Today was day one of two days to be spent discussing Apuleius' The Golden Ass, a novel which is about seeing and hearing(or not being seen or heard). Which was very amusing, due a great deal to(yes I will admit) silly sexual humor. But that's fine. I also found it quite interesting how Mr. Sexson said that the only "moral" of the story is the story. I'll have to point that out to a great many people from now on, who are always asking me "what's the point of ___ or ____?"
It was a clever construction having the protagonist changed into an ass, because it fits in well with the paradox that that which is the bottom is also the top--or becomes that way--or vice-versa.
Now I thought the injection of fairy tales into the discussion was very intriguing, particularily with the definitoin given them by Mr. Sexson, degenerated myth. Because if 'the only moral of the story is the story", then what are we to make of the moralistic fiber that seems to run throgh so many fairy tales? Or are they not designed to teach us lessons really and this is just the function they've been pegged with for some reason? I do not know.
Though it is intriguing that the story of Cupid and Psyche is so obviously the progenitor of a great many fairy tales.
And I can now add to may list of reasons not to get married(which to my dear mother's dismay perpetually expands)that Jung argued through the Cupid and Psyche story that all marriage is rape in some way or another. While that may be a bit to blunt a proclaimation, even for me, at a certain level I think it is accurate, certainly in a historical context, which doesn't mean we can't necessarily change or alter what our own history will be, but that is enough out or moi for now