💜    作者基于荣格的原型理论和希腊神话，提炼出32个主角原型和13个配角原型，从他们关心和害怕的事物、动力以及他人看法等角度，对这些原型的内心世界进行淋漓尽致的剖析。写作自学，侵删。

PART II

CREATING FEMALE HEROES

AND VILLAINS

CHAPTER 3

APHRODITE: THE SEDUCTIVE MUSE

AND THE FEMME FATALE

From the depths of the ocean, the realm of emotions, Aphrodite emerges a perfect image of beauty. She covers herself with an implied modesty but does not crouch or hide from your gaze. She charms you with an innocent smile all the while knowing the hold she has on you. She steps from the sea, her hair flowing in the breeze. The sea creatures give up their lives just to follow her onto land and gaze at her for one moment longer. She takes in the sights and smells of her surroundings as if she's a child in a strange land. Everything is fascinating and beautiful to her. Desire and love follow her, turning wise men into fools.

The Seductive Muse

The seductive muse is a strong woman who knows what she wants. She has a lust for life, forever satisfying all her senses. The gods bestowed on her gifts of creativity, beauty, love and abundance, which make her driven to creative projects that show the world who she is. She's a great inventor and visionary who often sees the simplest solution to life's problems. She's the child who tells the trucker to let the air out of his tires when he can't figure out how to get his tall truck through the highway tunnel.

A deep longing for love and connection with one man fills her heart, but she can't give up the thrill of the chase. She needs many relationships and sensual experiences to keep her stimulated and alive. She can't do anything alone unless it's an intense creative activity that requires deep focus. A natural healer, she cares deeply about other people's feelings and tries to help them heal their wounds.

In our culture, this archetype has gotten a very bad rap. Her openly sexual nature and the power it gives her are too much for society to handle. In ancient times sexual union in Aphrodite's temples was considered a sacred and purifying act. Now, however, a distrust of the sexually active woman has relegated her to the status of prostitute, slut or femme fatale. There is, however, a growing goddess movement in the United States that seeks to reclaim such images of women as powerful.

The Seductive Muse's open sexuality causes her problems when she looks to get married and start a family. She often finds herself playing the role of mistress. It's hard for men to see her playing the role of wife and mother even though her youthful charm would bring a lot of love and spice into a marriage. Sex is the answer and cause of her problems.

Watch episodes of Sex and the City for a modern representation of this archetype as seen in the character Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall). She isn't a prostitute, slut or femme fatale, just a beautiful woman who loves sex and doesn't care what others think about her.

What Does the Seductive Muse Care About?

🟣 The Seductive Muse cares about men — at least the intimate part of relationships. She loves being in control but doesn't try to dominate men openly. She secretly manipulates them with her charm. She's an expert in body language, always seeing the hidden desires of others. She tries to awaken them in her partners and friends by bringing their repressed feelings to the surface.

🟣 If she's been hurt, she can put up a wall when it comes to emotional involvement with a lover, telling herself “someone better is just around the corner.”

🟣 Her relationships with other women are important to her, but she seldom finds a true best friend. She wants other women to express their sexuality as openly as she does, but only other Seductive Muses can understand her intensity. At the same time she doesn't understand other archetypes. The Nurturer seems boring to her, and the Father's Daughter is too mentally focused and rigid. She lives for the moment and won't be held down by friendships with these archetypes.

🟣 Although she may not admit it, she cares about being the center of attention and about being the most desired woman in the room. She loves her body and shows it off every chance she gets. Her body is part of her identity.

🟣 Any form of expression can be important to her — dancing, singing or drawing. Her sexual creative energy can be channeled through these expressions, and it becomes an obsession.

What Does the Seductive Muse Fear?

🟣 The Seductive Muse fears losing her sexuality, allure and creativity. It would devastate her. This can happen if she contracts a sexually transmitted disease or is assaulted. Her emotional center would be scarred for life.

🟣 Rejection of any sort can be an enormous blow to her, especially if it comes from a lover. Her charm over men gives her power, and she wants to be the one to end the relationship. She's like Cleopatra in her relationship with Caesar — filled with sex, power and intrigue.

🟣 Aging is terrifying to her, the end to her charm and magnetism, casting her into a lonely existence. She may never get married, but her need for people and attention is fueled by a fear of isolation. She believes youth and charm keep people around.

🟣 She hates not being the center of attention but at the same time she fears that other women will hate her for this attention. Her best friendships seem to be with Amazons who are just as extroverted but also protective of her like a big sister, and with Maidens who look up to her — like Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) in Gilligan's Island looks up to Ginger (Tina Louise). Most women are dying to let loose and be more like her, but they don't know how and wind up becoming jealous of her. Her relationships with other Seductive Muses become competitive rather quickly.

What Motivates the Seductive Muse?

