Week 13 Story: Wild Woman
On one mid-summer morning, a naked woman emerged from the woods from behind Mr. Whittaker's home. She crouched in his little garden to gorge on strawberries. When Mr. Whittaker saw this through the window, he immediately called for the police. The juice from the strawberries dripped down her face, making it look like she'd been drinking blood. Long black hair flowed down her back, unbound and matted. The police came to take her to a hospital, but she fought them intensely, clawing and biting. She screamed and growled like a wild beast.
The consensus at the hospital was that she was a physically healthy young woman, likely in her early 20's. Her mental health, however, could not be estimated due to her utter and complete lack of cooperation. She had to be restrained or sedated at all times or else she wreaked havoc on the hospital. Later, she was transferred to a mental hospital where a psychiatrist took special interest in her case. He worked very hard to domesticate this wild woman. After several years of specialized therapies, she was able to speak and read. She was taken in by a family where she learned basic manners and became quite the civilized member of society.
Despite all of this, she never seemed happy. She had an intense fire inside of herself that made her want to rebel and break free from these social constraints. Around this time, her psychiatrist proposed to her. He wanted to continue his work and was considering publishing the wild woman's "success story." The perfect ending to this tale he wanted to write, was their marriage. Though, she was very smart and knew that this union would be the end of all possible freedom, she agreed. She had nowhere else to go and had been taught to be passive to others' wills.
On her wedding day, she stood in front of hundreds of guests in her perfectly crisp white gown with her hair brushed and styled. At that altar, facing a man she didn't love, she was overwhelmed with the feeling of being a cornered wild animal. She did not want a life here. She had been happy and healthy in the wild with her animal friends. There, she did not answer to anyone and could do as she pleased. So, she ran. Her fiancé chased after her, calling the name he had assigned to her. The heavy wedding dress slowed her down and he began to catch up to her. She paused and ripped it from her body, but she was not ashamed of her nakedness and smiled. She sprinted on and felt free. Once she reached the forest where she had lived so long, she felt as if she could finally breathe again. Her pursuer would never be able to find her there. She knew it better than anyone else in the world.
Author's Note:
I've loosely based this story and character on the Hindu goddess Kali. Kali is known for being destructive, violent, sexual, and wild. She is often pictured naked with unbound hair and drinking the blood of her enemies. I was able to work most of these themes into the story. I wanted to write about how someone like Kali would be treated in a real society. It made me think of stories of "feral children" where similar events have taken place in real life. In this case though, my character decides that her life in the wilderness is more enjoyable than the confinement of society and living under the thumb of a controlling partner. If I choose this for my portfolio later, I'd love to expand more on the psychiatrist and how well (or not well) he treats her. Below, I've included a picture of Kali.
Bibliography: "Kali" from 7 Secrets of the Goddess by Devdutt Pattanaik
Image Information:
Sad Woman, Source: Wikimedia Commons
Kali, Source: Wikimedia Commons
The consensus at the hospital was that she was a physically healthy young woman, likely in her early 20's. Her mental health, however, could not be estimated due to her utter and complete lack of cooperation. She had to be restrained or sedated at all times or else she wreaked havoc on the hospital. Later, she was transferred to a mental hospital where a psychiatrist took special interest in her case. He worked very hard to domesticate this wild woman. After several years of specialized therapies, she was able to speak and read. She was taken in by a family where she learned basic manners and became quite the civilized member of society.
Despite all of this, she never seemed happy. She had an intense fire inside of herself that made her want to rebel and break free from these social constraints. Around this time, her psychiatrist proposed to her. He wanted to continue his work and was considering publishing the wild woman's "success story." The perfect ending to this tale he wanted to write, was their marriage. Though, she was very smart and knew that this union would be the end of all possible freedom, she agreed. She had nowhere else to go and had been taught to be passive to others' wills.
On her wedding day, she stood in front of hundreds of guests in her perfectly crisp white gown with her hair brushed and styled. At that altar, facing a man she didn't love, she was overwhelmed with the feeling of being a cornered wild animal. She did not want a life here. She had been happy and healthy in the wild with her animal friends. There, she did not answer to anyone and could do as she pleased. So, she ran. Her fiancé chased after her, calling the name he had assigned to her. The heavy wedding dress slowed her down and he began to catch up to her. She paused and ripped it from her body, but she was not ashamed of her nakedness and smiled. She sprinted on and felt free. Once she reached the forest where she had lived so long, she felt as if she could finally breathe again. Her pursuer would never be able to find her there. She knew it better than anyone else in the world.
Author's Note:
I've loosely based this story and character on the Hindu goddess Kali. Kali is known for being destructive, violent, sexual, and wild. She is often pictured naked with unbound hair and drinking the blood of her enemies. I was able to work most of these themes into the story. I wanted to write about how someone like Kali would be treated in a real society. It made me think of stories of "feral children" where similar events have taken place in real life. In this case though, my character decides that her life in the wilderness is more enjoyable than the confinement of society and living under the thumb of a controlling partner. If I choose this for my portfolio later, I'd love to expand more on the psychiatrist and how well (or not well) he treats her. Below, I've included a picture of Kali.
Bibliography: "Kali" from 7 Secrets of the Goddess by Devdutt Pattanaik
Image Information:
Sad Woman, Source: Wikimedia Commons
Kali, Source: Wikimedia Commons
Hello again, Casey!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly captivating story! I love your creativity and writing techniques. I'd love to hear more about why you chose to retell the story the way you did in your author's note. Also, great work with going above and beyond using only one image. I think pictures can really tell a story or impact a story, in your case. Overall, fantastic job! I hope to revisit your blog before the end of the semester. Otherwise, good luck with your studies!
Wow I absolutely loved this story! It is such a unique way to capture the themes that Kali embodies while using them in a story that is completely your own. This is definitely one of the best stories I've read during the course of this class. I have to say, you should consider writing more on the side after this class is over, because this story read like a published short story.
ReplyDeleteHello Casey. I really liked your story. You had a really interesting interpretation on the goddess Kali. Your story was also really descriptive, the woman and the settings were really easy to picture. I also liked how your story went full circle and she went back to what she started as. I also liked that you used a picture of a well groomed woman, to contrast the wild woman in the story.
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