Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche Part A
Story of Cupid and Psyche, from The Golden Ass written by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline
The story starts with a different story to narrate, but I didn't like that intro. I'd rather just jump into the story itself. I felt like the beginning of the story when talking about Psyche's beauty and the praise she was being given instead of Venus, the reader received Venus' point of view but not Psyche's. Did she like or event want all this praise? Maybe she just wanted someone to love, a great romance. It wasn't her fault, after all, that she was so beautiful or that the people were practically worshiping her.
I liked the description of Cupid's home and the similarities to Beauty and The Beast. Why didn't Cupid want to be seen, though? He's not ugly, and he's not cruel. Maybe he doesn't want Psyche to spill the beans and have Venus angry at him? I think a point of view from Cupid would be neat.
The sisters were so awful, too! It felt similar to the stepsisters in Cinderella. It was difficult at times to understand what exactly they were saying and whether they despised Psyche because of her grandiose living or because she was alive after all. Why were they so interested in knowing what he looked like? Especially if they suspected he was hideous... Why would they still be jealous? And oh my gosh, when Psyche ran to them crying about how her husband was THE Cupid and not a monster, they straight up ran off a cliff expecting the wind to carry them to Cupid, thinking themselves each his one true love? And then they just die. I mean, problem solved I guess!
I felt so badly for Psyche when Cupid left her. Him saying the sisters will pay but Psyche's punishment will be to watch him fly away from her is like the fairytale equivalent of someone you love saying they're not angry with you, just disappointed. OOF. I could totally see this story rewritten in modern, 21st Century times, but one thing I like about this version is Psyche has no way to contact Cupid unless Cupid wants to be contacted. She's running around, desperate to find him and say she's sorry and reiterate her love for him, but she can't because he's not there, and that makes the heartache so much worse.
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