🟣 Her biggest motivator is self-actualization. Whether she's publicly recognized or not she has an urge to create. There is a need deep within her soul that drives her to produce things and experience life to the fullest. Without a creative outlet she expresses this drive sexually. She's like Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) in Basic Instinct; when she's not writing she sexually plays with men and women for fun.

🟣 She needs love, connection and creativity to be happy. She may have trouble seeing projects through to the end, loving the process itself more than anything. When the project ends so does the fun.

How Do Other Characters See the Seductive Muse?

🟣 Some women are jealous of the attention she receives. She can see it in their eyes. How many women would be comfortable with Marilyn Monroe in the room? They don't understand the charm and magnetism she has over men and women alike. She is sexual, colorful and full of a love for life, something most women have trouble cultivating. They watch her and feel their own shortcomings.

🟣 She wears alluring clothes and sometimes is ahead of the trends, possibly starting them herself. She always adds a touch of uniqueness and class to her outfits and seems to be totally perfect — hair, nails and skin all vibrant. She has an inner glow, a “star quality” about her.

Developing the Character Arc

Look at your character's main goal in your story and then at the fears you've selected to use against her. What does she need to learn to help her overcome her fear? Does she need to learn how to be by herself in nature? Does she need to turn another woman into a sexual goddess and step out of the limelight herself?

Very often the Seductive Muse just wants to be recognized for her brain instead of just her looks. She may learn that looks are temporary and superficial. She wants a true soul mate who sees her for who she is. She needs to learn to sit still and to plan for the future instead of always living in the moment.

What happened to her at an early age to make this archetype dominate her personality? Was she treated like the favored child and spoiled for her innocent alluring behavior? Did she live in a culture where women were encouraged to be open and giving? Was she sexually abused and is now acting out her abuse unconsciously by sleeping around and degrading herself?

To grow, this archetype is best paired with one of the following:

🟣 The Woman's Man — can teach her to value herself for her mind and spirit as well as her body.

🟣 The Messiah — can teach her how to channel her sexual energy to advance spiritually.

🟣 The Recluse and Mystic — can teach her how to be alone without fear of abandonment and also how to know herself deep down inside.

🟣 The Amazon — can teach her to set limits and accept discipline as a positive thing in life.

The Seductive Muse’s Assets:

🟣 Loves to be the center of attention.

🟣 Has a need to express herself.

🟣 Is smart and creative.

🟣 Is emotional and deeply feeling.

🟣 Loves herself and her body in a healthy way. No eating disorders here.

🟣 Loves to dress up and wear alluring clothes.

🟣 Enjoys sex.

🟣 Enjoys female friendships but sometimes feels ostracized.

🟣 Encourages other women to be creative and sexual; inspires men.

The Seductive Muse’s Flaws:

🟣 Is unable to do things alone.

🟣 Lives for the moment, never thinking of or planning for the future.

🟣 Falls in and out of love easily — loves 'em and leaves 'em.

🟣 Is manipulative and flirtatious.

🟣 Is impulsive and promiscuous.

🟣 Is very self-focused.

The Villainous Side of the Seductive Muse: The Femme Fatale

She deliberately uses her charm to control men and get them to do things against their nature. She's the Femme Fatale who lures nice men to crime and murder. She trusts no one. She has become jaded and disappointed with life. She only values herself for her body and feels powerful when others do her bidding. Society owes her, and she is only collecting her due.

She never dirties her own hand when she can manipulate a man into doing the dirty work for her. She will push and tease men, dangling her body in front of them like a golden carrot. Any man who strives for her will end up dead or completely ruined. Watch any film noir movie to see her in action.

Things can get ugly when she turns on a lover. Blackmail is the first thing on her mind if he's married, but she'll do anything to save face if crossed. She doesn't play victim easily and would rather die than give up her looks or power. If a younger woman tries to take over her position as the center of attention, watch out. In the words of Bette Davis in All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.”

She has a pattern of excessive emotionalism and attention seeking. She has a low tolerance for problems and has rapidly changing emotions behind a face that remains stoic and unreadable. She's a ticking bomb that no one knows about until she explodes. She is sensitive to criticism and overly concerned with her appearance.

She may suggest that a man do something and then withhold sex until he does it. She uses her body as a weapon. She feels that if men are stupid enough to get sucked into her web then that's their problem. No one handed her anything as a kid. She had to manipulate people and use what God gave her to survive. She trusts no one and is driven to prove she's not a piece of meat to be thrown around.

The Femme Fatale

🟣 Feels she can trust no one.

🟣 Deliberately manipulates others with her sexual promises and usually never delivers unless she has to.

🟣 Has no morals.

🟣 Has a kill-or-be-killed mentality.

🟣 Is a great actress who can summon real tears on command.

🟣 Is concerned with money and power, which equal survival to her.

🟣 Is unfaithful.

