Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part B

(1 Corinthians 13:4; online source, lifehopeandtruth)

I really like the portrayal of true love versus obligatory love in this section of stories.

In Venus and the goddesses, Venus clearly doesn’t show devoted love for her son; rather, she makes it known that her love through the years has been more obligatory than heartfelt. At the idea of her son Cupid’s love interest somehow devaluing her (Venus), she snaps. No maternal love is shown; rather the harsh backlash of a goddess betrayed by a servant. That’s kind of ironic, considering she is the mother of the god of love himself, right?

Then, the opposite extreme is displayed in Psyche’s Prayer. Psyche was left completely alone, exiled by her betrayed lover. With her sisters’ true motives revealed, she was left with nowhere to turn, wandering about and wrought with grief. Yet, she still yearned to please her husband, either with a wife’s affection or at the very least a prayer of devout love from his wife.

I like the use of conflicting emotions in Venus and Psyche. The goddesses feel sorry for Psyche and they wish to help her but they also feel devoted to Venus and obligated not to go against her wishes by doing so. I think this would be a great opportunity to use internal dialogue; to display this type of conflicting emotions. I learned a new use for the word mistress. I’ve only known this term to be used for a woman that was involved with a married man that wasn’t her husband. In this context, I guess it would be a woman of authority, such as Venus.

I'm still struggling with a precise idea for my story this week but I've got a pretty good idea of what I'd like to write about. I'd like to write a very powerful love story but I'd like there to be more than romantic love involved. Friendly love, maternal love, romantic love, child-like love... I think these will all be included somehow. I like my stories to really send a message, so I'm still working on the bit about what my important message will be. 

Resource. 
Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius, online source. Translated to English by Tony Kline