Week 4 Story: Pleasure's Quest

Pleasure, a goddess of radiant allure, bred of once-mortal Psyche and Cupid himself, sat listlessly in the bedroom of her heavenly mansion. Though she lived in decadence, Pleasure found herself deprived of that one thing which rouses excitement like no other; the call to adventure. Her mother would often recount the tale of her own passionate quest, as this was the story of Pleasure’s divine birth. Still the family insisted on maintaining appearances, and Pleasure was scarcely allowed to walk among mortals for her grandmother Venus’s fears of what may happen.

Having mulled over her predicament, Pleasure at once lept from her bed, speaking with passionate words, “Nevermind Venus, and nevermind the rest of this family if they too conspire to stifle my instincts. I will travel to the land of mortals, walk among them, and accomplish some great task. When I return, though their ire may be immediate, it will wane with equal haste when they bear witness to my feat.”

Though known as the goddess of sensuality and hedonism, only by her cunning and persuasive nature was Pleasure able to act on these drives. As she whistled for honorable Zephyr, she concocted the means by which she may use these same skills in her present endeavor. Zephyr soon arrived, softly billowing as Pleasure stepped aboard and sweetly commanded, “Ever-reliable Zephyr, carry me to Vulcan’s forge, where I may find preparedness for any confrontations that may arise on my expedition.”

Dutiful zephyr obliged without hesitation, remembering well the role it played in Pleasure’s conception. Soaring quickly through richly colored heavens, the eager goddess soon arrived at her grandfather’s stately forge.

Pleasure called out over the clatter of great immortal machinery, “Grandfather Vulcan, whose metalwork is so widely renowned by gods and mortals alike, whose violent instruments inspire acts of legend, it is I: Pleasure, daughter of Cupid. His arrows, by your handiwork, have wrought many a tale. I have come to humbly request a legendary weapon to call my own.”

At this, thick-bearded Vulcan revealed himself from behind a roaring furnace. “Pleasure, sweet granddaughter, you flatter me with your admiration and I find myself amenable to your request. Still, I wonder why it is that you require such a thing. You spend your days in safety at the insistence of your grandmother, and should find no use for a tool of warfare.”

A statue of Vulcan by Herman Wilhelm Bissen (Wikimedia Commons)

“And what of some unwanted intruder who, drawn in either by my beauty or my riches, might seek to defile the safety and comfort of my abode?” asked Pleasure, slyly and successfully appealing to the the forge god’s protective instincts. Vulcan nodded and instructed Pleasure to wait patiently as he took hammer to anvil.

When at last he finished his creation, Vulcan called for Pleasure’s attention. He proudly showed her a magnificent sword, with a slender crimson blade and golden hilt. Handing the sword to Pleasure, he explained: “While strong and sharp enough to inspire fear in the bravest of soldiers, even a gentle touch of this blade against skin is fit to send an intruder into a debilitating fit of rapture.”

Pleasure thanked her proud grandfather, marvelling at her newfound lethal treasure. This is a fine assurance that I am to be successful in my aim, she thought. Fate would have contrary plans.



Author’s Note: This story is a continuation of Apuleius’s “Cupid and Psyche”. In that story, a love affair between the titular characters turns sour and attracts the ire of Venus, Cupid’s mother. Other characters that are featured in both stories are Vulcan (Venus’s husband and god of the forge) and Zephyr (the personification of western wind). All is well at the conclusion of Apuleius’s tale, and Pleasure is born to the couple. In my story, Pleasure takes on the lead role, eager to embark on her own exciting quest. One storytelling feature I borrow from “Cupid and Psyche” is the heavy foreshadowing, which here concludes the first part of Pleasure’s story and acts as a kind of cliffhanger.

Bibliography. "Cupid and Psyche" from The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline. Web Link.

Reading Notes: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche (Part B)

A Painting of Venus by Sandro Botticelli (Wikimedia Commons)

The plot of the second part of Apuleius's "Cupid and Psyche" was similar to that of stories like the legend of Hercules, who was made to perform a series of incredible feats. This story was a bit different in that Psyche received divine aid in completing her tasks, which give it more of a fairy-tale feel.

It's interesting to me that the allegiances of the gods were so flexible. It seemed that every time someone asked a god or goddess for a favor, the answer was something to the effect of "Well, I shouldn't, but I'll give you a pass." It seems like there's a lot of drama among the roman deities.

The writing styles I noted for Part A were also present here, namely the ascription of value judgments to characters and actions and a thick foreshadowing/foretelling of future events. 

Bibliography. "Cupid and Psyche" from The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline. Web Link.

Reading Notes: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche (Part A)

A painting of Psyche and her adoring crowd, created by Luca Giordano (Wikimedia Commons)

The first thing I noticed about the writing style of Apuleius's "Cupid and Psyche" is the intense level of foreshadowing. From the outset of the story, we know the eventual outcome. This is reiterated several times throughout the story both by the characters and the narration.

Another writing technique that I noticed was the constant ascription of value judgments to characters and elements of the world. Psyche's sisters are hardly mentioned without also a mention of their wickedness. We are likewise reminded constantly of Cupid's charm or to the opulence of his house. The world is rendered rich with moral and aesthetic determinations of the narrator.

As noted in the header for one section, the plot follows the archetypal "forbidden fruit" pattern in which a clear rule is established only to be inevitably broken. Here, it's unclear if there's an underlying moral message, other than to be faithful to one's spouse (especially if they're a god).

Bibliography. "Cupid and Psyche" from The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline. Web Link.

Tech Tip: Canvas Profile

This week I tried the first tech tip for this class, and changed my Canvas profile. I already had a profile picture which I think captures my essence; I'm pictured in a low squat while wearing a sleek navy suit. The photo seems to say, "I'm fun, but professional; daring, but smooth."

I did change my title to "Student" and updated my bio to reflect my major, graduation date, and zodiac sign. Looking forward to the next tech tip!