🟣 Doesn't take things personally when sex is involved; she can remain detached.

🟣 No one ever knows when she speaks the truth.

🟣 Is a chameleon who can be all things to all people.

🟣 Uses her physical appearance to draw others into her web.

🟣 Needs to be the center of attention.

🟣 Has rapidly changing emotions behind a face that remains stoic and unreadable.

🟣 Is sensitive to criticism.

APHRODITE IN ACTION

Seductive Muse/Femme Fatale TV Heroes

● Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) in Sex and the City

● Kelly Bundy (Christina Applegate) in Married With Children

● Ginger Grant (Tina Louise) in Gilligan's Island

● Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) in Twin Peaks

● Erika Kane (Susan Lucci) in All My Children

Seductive Muse/Femme Fatale Film Heroes

● Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) in Basic Instinct

● Elvira in Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

● Cora Smith (Lana Turner) in The Postman Always Rings Twice

● Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman

● Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) in Risky Business

● Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) in Cabaret

● Rizzo (Stockard Channing) in Grease

● Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton (Kim Novak) in Vertigo

Seductive Muse/Femme Fatale Literary and Historical Heroes

● Cleopatra

● Delilah

● Salome

● Marilyn Monroe

● Mary, Queen of Scots

● Emma Bovary in Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

● The Lady Chablis in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

● Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

● Rebecca Sharp in Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

CHAPTER 4

ARTEMIS: THE AMAZON

AND THE GORGON

Under the glimmer of moonlight among towering forest trees, walks the goddess Artemis. Close to her side she carries with her a silver bow and arrows. She glides through the night watching over innocent young women and seeking out a challenger to polish her skill as an expert archer. She is the chief hunter to the gods, goddesses and wild animals. As she walks beneath the moon in her wilderness, her ears are ever open for the sound of a young female, human or animal, who may need her help in childbirth or need her protection from rape. With a quick temper she punishes those who offend her. She is a goddess who chooses to live without a mate, self-sufficient. With great precision and concentration, she sets her mind's eye on a goal and pursues it until the end.

The Amazon

The Amazon is a feminist. She cares more about the female cause than she cares for her own safety. She wouldn't hesitate to come to the aid of another woman or child no matter what the risk is to herself. Her friendships with women are the most important relationships she has, but they are few and far between due to her androgynous attitudes. Her masculine side is just as strong as her feminine side, which sometimes leaves her confused about where she fits in with others. She doesn't keep up with fashion trends and she doesn't value the “stay at home” or the “corporate career” woman, which most women are these days.

She is a wild woman who spends as much time in nature as possible. She's never happy living in the city for long and may become frustrated with her life until she discovers her true passion for the outdoors. The solitude of walking in the crisp night air brings her back into balance, and she is never afraid of being out alone at night.

She is an “earth mother” of sorts, taking up the causes of recycling and protecting the earth's resources. She is intuitive, instinctual and loves to travel and explore exotic places. Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) in Titanic is a caged Amazon.

What Does the Amazon Care About?

🟣 An Amazon cares deeply about the feminine, nature and the earth. There's no love lost between her and the government when they start regulating land near natural resources. She believes the earth is for everyone. No one “owns” the land, and she'll go wherever she pleases.

🟣 She looks after women and children and passionately fights patriarchy. She feels everyone deserves to be free and independent and that women are equal to men in all situations.

🟣 Competitive sports are her favorite pastime and winning is always the goal.

What Does the Amazon Fear?

🟣 The Amazon fears losing her freedom and independence. She takes great pride in being able to take care of herself. Going to prison or becoming paralyzed would kill her spirit. She places value on being self-sufficient and looks down on others who are dependent and needy, even though she comes to their aid.

🟣 Her competitive nature makes her afraid of losing, whether it's a job or a sporting event. And she especially doesn't want to lose to a man. She's afraid she'll never hear the end of it. She enjoys proving she's the equal of any man, mostly in physical ways.

🟣 She's most afraid of being vulnerable. She would rather die than become a victim, especially of a sexual assault. Her spirit could never survive such a humiliation. She will fight to the death against any attacker, making her a force to reckon with.

🟣 She isn't afraid of her own death but afraid of other women and children dying when she could've helped them. She finds her identity in being the rescuer.

🟣 She's afraid of other women alienating her for her masculine attributes. She's not into makeup and hairstyles. She's a “let's go out and tear up the town” kind of gal. Female friendships are important to her but it's hard to find other Amazons to go out with. She winds up having more male friends than female friends.

What Motivates the Amazon?

🟣 Survival is her biggest motivator. She loves being left alone in the wilds to fend for herself. Her relationship with wild animals and nature makes her instinctual and primal, and she can take this instinct to the boardroom to battle men for position and power.

