Re: The Women in CAS Prose... need some help, my fellow friends and scholars...
Posted by:
Scott Connors (IP Logged)
Date: 27 June, 2004 03:34PM
One example of the Eternal Feminine that nobody mentioned is that of the alien princess in "The Monster of the Prophecy," which is itself parodied by the "National Mother" to whom Eibon and the Inquisitor are almost wed (and fed) to in "The Door to Saturn." Another are the titular beings of "The Flower Women," a title with nicely Freudian overtones, especially with the many mentions of orchids in the Smith oeuvre.
In discussing CAS' women, you might check out Steve Behrend's article on the idea of loss in Smith's work. Another would be the discussion of the types of women that Northrup Frye has in ANATOMY OF CRITICISM, as well as Jung on the Anima archetype. There is a certain degree of Whore Versus Madonna in Smith's work, for instance Ilvaa in "The Isle of the Torturers," but often times there is a blurring of the lines. Nycea in "The End of the Story," "The Enchantress of Sylaire," "The Holiness of Azederac:" all have enchantresses whose carnality is not explicitly condemned by Smith.
Best,
Scott