The damsel in distress, the wounded soldier, and human connection
Posted by Cherelle-Renee on Saturday, April 9, 2016
I have a complex relationship with damsel in distress stories. I don't like the idea of the helpless little woman needing the big, strong man to ride in on a white horse to rescue her. I'd rather be the lady who, if she happens to find herself kidnapped and locked in a tower, either slays the dragon, uses her ingenuity to escape, or uses her wits to convince the dragon that it's actually allergic to human flesh, and then goes outside to find an attractive knight in shining armor royally impressed with her bravery. Or maybe he shows up when I've already been remedying my situation and joins me and we work as a team. Either way, he doesn't rescue me. I rescue me, or we rescue me together.
I do, however, like the idea that someone would actually go to that amount of trouble for me if I needed it. It's always comforting to know someone has your back.
I was thinking the other day about the traditional archetype of the strong, handsome knight saving the helpless lady and thinking about how anti-feminist and sexist it was when I realized there's another archetype where the roles are reversed: the nurse who brings the wounded soldier back to health. Yes, it's equally rife with gender stereotypes, but it still has the dynamic of one person needing help and the other person providing it in a way that they are able. Maybe the soldier actually feels imposed on. Maybe he'd rather go off in a cave and use his ingenuity to survive and recover and then tell some beautiful barmaid about it and have her be thoroughly impressed at how tough he is.
But maybe if you strip away the uncomfortable gender stereotypes, the core idea of both archetypes is still there: sometimes we need help. Sometimes, we're in situations we're not equipped to deal with. Sometimes, what we really want is to know someone's got our back, that someone would go out of their way to help us, even if it's difficult.
Both archetypes could work with the genders reversed. A female warrior could venture past enemy lines to save her lover who's been captured. He might be a gifted healer and bring her back to health when she's wounded in the process. The relationship afterwards might be messy, and it wouldn't have to end with them riding off into the sunset and living happily after, because things are seldom that simple. But they'd each know the other person loved them and was there for them. They'd both have been willing to do what was necessary to save the person they loved, and to accept help from their partner when it was their turn. Maybe that's just what you do when you're in love. Or, maybe that's just what you do when you care.
I do, however, like the idea that someone would actually go to that amount of trouble for me if I needed it. It's always comforting to know someone has your back.
I was thinking the other day about the traditional archetype of the strong, handsome knight saving the helpless lady and thinking about how anti-feminist and sexist it was when I realized there's another archetype where the roles are reversed: the nurse who brings the wounded soldier back to health. Yes, it's equally rife with gender stereotypes, but it still has the dynamic of one person needing help and the other person providing it in a way that they are able. Maybe the soldier actually feels imposed on. Maybe he'd rather go off in a cave and use his ingenuity to survive and recover and then tell some beautiful barmaid about it and have her be thoroughly impressed at how tough he is.
But maybe if you strip away the uncomfortable gender stereotypes, the core idea of both archetypes is still there: sometimes we need help. Sometimes, we're in situations we're not equipped to deal with. Sometimes, what we really want is to know someone's got our back, that someone would go out of their way to help us, even if it's difficult.
Both archetypes could work with the genders reversed. A female warrior could venture past enemy lines to save her lover who's been captured. He might be a gifted healer and bring her back to health when she's wounded in the process. The relationship afterwards might be messy, and it wouldn't have to end with them riding off into the sunset and living happily after, because things are seldom that simple. But they'd each know the other person loved them and was there for them. They'd both have been willing to do what was necessary to save the person they loved, and to accept help from their partner when it was their turn. Maybe that's just what you do when you're in love. Or, maybe that's just what you do when you care.
Random musings from the creator of Legend's Ghost.
