Reading Notes: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche, Part A

 Week 4 

For this week's reading I was able to get a better understanding on the assignment after realizing I did it completely wrong last week! Yikes! I was extremely intrigued with the story "The Golden Ass" by Apuleius. I enjoyed how it started off because it started off in such an odd situation. A woman had just been kidnapped and was joined by a magical-hero donkey and a horse that later turns back into his human form. I think it was interesting that the girl was weeping so bad after been kidnapped at her own wedding to the point the old woman who was also there, told her a story to calm her. When she talked about Cupid and Psyche I found it to be an entertaining but very detailed story. The plot of Psyche having sisters and her parents being warned of what would happen to one of them stood out to me because it sets the story of Cupid and Psyche up well, but also showed a parallel to the woman who also got kidnapped on her wedding day. The certain "rules" that Psyche had to follow under the control of Cupid when her sisters came to visit was also interesting because it showed the true nature of her sisters and how Psyche was pure about her intentions of just wanting to see them, but they lashed back with envy. She broke a rule that Cupid had established but that ultimately wasn't the only time she would do that. She also revealed what he looked like by lamplight. He realized that he had now disobeyed his mothers commands and had to leave Psyche because she found out it was him. I know this story was compared to "Beauty and the Beast" but to me it's very different. I find Psyche to be extremely rebellious as she's somewhat considered a "prisoner" but does things that put her in unfortunate positions. Cupid made it clear through out some of the stories that her disobedience came with repercussions, which she really witness's after cupid leaves. She then went on to get revenge of her sisters for talking her into revealing who Cupid is by almost trying to kill him. It was crazy to me that she deceived them into jumping off cliffs. I think at this point I realized a change or a shift in the way Psyche acted. She had always been emotion driven, but she became very manipulative. With that being said, her sisters were far worse as their intentions were even worse. I really liked this story because it really showed Psyche's true nature and her own journey of emotions. She was upset, determined, mad, but also peaceful with who she realized Cupid was. The turning point was the best part of the story as it showed a new journey she has to go through to become (hopefully) reunited with cupid? Also in that alone is a parallel the old woman might be making for the girl she's telling the story to- she could also be reunited with her husband.  

 

(Source: Psyche & Cupid)