Her insatiable curiosity would get her in trouble some day, of that I was sure. Ever since she arrived here, Psyche was unable to simply ignore the very things about which she was warned. As a servant, and an invisible one at that, I had no place to tell her this, but her husband often reminded her of the trouble she would get herself into, which leads me to what happened today. Not that this was her first act of defiance against her husband’s guidance, but it was most certainly going to be her last.
Today, Psyche really blew it.
She was told again and again not to let her curiosity about her husband’s appearance get the better of her. She was warned against the treachery her sisters would bring. Her naivete really is what did her in. She couldn’t see the jealousy behind her sisters’ eyes, so she let them sway her into going against her husband’s most dire ultimatum: do not ever attempt to glimpse his face or he would leave her immediately and forever.
Anyone with half a brain would have agreed and continued to comply with this demand. Just consider what she was getting in return: a beautiful palace to call home, servants who cater to her every wish and whim, and a loving husband who provides all of this for her and protected her from his jealous and scornful mother.
But, as you now know, Psyche isn’t the brightest star in the heavens, is she?
So, what does she decide to do? She listens to her treacherous sisters and adopts their plan to reveal her husband’s identity. Some people just don’t get it. Here’s how it all goes down.
After Psyche goes to bed for the evening, she was soon joined by her husband. After he fell asleep, she rose from the bed to a lamp she had covered. Grabbing a razor, she lifted the cover on the lamp to see and subsequently kill her husband, who must surely be a monstrosity to hide his identity from her. Imagine her surprise when she discovered Cupid sleeping peacefully in his place.
Stunned by the man that lay before her, the silly girl was overcome by emotions and stared unblinking at the god that was her husband. Unfortunately for her, in her transfixed state, she failed to notice a drop of hot oil about to fall from the lamp and onto her husband’s shoulder. This obviously woke Cupid up in a flash, and he was immediately out the door, lamenting her treachery.
The girl had the nerve to cling to his leg as he attempted to fly away, but she was no match for the winged-god. He flew into a cypress tree and told her of his mother’s orders to destroy her through a terrible marriage and how he saved her from that by making her his wife. He continued by telling her that by acting against his most direct wishes, she proved that she thought of him as a brutish monster, whom she would have killed without hesitation.
Heartbroken by her betrayal, he promised to punish her sisters for their hand in the scheme, and he punished Psyche by his leaving.
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| Psyche Abandoned, by Coypel |
And that is how you lose an immortal husband in just a moment of uncontrolled curiosity.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Author’s note:
I was inspired to write the story of Psyche's Husband Revealed from the perspective of one of the palace's servant’s. Being invisible, you get the sense from the beginning that their presence is purely magical and divine in nature, and upon the discovery of Psyche’s husband’s identity, this notion is confirmed. Since they are invisible and we can’t really understand how they work or what they look like, I decided to make them almost all-knowing and all-seeing in the palace. They would definitely know all of the comings and goings in the house and would be able to see and hear all events and conversations. I was kind of going for what the story might sound like if one of the servants was telling a family member or friend in a very gossip-y way. I hope you enjoyed it!
- Lillian
Hey, Lillian! From the first line of your story, I was hooked. Such emotion, raw honesty, and a new perspective on Psyche – I was very impressed. I also like how you said something along the lines of her not being the brightest star in the heavens – very fitting metaphor for the time period while also making me chuckle. Furthermore, it was very well-written. The picture was also very fitting. I certainly hope to get to read more of your stories as I was very impressed. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteYou had a great perspective on the danger of curiosity and peer pressure and how it can lead to terrible consequences. I really enjoyed your writing style because you used such detailed words (some I had to look up on the dictionary haha), but after reading your story, I felt more intelligent! The first paragraph really drew me in and helped me create a sense of curiosity of my own.
ReplyDeleteHey Lillian!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your telling of the story of Cupid and Psyche. Cupid and Psyche is one of my favorite mythological stories. I thought that it was very creative of you to change the point-of-view of the story. Normally, as a reader we never get to hear the point-of-view of a servant. Often servants are overlooked. People do not realize that servants actually know and see the most. You can say that they are the fly on the wall.
Overall, I thought that you take on the story of Cupid and Psyche was very good because it illuminated Psyche’s downfall: her sisters and lack of trust. I liked how you emphasized Cupid’s great love and care for Psyche in order to portray Psyche’s betrayal toward Cupid. It also kind of characterized Psyche as naïve and stupid, which is what she really is. I believe this aids in the character development of Psyche because as the reader finishes the story, the reader will be able to discern Psyche’s transition from a stupid and naïve character to a hardworking and loyal character.
Overall, your story was good! I thought it was creative to tell the story from the perspective of a servant. A servant does know most, if not all, of what goes on in the household they serve. I would have enjoyed a little bit more about the narrator's feelings, but I understand that it might get in the way of the story itself. The idea of making your story gossipy fits perfectly. What is more interesting to gossip about then cupid’s love life? I was a little heartbroken to read of Psyche’s eagerness to kill her husband when all he ever did was love her.
ReplyDeleteSpecifically, I thought the language was modern and casual. This tone of writing fit well. I was curious about Psyche’s motives to kill her husband. This came out of nowhere for me. I thought she was just overwhelmed with curiosity about her husband’s face, not thought that he was a monster worthy of slaughter. Maybe some more build up about that would add to your story.
I really enjoyed reading this story! Good Job!
Great take on the story, Lillian! This was the unit that I did for week 2 as well. I loved the words you used throughout the story. They really made the scene more intense and personal to the reader. I also liked that you made it from the perspective of the servant; I never would have thought to do that! Great work!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your story overall! The tone you set was really fitting with this story. The idea of it being told from the point of view of a servant in the household was really creative. It offered a different and new perspective on the story. We often don't see stories told from an outsiders view and so I really liked that part. This story was one of the favorites of a friend of mine who got me into Greek mythology and so I really enjoyed your retelling. For some who don't know the story the lack of a background about why she wanted to kill her husband might be a bit confusing. It would have been helpful to perhaps include a line or two about her sisters lies about her husband being a monster could have been helpful. I thought the image you used was perfect. It was a great depiction of Cupid leaving Psyche. Overall I really liked your story!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your version of the story. Your perspective was interesting too. I really do like stories that are written from an usual perspective...from the servant's eyes. I liked your use of metaphors where you compared her to not being the brightest star in the sky. I also liked how your character had an inner struggle between listening to her sister or listening to her husband. It was a very captivating story and kept me reading without hesitation. I wanted to know what was going to happen next as the story progressed. The picture that you chose was a great choice because it clearly depicted Cupid leaving his wife after making her bad choice. You can see her yearning for Cupid to come back to her. I thought your story was very creative from the beginning to the end. A quick suggestion, there was only a brief mention of her sisters in the story. To add more of the sister's storyline in to your version might help with understanding why she was torn between listening to her sisters or her husband.
ReplyDeleteI also read this unit. I really enjoyed Cupid and Psyche’s story. The idea of telling the story from a servant’s perspective was a great one! I am also really glad that you commented on Psyche’s naivety. A lot could have been avoided if she would have just listened to cupid when he warned her about her sisters. I noticed that your story did not have any dialogue in it. Normally, I am a big fan of dialogue but I liked the flow of your story and it proved to be better without dialogue. Writing Cupid and Psyche’s story from the “fly on the wall” perspective was a nice way to get a different point of view. In your author’s note, you mentioned that you were trying to give a “gossip-feel.” You definitely accomplished that. I felt like the servant was talking directly to me and giving me the inside scoop on Cupid and Psyche’s life.
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