sisters were jealous of her looks, but they were able to find husbands, much to the pleasure of their father. Her father, the one so anxious to hand her off to an eligible bachelor, constantly complained about her lack of suitors. Because people would rather gaze at her than hold a conversation, or see her as a person that could be loved, appreciated for more than the vision of exquisiteness she was known for. But these were the only people who she spoke to. Not a single person more.
And to make things worse, the beauty that she was so known for, admired for, venerated for, was the one thing standing in her way. She could have no freedom, not intellectual conversations, not a single thought could be separated from her great 'beauty'. She was just a shell, and admired artifact sitting on a pedestal. She might as well have been sculpted from marble for all that people cared about her. Perhaps they would rather her be just that, then she wouldn't have these pesky thoughts about her status as an object of devotion for so many.
The beauty that gained her fame and glory also became her downfall, and for something she could not control. Venus had taken people's treatment of her as a deity as a personal offense. Something that should be punished severely and thoroughly. If Venus only knew that she longed to be less, to have the allure that drew people to her dulled. Just enough to have a conversation. Just enough to have a life. Just enough.
Author's Note: This story comes from Psyche's Beauty and the Anger of Venus within Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013). In the original, the status of Psyche as a object of affection rather than a person was not explored in depth. I decided to look into what it must have been like for her to not be able to engage with another human being, and instead be deified for something that she had not control over, for something that isolated her. Her beauty is what draws people to her and isolated her. In the end, Venus seeks revenge for the slight of being forgotten in favor of Psyche. She asked her son, Cupid, to curse Psyche and instead weds Psyche against his mother's wishes.
The title of this story comes from a novel by Libba Bray of the same name.
And to make things worse, the beauty that she was so known for, admired for, venerated for, was the one thing standing in her way. She could have no freedom, not intellectual conversations, not a single thought could be separated from her great 'beauty'. She was just a shell, and admired artifact sitting on a pedestal. She might as well have been sculpted from marble for all that people cared about her. Perhaps they would rather her be just that, then she wouldn't have these pesky thoughts about her status as an object of devotion for so many.
The beauty that gained her fame and glory also became her downfall, and for something she could not control. Venus had taken people's treatment of her as a deity as a personal offense. Something that should be punished severely and thoroughly. If Venus only knew that she longed to be less, to have the allure that drew people to her dulled. Just enough to have a conversation. Just enough to have a life. Just enough.
Author's Note: This story comes from Psyche's Beauty and the Anger of Venus within Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013). In the original, the status of Psyche as a object of affection rather than a person was not explored in depth. I decided to look into what it must have been like for her to not be able to engage with another human being, and instead be deified for something that she had not control over, for something that isolated her. Her beauty is what draws people to her and isolated her. In the end, Venus seeks revenge for the slight of being forgotten in favor of Psyche. She asked her son, Cupid, to curse Psyche and instead weds Psyche against his mother's wishes.
The title of this story comes from a novel by Libba Bray of the same name.
Bibliography. "Psyche's Beauty and the Anger of Venus" from Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013). Web source.
In your story you used good details and gave good descriptions of Psyche's internal feelings and emotions. I am curious about what the interactions would be like between Psyche and her family, so it might be beneficial to add in dialogue at that part to give the audience a deeper perspective. This way the audience better understands the family dynamic and how it affects Psyche, since family members are the only people that Psyche converses with. I really enjoyed reading your story because I did not get the chance to read the original Psyche's Beauty and the Anger of Venus from the Un-Textbook, and you did a great job!
ReplyDeleteHey Elizabeth! I really like how you delved deeper into Psyche's feelings and talked more about her personality besides her beauty. I especially liked the part where you mentioned that she wished people wouldn't focus as much on her looks as what is on the inside. I also didn't read the original story, so your author's note cleared that up pretty well! Great job on the story!
ReplyDelete