🟣 Getting behind a cause she cares deeply about invigorates her. She needs to be challenged and stimulated, otherwise boredom sets in along with depression. She admires all the women who fought for the right to vote, risking their safety for the greater good.

🟣 Saving a woman's or child's life gives her purpose and enormous self-esteem. She's like Xena rescuing Gabrielle. She feels like a big sister to all women, a martyr for the female cause as well as environmental causes.

How Do Other Characters See the Amazon?

🟣 She doesn't think too much about her clothes. She loves to wear loose-fitting clothes that she can move around in easily. In Greek mythology Artemis asks her father Zeus for a short tunic to wear, not because it's sexy, but because it will allow her to run fast.

🟣 Her athletic figure is sometimes alluring but also intimidating to both men and women.

🟣 Other people sometimes see her as cold and totally absorbed in her own tasks. She has an ability to focus so intently on her goals that it leaves her looking distant and aloof at times, but when she's enjoying nature she plays like a child. She never wears a watch because time is meaningless to her.

Developing the Character Arc

Look at your character's main goal in your story and then at the fears you have selected to use against her. What does she need to learn to help her overcome her fear? Does she need to raise a child? Does she need to use her intellect and come to terms with city life? Does she have to come to terms with not being able to save someone?

Very often an Amazon wants a place of her own with a small group of close friends who come and go. She wants to be recognized for her efforts and all the help she gives. She needs to learn to trust men most of all.

What happened to her at an early age to make this archetype dominate her personality? Was she raised without a mother and sisters, making her take on attributes from her father? Was her mother an Amazon? Did she play sports instead of dress up? Did she watch as someone she loved was hurt? Was there a heroic female character she idolized and wanted to be, like Wonder Woman?

To grow, this archetype is best paired with one of the following:

🟣 The Protector — can teach her to trust others to help her.

🟣 The Fool and The Maiden — can teach her about fun, adventure and how to be easygoing.

🟣 The Nurturer — can teach her the value of giving birth and being a mother.

The Amazon’s Assets:

🟣 Loves to be outside with animals and nature.

🟣 Prefers female friendships to male, but often winds up with more male friends.

🟣 Values women and children.

🟣 Is a feminist even if she doesn't say she is in your story.

🟣 Is unafraid to be out alone at night.

🟣 Is willing and able to fight to the death to defend herself.

🟣 Stands up for her causes.

🟣 Prefers function to style when it comes to her clothes and appearance.

🟣 Wants to be self-sufficient.

🟣 Prefers to live with a man instead of marrying him.

The Amazon’s Flaws:

🟣 Can be very opinionated and thickheaded.

🟣 Puts blinders on; everything but the goal at hand is forgotten.

🟣 Can become irrational because of her need to win at all costs.

🟣 Can be boastful.

🟣 May take on the traits of her aggressors in order to feel equal to them.

The Villainous Side of the Amazon: The Gorgon

As a villain she would do anything to come to the aid of another woman, even if it meant killing an innocent man by mistake. Her rage at injustice is swift, merciless and sometimes aimed at the wrong person.

She is Medusa, the Gorgon, the woman of fury and rage, especially if she's been violated. She can turn deadly when she feels threatened and is capable of using extremely physical means to express her anger. Most men don't expect a woman to be as strong as her rage can make her.

She'll fight to the death like a mother lion protecting her cubs. In her fury she won't think about her own life and survival. She sees red and fights like someone who struggles for air; nothing else matters. All thoughts of democracy, diplomacy, and right and wrong are irrelevant to her. She'll be avenged at all costs. If her cause is just she feels the Goddess will support her, make her efforts successful and forgive her for her brutality.

She's antisocial with irresponsible behavior that lacks morals and ethics. She exhibits unlawful reckless behavior, refusing to conform to social norms. She seems to have no emotional reactions and shows no remorse toward horrific events. She is physically aggressive, erratic and irritable, and disregards the safety of herself and of others.

She feels justified in her actions because she feels basic rights have been violated. She wants to enable women to be strong and defend themselves at all costs. Sometimes one person is unjustly killed but she believes if it saves many then so be it. She doesn't care if she becomes just like the aggressor she hates. She believes in fighting fire with fire. She doesn't care what anyone else thinks, and she'll destroy herself before she lets anyone else do it for her. She feels she is the master of her life and destiny.

THE GORGON

🟣 Is instinctual and shows no remorse.

🟣 Wants instant gratification and justice.

🟣 Is blind with fury and rage.

🟣 Creates extremely emotional reactions out of proportion to offense.

🟣 Isn't levelheaded.

🟣 Acts as a dictator, dispensing justice.

🟣 Believes truth and law have no place in the heat of battle.

🟣 Will sacrifice herself to get an enemy.

🟣 Usually reacts from repressed trauma or years of abuse.

🟣 Exhibits reckless behavior.

🟣 Is aggressive, erratic and irritable.

