Wednesday: The Heroine's Journey part II - Identifying with the masculine
Identifying with the masculine and searching for allies.
Once the heroine rejects the feminine, associating it with vulnerability, dependence, and weakness, she takes refuge in the paternal figure as an example to follow, seeking to stand out in these qualities that are more related to the masculine, such as independence, strength, rationality, and qualities that are related to "success".
Here we find the feminine archetype of "The Father's Daughter" because they seek the approval of this first male role model. And although their role models may be male, they simultaneously have difficulty being taught by a man.
>The heroine's relationship with her father helps her see the world through his eyes and see herself reflected in him... they develop a positive relationship with their masculine side, because they have a male figure who loves them just as they are."
The positive male figure is described as the man with a heart: caring, tender, and strong.
Athena - The Father's Daughter
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, military strategy, arts, and crafts. She was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Metis (prudence). When Zeus heard a prophecy that Metis's children would be more powerful than him, he swallowed Metis. Some time later, Athena sprang from Zeus's head, fully grown and wearing a helmet and armor, wielding a spear and with a war cry.
The archetype of Athena represents women who are comfortable in positions of power and are natural leaders. And who have, or believe they have, a closer relationship with their father than with their mother.
Athena is also one of the three virgin goddesses (Artemis and Hestia), indicating that she is self-contained and therefore romantic relationships are not a priority or necessity. Because the goddess is most comfortable in war councils and environments with strong masculine energy, women of this archetype also thrive in traditionally male-dominated environments and leadership positions.
Unlike Artemis, who, despite exhibiting many masculine energies, has a more older sisterly approach, she will find herself leading or participating in all-female covens. Or the Hestias, who find their fulfillment in the spiritual
Athenian women are characterized by:
- Being ambitious.
- Being brilliant.
- Doing everything to achieve their goals.
- Not valuing romantic relationships.
- Lacking empathy for vulnerability.
Wednesday
We know that Wednesday's relationship with her father is not as tense as her relationship with Morticia.
In S1, we can see how Wednesday readily expresses her gratitude for the education Gomez has given her; in fact, it is one of the few compliments she gives.
She says he taught her to be independent and strong, to defend herself against a hostile world, and to trust herself. As you can see, these characteristics, of which she is so proud and which define her, are the same ones that represent a "daughter of her father."
In S2, when Gomez takes her out of the police station, we also see a brief exchange between the two of them alone, and how Wednesday lowers her defenses more easily with him than with her mother.
Like the virgin goddesses, Wednesday is also someone who doesn't need or want a romantic bond ("I'll never fall in love, mother."). Her feelings for Tyler don't stem from a need for a romantic relationship (like Enid's relationships), but rather from "Despite..."
She is complete on her own, in the sense that she doesn't use a relationship to fill a void or seek validation. In this case, the relationship with Tyler serves as a mirror to herself, and the feelings arise from finding an equal.
Another interesting feature is the fact that Athena is born already wearing armor. What Wednesday's emotional detachment reveals is more of an armor to protect herself from harm, stemming from the trauma of her scorpion Nero and the cruelty towards her by a world she considers hostile.
One of the few times Wednesday shows respect for her mother is when she stands up to Mayor Walker, and it's only then that she opens up a little and speaks of her visions. This trust stems from finally seeing her mother as someone strong and worthy of her confidence, however short-lived the truce may be.
The search for the father (Gathering allies)
Once the heroine breaks free from the mother (the feminine), she begins the traditional hero's journey.
The adventure begins, and the heroine must find her first allies to help her find her way. These allies can be her father, guardian, boyfriend, friends, institutions, or women who also identify with the masculine.
Wednesday's allies
Fester: He represents freedom, is self-reliant, and answers to no one. Wednesday clearly admires him and his lifestyle.
Grandmama Frump: She is a successful businesswoman, likes guns, and has a disdain for emotions.
They both have a great deal of affection for each other, although Wednesday's affinity for Hester also stems from her antagonism towards Morticia, as she sees in her what she considers a strong woman should be.
Both are masculine figures and represent the opposite of the mother.
Where she sees judgment in Morticia, she sees understanding in Gomez. Morticia is dependence, Fester is freedom. Morticia is sentimentality and passion, Hester is indifference and pragmatism (qualities acquired through repression and wounds, as we know from Rosaline).
For Wednesday, these values of strength, independence, rationality, and ambition are paramount. But while many of these aspects can be channeled positively, it is the extreme that leads to negativity, and here we find Wednesday's main flaws: excessive pride and a need for control.
Other allies:
Tyler: He's the first person she asks for help, a pattern that repeats throughout the first season, and he's the one she shares the most information with. Even after the betrayal is revealed and they become enemies, she maintains an intrinsic respect for his abilities, both as Hyde and as the human.
Eugene: This relationship stems more from memories of his brother. Even so, Wednesday trusts him enough to share her secrets and invite him to join the search for Hyde.
Donovan Galpin: Although reluctantly, Wednesday has to work with him, and it's clear that, before the discovery that Tyler is Hyde, a mutual respect had developed.
Enid: Despite Enid being a werewolf, Wednesday doesn't consider her strong enough to actively assist in her investigation, especially after Enid faints upon seeing the photographs of the crime scenes. She shares very little information about what's happening with her, only revealing what's necessary when she needs to use her for another purpose, such as at the birthday party and the inspection of the Gates mansion.
Although their bond strengthens afterward, Wednesday still considers her weak and believes she needs protection in Season 2, and it's only after the body swap that she recognizes the power of emotions.
Who could have been allies but weren’t?
Weems, first and foremost. As a principal, she could have helped Wednesday from day one, but she chose to cover up the murder, reinforcing Wednesday's perception of female manipulation. Even in Season 2, with Weems as her guiding spirit, Wednesday doesn't want to listen to her because Weems forces her into emotional territory.
With Dr. Kinbott, she has the same problem as with Weems in Season 2. Both want her to confront her emotional side, and Wednesday resists because of the armor she's built up. Both try to get her to face her relationship with her mother.
Thornhill, although not a true ally, is rejected by Wednesday for all the teacher's attempts to get close, to be that perfect maternal figure for the girl. She pushes her away definitively when she tells her that she already has a mother and a therapist, and that this is torture enough even for her.
An interesting detail is that Wednesday also mentions admiration for Machiavelli and Sartre. However, with Mary Shelley, while there is admiration, there is also competition.
Up to this point, Wednesday shows a more favorable inclination towards male figures, while viewing female figures as competition that reflects her one-sided rivalry with her mother.
This doesn't mean the character is masculinized, but rather that she hasn't integrated both aspects of herself, valuing some more than others.
Now, in the following stages, the heroine will face different challenges that will bring out her feminine qualities and refine her negative masculine ideas.
