Interesting Utena link
Nov. 3rd, 2007 07:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
athenaltenaI found this essay on Anthy on an Utena fansite I was browsing around, and I think it makes some very interesting points about her. In particular this line struck a chord:
"Anthy's story is also the story of anyone who has ever been in a dead-end relationship, a bad friendship or peer group or family situation, any situation in which they allowed themselves to be confined because they felt they deserved no better, where the only power at their disposal was manipulation and subterfuge."
Yup. I've been there.
If according to this essay the way we see Anthy is a reflection of ourselves, then I wonder what the way I see her means?
I've always seen her as someone who feels stuck in a situation but tries to do as much damage as possible while she's in there. She certainly manipulates Akio into needing her more than she needs him, and she revels in that. I don't see her as a complete victim, but as someone who started out in one situation but found herself in another unable to get out. I'm also not sure that if I wasn't in that situation that I wouldn't do the exact same thing.
I guess if your really have to break it down she's the dark side of me that could be awakened under the right conditions. My reaction to her is a sort of sympathy, though not quite the urge to jump on a horse and rescue her. For one thing, that wouldn't do anything. The only way she finally does get out is on her own.
So yeah, there are definite reflections of me in there. Eerie.
"Anthy's story is also the story of anyone who has ever been in a dead-end relationship, a bad friendship or peer group or family situation, any situation in which they allowed themselves to be confined because they felt they deserved no better, where the only power at their disposal was manipulation and subterfuge."
Yup. I've been there.
If according to this essay the way we see Anthy is a reflection of ourselves, then I wonder what the way I see her means?
I've always seen her as someone who feels stuck in a situation but tries to do as much damage as possible while she's in there. She certainly manipulates Akio into needing her more than she needs him, and she revels in that. I don't see her as a complete victim, but as someone who started out in one situation but found herself in another unable to get out. I'm also not sure that if I wasn't in that situation that I wouldn't do the exact same thing.
I guess if your really have to break it down she's the dark side of me that could be awakened under the right conditions. My reaction to her is a sort of sympathy, though not quite the urge to jump on a horse and rescue her. For one thing, that wouldn't do anything. The only way she finally does get out is on her own.
So yeah, there are definite reflections of me in there. Eerie.