Diana in Action

Amazon/Gorgon TV Heroes

● Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

● Xena (Lucy Lawless) in Xena: Warrior Princess

● Dr. Michaela Quinn (Jane Seymour) in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

● Nikita (Peta Wilson) in La Femme Nikita

Amazon/Gorgon Film Heroes

● Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) in Titanic

● Lieutenant Ellen L. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien

● Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon) in Thelma & Louise

● Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) in Silkwood

● Captain Karen Emma Walden (Meg Ryan) in Courage Under Fire

● Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in The Terminator

● Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) in Miss Congeniality

Amazon/Gorgon Literary and Historical Heroes

● Wonder Woman

● Joan of Arc

● Queen Boudica

● Fa Mu Lan in The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston

● Sal in The Beach by Alex Garland

● Jo March in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

● Helen Schlegel in Howards End by E.M. Forster

● Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

● Lucy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

● Idgie Threadgoode in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

● Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

CHAPTER 5

ATHENA: THE FATHER’S DAUGHTER

AND THE BACKSTABBER

As mysterious as an owl in the dark night air, the goddess Athena hovers proudly over the great library and the victorious battlefield. She will not dirty her hands in battle but will remain at the side of her chosen heroic soldier, helping him to win the war. She offers him strength, power and knowledge as well as her undying loyalty. She carries a shield of armor in one hand and an image of the goddess Nike in the other for Nike is the symbol of victory. Born from her father's head, she has no mother and no room for female companions of any kind. She is smart and takes full control of her emotions.

The Father's Daughter

The Father's Daughter doesn't care much for fighting the good fight for women's causes like the Amazon does. She may argue against the female cause, siding with men to prove she's on their side thereby gaining their admiration. She feels she is the exceptional woman — “Other women can't do this,” she thinks, “but I can because I'm the exception.”

She forms alliances with strong men who can help her achieve her goals. She doesn't sleep with them but instead develops friendships with them as “one of the boys.” She's the type of woman who is eagerly allowed into the male workplace for she is always loyal to the strong men she unites with in the battlefield of business.

She is smart and a very strategic thinker, never allowing her emotions to sway her into making the wrong decision. She hates the wild untamed wilderness, preferring a fast-paced city life. She likes things she can control but also loves the challenge of learning new things, especially those related to the mind and the business world. She uses brains over instinct and can focus on her own goals just like the Amazon. As a goddess she oversees crafts as well as warfare, for both take patience and concentration. She has the strength to be professional and to be a gifted student. She is very inquisitive and resourceful in a crisis but doesn't trust others to get things done for her and often takes on everything herself.

Without the skills or opportunities for business she will rally behind her husband's career as if it were her own. Watch out if he ever tries to leave her. She would be most upset at the loss of being involved with his job more than anything.

Lieutenant Jordan “L.T.” O'Neil (Demi Moore) in G.I. Jane is a Father's Daughter, not an Amazon, because she fights to become just like a man and prove she is as good as a man. An Amazon would retain and value her female essence. Jordan tries to fit into the boys' club as a male. Her words, manners, actions and values are very male by the end of the film, and she sacrifices herself for their approval several times. An Amazon like Xena would never care so much about fitting in, and in the film Courage Under Fire we see a heroic Amazon woman, Captain Karen Emma Walden (Meg Ryan), who retains her female essence throughout the film. She has no problem with feelings and tears.

What Does the Father's Daughter Care About?

🟣 Her name says it all — she cares about aligning herself with powerful men and supporting patriarchy. She wants to be accepted by men as one of their own so she can get ahead in her career. Getting into the old boys' network is a major career stepping-stone for her.

🟣 She only cares how men view her. Women can say what they want of her but she feels they usually wind up admiring her for her accomplishments.

🟣 She loves to win, or more importantly, to see her team win. She'll go to great lengths to see this happen — she's a real team player.

🟣 She wants to study and learn new things, to broaden her mind.

🟣 She likes to travel to distant lands but never without staying in a luxury hotel. She never does anything she can hire someone else to do for her. She has a busy schedule.

What Does the Father's Daughter Fear?

🟣 The Father's Daughter fears female friendship because it reminds her of her own femaleness, which she tries to suppress. She sees women as the weaker sex and fights everyday to prove she's not weak.

🟣 She can handle losing a battle or two but is terrified of losing the war. Such a loss of control is devastating.

🟣 She needs to remain in the city. Going out into the wilderness would just starve her desire to learn from books. She needs to see that nature has a lot to teach her as well as books do, but she just doesn't resonate with it.

What Motivates the Father's Daughter?

🟣 The need to know, understand and belong are strong motivators for her. She wants desperately to fit in with the boys and prove she's better than most women.

🟣 Any challenge that allows her to use her strength in strategizing will grab her attention. She won't tolerate anything disorderly.

