Chantal’s Reviews > Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes > Status Update

(Continued from previous note) In another context, a character might be praised, rather than faulted for his wits. Think Jack and the Beanstalk. Lesser might dig into this later, but I’m only on page 37.

While reading Lesser’s recounting of ancient stories of women written by men, particularly Eve and Pandora, and reflecting on the verbs these men used, like cunning and deceitful and crafty, verbs meant to imply a distrust worthy person—or in this case sex—it occurs to me that these are the skills a being physically weaker than another might use to save herself. To be continued

“The one that really gets me—how menstruation and childbirth and parenting are all seen as burdens as opposed to examples of strength, worthiness, and power, whereas the physicality and roles granted to men are valued into good-like attributes.” Page 8