#and it fits with a lot of critiques made about how society socialises girls

[aetherictree]

Perhaps my hottest literature take is that the heroine's journey is misunderstood. Wildly so. Like, they're completely off the mark so much if the arrow flew backwards they'd hit the bullseye.

Because the stories I've read with female protagonists *that were written by women* do not involve rejection of the feminine or disilluisionment with the world, they involve a girl (oftena girl, sometimes a woman) who's life is controlled for her by other people finally reaching a point where she has to make a critical decision *that is her decision*. It's about stepping into her own agency, her own power if you will.

I see this most clearly in The Hunger Games. Both in the first book -- it's Katniss who defies the Capitol at the end by threatening suicide, the one little piece of power she has left to herself -- and at the end of the series with her choice of who to shoot. But also with Lessa in The Dragonriders Of Pern, and Feyre in A Court Of Thorns And Roses. Heck, Jupiter Ascending has this too -- Jupiter's life up to that point has been decided by everyone else, until she declines to sign Earth's death warrant.

It even shows up with male characters who are written by women. The Underland Chronicles has a lot of those themes. Harry Potter, even. I think people have gotten confused because they've drawn on female characters that have been written by men, and hence typically from a male perspective.

The heroine's journey is about the heroine coming into her power and being a person in her own right.

[triplecrossroads]

Cinderella is Dead review (Warning- spoilers and mentions of violence)

Cinderella is Dead is a YA fantasy book set 200 years after the story of Cinderella. It was written by Kalynn Bayron; a black queer woman and mother of four, and was published 7 July 2020, making it a very recent book. The book explores themes of misogyny, the patriarchy, heteronormativity and queer love. It’s a fresh take on an old tale and despite being based on a well-known fairy-tale, Bayron’s novel is a very original concept that feels brand new. 

As the blurb states, Cinderella is Dead isn’t about Cinderella but instead is about a young girl named Sophia and her rebellion from the homophobic and patriarchal society she lives in. In Lille, the kingdom the story takes place in, all eligible girls must attend an annual ball in “honour” of Cinderella and must be chosen by a man at the ball. Those who are not chosen are considered forfeit. Rebels and queer folk are also considered forfeit, often given up by their own family. Most of the book follows Sophia and another young girl, Constance, an exile from Lille who has dedicated her life to taking down King Manford and freeing people from his oppressive rule. While the book is fantasy, it makes many relevant points about those in power, men’s feelings of entitlement and those who uphold oppressive structures. Constance says that the most dangerous people are those who follow blindly and support leaders in all their actions, even when said actions actively harm the community and the people themselves. This point is incredibly important in today's climate and opens up the door for more criticisms like it. No system can exist without followers, and no leader can oppress people without help from those in society. Another thing that is brought up in the book is how Prince Charming felt he deserved Cinderella’s love because of the money and life he provided her, ignoring that he violated her consent and took her away from those who loved her. His reaction to the constant rejection is violence and ultimately leads to Cinderella’s death. As we have seen before, especially in 2021, this feeling of entitlement isn’t limited to fiction and is common in our society. Just like in Cinderella is Dead, many boys are socialised to view women and girls as objects, as property. They are told if they are persistent in their advances then eventually women will say yes. They are taught to expect romantic feelings and sexual favours from women simply because they want them. While this doesn’t take the responsibility away from men as individuals, it is crucial we recognise how the environment in which we grow up can affect our beliefs. We see this in Cinderella is Dead. The King isn’t the only man who shares this sentiment; in fact, most of the men in power see things this way. So many of them feel women owe them things simply because of their social status and gender. This book is the perfect opportunity to start needed conversations about why this is and how dangerous it is to women all over the world. 

Just as much as the story critiques sexism, particularly discrimination against women queerness is also a key topic in the book. The main protagonist is a queer woman. By our terms she would best be described as lesbian. In the book, her parents’ main issue isn’t necessarily her attraction to women but more what it means for her safety and theirs. This non-acceptance but not rejection either is common in families with a queer child. Sophia’s parents would rather she be dishonest to herself and everyone around her and hide who she is to fit in with the rest of society. Similarly, Erin; Sophia’s partner at the beginning of the book, denies Sophia a lot of affection and gives up on their relationship because she believes there is no way out. Like many queer people, Erin is afraid of disappointing her family and having them disown her. Unlike Sophia, she would rather stick to the status quo and avoid punishment and shame. This inevitably leads to the breakdown of her and Sophia’s relationship, Sophia becomes exhausted with constantly having to fight for love from the other girl and Erin too terrified to leave with Sophia and go somewhere their relationship is accepted or to help create a place where it could be. However, Erin is not the true love interest in this story. No, Sophia’s romantic counterpart for most of the book is the sword-wielding, rebellious and dangerous Constance, who is opposite to Erin in every way. Constance, like Sophia, spent her entire fighting the ways of Lille, albeit in more obvious and violent ways. Her entire life she fled from the clutches of the king, all the while preparing for the day she might get to take him down. Having not grown up in Lille, she is not scared to go against their rules for femininity and sexuality, therefore making her more openly express affection for Sophia in a way the protagonist never has before. The two are perfectly matched. The one other openly queer character in the story is a side character named Luke, who’s male lover was given up as forfeit by his own family when their relationship was discovered. He and Sophia bond over their shared experience of being different and living in a society that doesn’t accept them. He delivers one of the most powerful lines in the book; “Just because they deny us doesn’t mean we cease to exist”. Other than Erin, Luke is the only other queer person Sophia has met at this point and he could be considered one of the biggest reasons Sophia rebels. However before this, Luke proposes a “lavender marriage” between him and Sophia so they could escape Lille together. This never happens and Luke isn’t in much of the book beyond that scene. 

Queer love is central to the story and driving motivation in Sophia’s journey. First her love for Erin, then her pity for Luke’s lost love and finally, Constance and the relationship she develops with her. 

Personally, I really enjoyed the book. It is well-written, concise and not too flowery but still descriptive and full. While I did predict the twist, I don’t think that is a bad thing. In my opinion, if a reader can make a guess about a twist in the story, that just means you did a good job establishing the world and characters. If the readers are shocked by a plot twist that is great as well and the other twist nearing the end was not one I was expecting but made so much sense considering the context. Sophia was an interesting main character and the perfect perspective to tell the story from. I loved her personality and how she interacted with others; she was relatable, slightly awkward and determined. She was also realistic. Despite her being opposed to the rules and disagreeing with how Lille was ruled, she even believed the lies told to her and had internalised struggles with how different she was. Her relationship was a welcome change from the unrequited love and pining so common in wlw media. Both her and Constance cared for each other and desired each other equally. There was a passion in their relationship not present in Sophia and Erin’s relationship. 

A huge part of why I enjoyed the book so much was because of the representation. Not only of queer folk and women but of people of colour as well. Sophia describes herself as having tight curls and brown skin, the cover art is of a black woman, and many of the other characters were poc as well. As a queer woman of colour, this book is hugely important to me and is an example of how I think things should be done in regards to representation.