🟣 She needs to be self-sufficient and independent, but she likes to know there's a powerful man nearby to fall on “just in case.” She likes how the goddess Athena helped Achilles reach his goal but also wanted him to be of service to her.

🟣 Competition is one of her great passions, especially when it involves sharing the risk within a team so she doesn't have to be the only one to fail. If she loses, the entire team loses and she won't be left alone to pick up the pieces.

How Do Others See the Father's Daughter?

🟣 She's neat and professional in appearance. Even when she's at home alone she wears nice neat clothing; it may not be the most comfortable thing to wear, but appearance counts.

🟣 To others she seems unemotional because she's always cool and calm in a crisis. She appears to be calculating something behind intense eyes.

🟣 She has a hard time letting loose in front of others. Her home is the only place where she can truly relax. She has some playful games and hobbies hidden in her closet. She enjoys indoor activities best.

Developing the Character Arc

Look at your character's main goal in the story and then at the fears you've selected to use against her. What does she need to learn to help her overcome her fear? Does she need to learn how to live in a remote town in order to save her law firm? Does she need to lose an important account so she can save her boss's career?

Very often a Father's Daughter needs to get back to nature to ease her stress and regain her health. She needs to learn that being a woman is OK, and she doesn't have to do everything herself. Perhaps being “one of the boys” isn't that important. See the film Baby Boom as an example of the Father's Daughter who has to give up her career, move to a house in the country and raise her dead relative's child.

What happened to her at an early age to make this archetype dominate her personality? Did she see her mother trampled on by men and swear she'd never be that weak? Did her father have all the control in the family? Was she forced to stay inside and play alone as a child, going into her head and out of her body?

To grow, this archetype is best paired with one of the following:

🟣 The Artist — can teach her about creativity and letting go in the moment.

🟣 The Seducer — can open her sexuality and teach her how to have personal relationships with men.

🟣 The Destroyer — can teach her about raw female power.

🟣 The Scorned Woman — hates other women, such as mistresses, so much she can be an example of how ridiculous it is to hate all women.

🟣 The Matriarch — can show her female power within the family and teach her traditional values.

The Father’s Daughter’s Assets:

🟣 Loves to be in the city.

🟣 Prefers male friendships to female.

🟣 Values work and career above all else.

🟣 Is willing to do anything for the team.

🟣 Is self-reliant.

🟣 Always dresses for success even when home alone.

🟣 Is very smart and intellectual.

🟣 Is very confident and self-assured.

The Father’s Daughter’s Flaws:

🟣 Is an avid supporter of patriarchy.

🟣 Gets upset with other women who complain about inequality.

🟣 Is only attracted to powerful men.

🟣 Is a workaholic.

🟣 Is always strategizing.

🟣 Is unable to fully express her feminine side and be in touch with her body. Dancing is hard for her.

The Villainous Side of the Father's Daughter: The Backstabber

As a villain the Father's Daughter will trample others to reach her goals. She can use her calculating, strategic mind to outsmart anyone, and her alliances with powerful men allow her to do this. Sometimes these men take advantage of her loyalty.

Her rage is great when she learns a man she trusted has betrayed her. While the Amazon woman expects it, the Father's Daughter feels devastated by it because she learns she isn't “one of the boys” like she thought she was. She spends her whole life trying to fit in with them.

Her whole identity can become wrapped up in her career. Losing it is like death to her. She'll become disloyal before she lets that happen. She'll use her femininity to play the innocent woman routine and later stab a colleague in the back.

She'll also vehemently fight a woman who fights for women's rights. She doesn't want to admit that the playing field isn't equal for all because that means it's not equal for her. She wants to distance herself from her feminine side and all its weaknesses as she sees it.

She has unwarranted fears that others are out to get her. She's preoccupied with doubts about the loyalty and trustworthiness of others and is unable to confide in them for fear that what she says will be used against her. She can't relax and is unable to collaborate with colleagues. She becomes suspicious of everyone and detaches herself from the group. Her sense of humor completely disappears.

She doesn't understand what's wrong with wanting to be successful, powerful and on top. She enjoys the company of men more than women but always has a trump card waiting in the wings to revenge any colleague who betrays her.

THE BACKSTABBER

🟣 Feels trapped.

🟣 Plays off of the sweet little woman stereotype perfectly when it suits her.

🟣 Thinks of herself first.

🟣 Has no problem destroying another's life or career.

🟣 Relies on the kindness of strangers in her time of need.

🟣 Lets others feel good about helping her so they let their guard down.

🟣 Is an expert liar until her buttons are pushed and she lashes out, spilling her true feelings.

🟣 Is paranoid and feels that others are plotting against her.

🟣 Has trouble relaxing.

🟣 Can't confide in or collaborate with colleagues.

🟣 Detaches herself from the group.

