What makes a Goddess?
While reading the most recent chapter of Quicksand, I realized there were a couple parallels to Siddhartha, at least as far as the ambiguity of a particular step in the hero’s/heroine’s journey. In Siddhartha, one of the biggest debates was about whether Kamala represented Temptation or the Goddess. Likewise, I noticed that Katrina Dahl is similarly ambiguous. According to Wikipedia, Murdock’s characterization of the goddess is someone who “represents all the positive values of femininity she has left behind” and inspires the heroine to return to “femininity”. By superficial standards and the typical characteristics of “femininity”, Katrina certainly seems like a contender for the Goddess character. She prepares parties and tea outings, matchmakes Helga, dresses Helga, etc. Her main role is making sure the Dahls have a positive reputation and a great social standing. I believe that looking after the family’s image is typically stereotyped as a feminine role as well. It's al...