Athena in Action

Father's Daughter/Backstabber TV Heroes

● Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in Star Trek: Voyager

● Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) in The X-Files

● Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) in Murphy Brown

● Prue Halliwell (Shannon Doherty) in Charmed

Father's Daughter/Backstabber Film Heroes

● Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) in Elizabeth

● Lieutenant Jordan “L.T.” O'Neil (Demi Moore) in G.I. Jane

● J.C. Wiatt (Diane Keaton) in Baby Boom

● Katherine Parker (Sigourney Weaver) in Working Girl

● Margo Channing (Bette Davis) in All About Eve

● Loretta Castorini (Cher) in Moonstruck

Father's Daughter/Backstabber Literary and Historical Heroes

● Matilda, Countess of Tuscany

● Kate in The Taming of the Shrewby William Shakespeare

● Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

● Lady Macbeth in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

● Bernie Harris in Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan

● Kinsey Millhone in books by Sue Grafton

● Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

● Karen Sisco in Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard

CHAPTER 6

DEMETER: THE NURTURER

AND THE OVERCONTROLLING MOTHER

Wandering the cold winter streets at night, Demeter searches for her abducted daughter Persephone. Ceasing to eat, drink and sleep, she is consumed by the empty space next to her where her daughter walked at her side. Her tears of depression cast a chill over the fields of grain. Nothing grows across the land she walks on. Winter takes over with her every step until her beloved daughter is returned to her. Only then will grain grow and spring come to the land. She cares not for herself but only for her child.

The Nurturer

Demeter is the nurturing mother, but it isn't necessary for this archetype to have children to be a nurturer. A sense of duty to help others is what's essential. The Nurturer refused all of the superficial gifts sent to her by other gods to persuade her to accept her daughter's abduction, rape and forced marriage to Hades. She wants her child back, and nothing else matters. With her child gone a part of her is missing. She is youthful when she lives through the life of her child.

The Nurturer has dreamed of having children for most of her life, and when she has them they become her life. If she's unable to have children or if she's looking for the right “father” to come along, she channels her energy into helping and caring for others. She can often be found in the nursing and healing professions.

She forms friendships with other Demeter women who see value in motherhood and service. They can spend hours talking about the latest healing techniques or ways to raise children.

Her identity is wrapped up in her children or those she cares for. They give her life purpose and meaning. She can nurture many people through her work in a charitable organization, help animals at a shelter, care for her own family, help a stranger on the street, be there for a close friend or lover, care for her students, or help the masses with a creative project like a self-help book.

What Does the Nurturer Care About?

🟣 The Nurturer cares about the welfare of her children whether there's danger present or not. She has a tendency to put others ahead of herself — a martyr of sorts — but no one comes before the one in her care especially if it's a child. She would sacrifice an entire town if it meant saving her child.

🟣 When things are going well she cares about providing for the entire group and bestows amazing gifts to people she hardly knows. The sick people she cares for call her an angel.

🟣 She cares about charities and volunteers when she has free time.

🟣 She sometimes lives on eggshells, making sure everyone else is happy before she examines how she feels.

What Does the Nurturer Fear?

🟣 The Nurturer fears losing the person in her care. Her whole identity and reason to live depends upon caring for another. It makes her angry when someone accuses her of destroying the independence of the person in her care in order to protect him from a danger that may not exist.

🟣 She fears not being there to save her child. If anything happens she'll take all the guilt upon herself and fall into a devastating depression. She can't help it. Grief consumes her, and she makes everyone else around her suffer.

🟣 She couldn't stand it if her child or patient left. She needs to be needed and is a prime candidate for “empty-nest syndrome.”

🟣 She's not into self-analysis because she's afraid of her own thoughts and emotions. She hates quiet time because she doesn't like to think about her “stuff.” She'd rather be busy with anything else to avoid it.

What Motivates the Nurturer?

🟣 Love and belonging are strong motivators for her. She likes being connected with someone. Give her a family and she'll bestow gifts upon them as long as they allow her to care for them. She would definitely adopt a sick child.

🟣 Motherhood and nurturing give her a reason to live. She'll do anything to save this precious relationship. Demeter was very strong as she was able to denounce all the other gods and hold fast to her goal of getting her daughter back. The Nurturer admires that part of the story.

How Do Other Characters See the Nurturer?

🟣 Some see her as dependent, needy and passive aggressive.

🟣 She tends to take on many tasks at once, trying to please so many people, overwhelming herself.

The Woman's Man — can nurture her back and show her what it feels like to be in an equal relationship with another. The Recluse — can teach her the value of being alone and knowing herself. The Gorgon — can teach her the harsh realities of life and how to stop people from walking all over her. The Mystic — can teach her self-love.She's not concerned with being sexy and doesn't care much for the latest fashions. She can be a very beautiful woman but seems not to realize it.

Developing the Character Arc

Look at your character's main goal in the story and then at the fears you've selected to use against her. What does she need to learn to overcome her fear? Does she need to learn to let go of her children and find a career? Does she need to stand up for herself and speak her mind without worrying about hurting others? Does she need to let her children grow up and leave home?

Very often the Nurturer needs to let go of her attachment to others and find her own identity. She needs to learn that she can take care of herself and that being alone sometimes can be refreshing. A hobby such as yoga and writing can help her find self-love.

What happened to her at an early age to make this archetype dominate her personality? Was her mother not there for her and now she wants to make up for that by being there for others? Did she have to help raise her siblings as a child? Was she given dolls and told being a mother is the greatest thing in the world? Was there a special woman in her life, like a teacher, who helped her and now she wants to give back?

To grow, this archetype is best paired with one of the following:

🟣 The Woman's Man — can nurture her back and show her what it feels like to be in an equal relationship with another.

🟣 The Recluse — can teach her the value of being alone and knowing herself.

🟣 The Gorgon — can teach her the harsh realities of life and how to stop people from walking all over her.

🟣 The Mystic — can teach her self-love.

The Nurturer’s Assets:

🟣 Spends a lot of time with her children or students or patients, whoever is in her care.

🟣 Puts others ahead of herself.

🟣 Is driven to help people.

🟣 Is wonderful to be around.

🟣 Is extremely helpful.

🟣 Is a great listener.

🟣 Is committed to her family.

🟣 Is generous.

🟣 Enjoys staying home most of the time.

The Nurturer’s Flaws:

🟣 Finds her sole identity is wrapped up in helping or saving others.

🟣 Worries constantly about her children.

🟣 Is self-sacrificing and takes on too many projects at one time because she can't say no.

🟣 Takes things her family says personally.

🟣 Needs someone to care for.

The Villainous Side of the Nurturer: The Overcontrolling Mother

As a villain the Nurturer would probably kidnap someone else's baby just to have someone to take care of. She would steal someone else's creative project to be looked upon as helpful to society.

She would manipulate another person into letting her help them by taking over their life, like Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) does in Misery.

She's the mother who poisons her child so she can bring her to the hospital and receives attention for all the hard work she's doing to care for her child. She's the mother who projects her own disappointments onto her daughter so she won't leave home and be independent. She's the master of inflicting guilt upon others.

She does everything with the thought that people need her. She thinks others can't live without her, but in reality she can't live without them. She believes she's helping people but what she's actually doing is occupying herself with other people's lives in an effort to avoid her own.

She's a very dependent person who can't function without someone else around to keep her company and provide direction.

She feels devastated or helpless when relationships end and is preoccupied with fears of being abandoned. Her lack of self-confidence makes it impossible for her to do things on her own. She cares for others in an effort to make sure others will be there to care for her. She feels helpless when left alone.

She feels she has given up her entire life to raise her children. She sacrificed everything for them. She wants respect and obedience.

THE OVERCONTROLLING MOTHER

🟣 Feels like others are trying to toss her aside and abandon her.

🟣 Thinks others can't survive without her when she's the one who can't survive without them.

🟣 Will hurt others for their own good.

🟣 Butts in when not wanted.

🟣 Uses guilt to control others.

🟣 Exaggerates when hurt or in need.

🟣 Does things not asked of her to seem helpful.

🟣 Seems genuinely nice once in a while to throw others off balance.

🟣 Lacks self-confidence.

🟣 Can't do anything alone.

Demeter in Action

Nurturer/Overcontrolling Mother TV Heroes

● Carol Ann Brady (Florence Henderson) in The Brady Bunch

● Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) in Frasier

● Marie Barone (Doris Roberts) in Everybody Loves Raymond

● Piper Halliwell (Holly Marie Combs) in Charmed

● June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) in Leave It to Beaver

Nurturer/Overcontrolling Mother Film Heroes

● Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) in As Good As It Gets

● Stella Dallas (Barbara Stanwyck) in Stella Dallas

● M'Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field) in Steel Magnolias

● Dorothy Boyd (Rene ́e Zellweger) in Jerry Maguire

There are a number of classic films where the female character is relegated to the house, caring for the men. These characters are prevalent in Westerns. You can see them waiting in doorways, watching over the men and taking care of their wounds.

Nurturer/Overcontrolling Mother Literary and Historical Heroes

● Florence Nightingale

● Mother Teresa

● Beauty in Beauty and the Beast

● Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins by Pamela L. Travers

● Widow Douglas in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

● Meg March in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

● Nurse in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

● Miss Emma and Tante Lou in A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

● Francesca Johnson in The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

● Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

● Grandmother in 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garci ́a Ma ́rquez

● Ruth in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

● Sethe in Beloved by Toni Morrison

● Annie Wilkes in Misery by Stephen King

● Sally Owens in Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman