Uncovering the Death Mother

Defining the Death Mother

The Death Mother archetype is something that I only learned about two years ago, and it fascinated me. Soon, I saw this archetype expressed in movies such as Lady Bird (2017). The Death Mother archetype symbolizes ill behaviour or feelings of a woman threatening their child(ren) - meaning their life or psychological, physical, mental, or emotional well-being (Sieff, p. 15, 2019). Though this simplified description of a far more complex archetype is not entirely captured, its very nature is heavy. All women, specifically mothers, are believed to inherently and selflessly love their children. In a Western cultural lens, the Death Mother has been subjected to the shadows and buried in shame. This is due to the belief that it is unnatural for women to neglect, harm, kill, or pose a threat to their child(ren). Western society has decided that there is no space or place for the Death Mother in our cultural consciousness (Sieff, p. 15, 2019). Before going any further with this discussion, I would like to include a content warning here, as some of this material may be activating to some.

This article contains content on: maternal filicide, parental abuse and neglect, eating disorders, and self-harm, if any of this may be emotionally distressing to you, please do not continue further.

The Death Mother is hard to digest because no one wants to believe that a mother, of all people, could be the very one to harm their children. Yet, we must ask ourselves why we hold this notion so closely. Women are often expected to love their children selflessly and entirely; sacrificing pieces, if not all, of themselves for their child is absolutely necessary. However, this is not as commonly expected from fathers. Now, think of a father abandoning his family compared to a mother abandoning her family. Which evokes a stronger response? What did each make you think about and feel? Why do you feel that way? It is a desired thought to imagine every mother is maternal, loves unconditionally and altruistically, is devoted, and even wants their child(ren). It is just that, though, a desire and nothing more.

Not all mothers yearn for that title for themselves - not every woman feels a maternal instinct. A mother may feel threatened by their child for any reason. For example, a mother may feel they have lost their autonomy and freedom because of their child(ren). Furthermore, an unresolved trauma from their past could project onto their child(ren), and the relationship between the child and caregiver becomes complex. The Death Mother holds an intense description, one that I assume no one would want to see themselves in. When we think about the actions of the Death Mother, perhaps we envision extreme physical aggression or the absolute disgust and resentment that the mother feels towards her child. We can quickly imagine that the harm done is overt, yet much of the damage is covert, like many relationships with complex attachment and attunement.

As discussed prior, the Death Mother carries a distinct heaviness and the weight of being outcasted from society. I will be sourcing material written by Daniela Sieff, who has a Ph.D. in Anthropology and has done immense work in the dynamics that underlie trauma and her works on the Death Mother. Daniela Sieff is one of the first scholars and trauma-based workers to approach the Death Mother with compassion and curiosity rather than judgment and fear that further villainizes this emotional dynamic. My aim, too, is to speak and meet the Death Mother with compassion, while working towards humanizing this archetype, and to not vilify those who resonate with this archetype. While doing this, I hope to shed light on the lived experiences of those harmed and traumatized by the Death Mother - the children of those carrying this archetype and its impacts in adulthood.

Holding the Death Mother in a New Light

I would like to use this space to speak about the Death Mother through a different lens. I will speak about maternal filicide, influencing personal and external factors, and utilizing the movie Lady Bird by Greta Gervig (2017) as an example of the Death mother. My intent here is to highlight that the nature of the Death Mother is diverse, carries range, and is not always presented in the same way.

Before we begin, I must also note that anyone can have this archetype within themselves. In much of the description of this archetype, there is prominence surrounding the biological ties between mother and child. While this can be important, it is not necessary in order for this archetype to be applicable; just as I mentioned before, anyone can hold archetypes. What is essential in the dynamic of this archetype is the relationship between child and caregiver, biological ties or none.

The Death Mother, carrying the image of extreme harm, may cause you to think of people you know capable of such malice. Some examples you may have considered are cases of maternal filicide, defined as a mother who kills her child(ren) (Friedman & Resnick, 2007). If you are familiar with criminal psychology, you probably know Andrea Yates. Andrea Yates was a mother residing in Houston, Texas, with her five children and husband. In 2001, Yates drowned all five of her children in a bathtub. She was found to be suffering from psychosis and schizoaffective disorder (Resnick, 2007). Other cases of maternal filicide include Diane Downs, a mother who shot and killed her daughter and attempted to murder her other two children, as well as Susan Smith, who locked her two young sleeping sons in their family vehicle before pushing the vehicle into the lake where they drowned (Sher & Braswell, 2010).

In a substantial amount of maternal filicide cases, the mother has a severe mental illness. However, it is not because of mental illness alone that motivates a mother to kill her child. Along with mental illness, many of these mothers also struggle with isolation due to being their child’s primary caregiver (Oberman, 2003). Outside of being a mother, women are leading their own lives and facing their battles, and they are to be seen and valued for themselves - not just for being a mother. Women who are mothers no longer only have themselves to be responsible for; now, they have a whole other being dependent on them. A part of humanizing the Death Mother is also understanding that there is a real, living, and feeling woman underneath. This is not me justifying maternal filicide or any of the harm from someone who holds the Death Mother archetype. Rather this is me speaking on something I believe to be crucial in this discussion. Mothers, along with all forms of caregivers, no longer only have themselves to think about, nurture, or provide for. Many caregivers lose hours upon hours of sleep and are so focused on caring for their children that they neglect themselves. Many struggle to form attachment and attunement with their child for a wide array of reasons such as mental illness, addiction, and working consecutive shifts in order to provide for their child - these are just some of the many factors that negatively impact caregivers’ mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Those impacts can be felt further by their child.

The Death Mother has a hostile force attached to it, and maternal hostility can develop in numerous ways, just as it is expressed in numerous ways. A woman can see a certain vulnerability and innocence in her child that reflects unwanted parts of self. If a woman grew up in an unloving home or was unwanted, this feeling could be internalized and projected onto her child. If a woman without other support cannot care for her child, then the child may be neglected and pose developmental harm. It is often believed that a mother’s hostility is rooted in their psyche, that they are at the core of what is wrong (Sieff, p. 18, 2019). External factors can influence and affect a mother’s relationship with her child, such as her physical, cultural, economic, and relational environment (Sieff, p. 18, 2019).

Suppose a woman does not have relational support from a spouse, family, friends, or community resources, and other means of support. In that case, she will become isolated in caregiving while also trying to provide all necessities. Living in low-income neighborhoods, near toxic facilities, or in an economy recovering from a natural disaster can affect how a mother and child attach and attune with one another. In some cultures and religions, bearing a child before marriage is considered shameful and dishonourable, which are notions the child will be affected by and can leave the mother to make dire decisions. Some mothers are unable or unfit to care for a child, whether emotionally, financially, or because they are struggling with mental illness; if an unfit mother raises a child, those effects, too, will be impactful to the child. What I am illustrating here is that there are copious factors that impact the relationship between a mother and their child and all of these factors have the potential to be significant. When you consider these factors, along with the uniqueness of experience, you can grow a more nuanced understanding of the Death Mother.

When I first watched Lady Bird (2017), I was quickly fascinated by the mother’s psyche and her relationship with her daughter. If you have seen this movie, I am sure you very quickly noted the mercurial and volatile nature surrounding Lady Bird and her mother. The movie starts with the mother and daughter speaking, and what seems like a simple, steady conversation quickly turns into one with judgment, criticism, and tension.

Then, of course, Lady Bird decides the best thing to do is jump out of the moving vehicle to escape the argument and her mother, resulting in a broken arm. During the movie, Lady Bird sometimes criticizes her mother, expressing her frustration and dismay. However, if someone voices their views, such as Lady Bird’s first love interest calling her mother crazy, she feels she needs to defend her mother and her love for her. Some scenes depict the love and care in Lady Bird’s and her mother’s relationship, such as after Lady Bird’s first sexual experiences not going as hoped. Her mother picks her up and can see that she is visibly upset, brings her in for a warm embrace, assures her it will be okay and offers to go and do their favourite activity together. As an audience we see these warm, genuine moments, then the very next scene we are once again confronted with the volatility and cruel dynamics of their relationship.

Marion, Lady Bird’s mother, is seen in the movie expressing compassion and being gentle with others. This contrasts how we see Marion often interact with Lady Bird, especially their interactions when they are alone. Marion makes Lady Bird responsible for her emotions and intends to make Lady Bird feel responsible for her father’s emotions. Marion does this covertly; we do not witness any physical violence, force, or aggression, but it is done through psychological and emotional abuse, often motivated by Marion feeling as though everything is a burden for her to carry, even her daughter. Marion attempts to instill guilt, blame, and shame in Lady Bird, much of which is done through emotional manipulation. Toward the movie’s end, we see Marion use the silent treatment against Lady Bird. If you have ever been given the silent treatment, we can agree on how painful and frustrating this passive-aggressive action is. I will also say this: using the silent treatment as punishment is abuse. Lady Bird was not just given the silent treatment; rather, she ceased to exist in her mother’s eyes and life. Her mother would not speak or listen to her; she simply moved and existed as if Lady Bird was no longer there. Lady Bird essentially became invisible. This went to the extent of Marion not wishing or celebrat ing Lady Bird’s birthday, nor celebrating any monumental moments such as Lady Bird getting her driver’s license, being accepted into college, or even just being proud of her balancing two jobs. Perhaps, one of the most heart-wrenching scenes shows Lady Bird begging for her mother to talk to her and just to see her, all while exclaiming that she knows how bad of a person she is.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, I’m ungrateful and I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I wanted more. Just, please, talk to me… I know, I know I’m so bad.”

- Lady Bird (2017) Greta Gervig (Lady Bird to Marion)

In the movie, Marion briefly mentions that her mother was an abusive alcoholic when Lady Bird asks her if she ever wishes her own mother hadn’t gotten angry in response to something mundane. Though only mentioned in one short response, it is a critical factor. If a mother has unresolved trauma, it can inhibit her ability and capacity to respond sensitively to her child. Further, the unresolved trauma may distort the mother’s perceptions and expectations of her child. This may compromise the development of secure attachment, thus continuing the transmission of intergenerational trauma (Iyengar, et al., 2014). The concept of intergenerational trauma recognizes that exposure to traumatic events and adverse experiences impacts individuals to such a great extent that this trauma is transmitted to future generations (Yehuda & Lehrner, 2018). If this is something you are now learning, I encourage you to read further about this topic and utilize Indigenous teachings.

We all carry our life experiences with us; arguably, our life experiences shape us. Caregivers ultimately learn how to parent through how they were parented. It is common for individuals who grew up in a house described as abusive or neglectful to choose to and promise to do right by their own children, ensuring they do not have a childhood like theirs. This is an honourable and commendable thing to do. It takes courage and bravery to confront the fear of having a child and the looming doubt that maybe, you, too, will harm your child. No parent is perfect, just as no person is. In one way or another, as a parent, you will harm your child, but it is about how you are there for them after and how you make amends. Even if the intent is not to inflict harm, it does not mean harm was not inflicted. It is important to be aware of this in all relationships and correspondence, not just in mother-child relationships.

The Impact of the Death Mother

(Content warning: I will be speaking about the impacts of trauma, which includes content about eating disorders and self-harm)

In an interview (2009) conducted by Daniela Sieff with Maon Woodman, a depth psychologist who has done proud work in understanding the inner world of unconscious mind and body, Sieff asks Woodman to clarify the psychological impacts of the Death Mother. Specifically, Sieff asks Marion Woodman to elaborate on what it means to internalize the Death Mother and to have it imprinted onto our physical self. Marion Woodman replies:

“If, while growing up, we sensed that we were unacceptable to our parents, if we were not wanted, or if we intuited that we threatened our parents, then our nervous system will have become hyper-vigilant. Our cells will have been imprinted with a profound fear of abandonment; consequently, our body will numb out when we feel threatened. As soon as we realize that we no longer please somebody, we freeze; we are thrown back into our belief that we are unlovable, which activates our ever-present but unconscious, terror of annihilation. In such moments the autonomic nervous system says “NO,” and the ego withdraws. I call this being catapulted into “possum mentality”; as soon as we sense a whiff of rejection, we are paralyzed with fear, close down, and stay absolutely still to survive. Eventually, that possum becomes a permanent feature in our body-psyche.Life is experienced as a minefield in which we are knocked down by explosions that are inaudible to others. If unconscious hostility exists in the environment, the inner body, acting autonomously, retreats and falls over “dead.” At the same time we may develop defense mechanisms that manifest in an armor of fat, oedema, vomiting, anything to keep poison out. Ultimately, our body may turn against itself as it does with cancer or auto-immune diseases. [The] Death Mother has been incorporated into the fabric of our cells,” (Sieff, pp. 178-179, 2009).

This direct excerpt speaks to the psychological harm created by the Death Mother. Instead of the body being a resource, it becomes a defense weapon. Seen through physical reactions and defense, such as vomiting or weight gain (along with loss), as well as self-harm and self-destructive tendencies may be present in the child of a caregiver with the Death Mother archetype. What I have learned from my research, reading scholarly articles, and speaking to those who understand this archetype personally is that much of physical responses to this form of trauma and harm is that control and power are important.

The Death Mother is a penetratively corrosive force that creates a daunting and powerless voice that can be heard well into adulthood. The impacts of the Death Mother are felt in the deepest sense of self. Many have to learn to self-regulate by themselves; chances are they never learned to regulate healthily and safely emotionally. This is where eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia may develop, along with self-harm such as self-mutilation via cutting, burning, or skin picking. These are all coping mechanisms that form as a result of overwhelming emotions and experiences. These behaviours can act as a sense of control and power and make someone feel numb, which, at times, feels better than being in the present.

The impacts of the Death Mother manifest in different ways. For some, the internalization of the archetype becomes a direct attack on the self. You then become your own Death Mother and perpetuate this harm further against yourself. Or, you may externalize it and instead project your experiences on others. This could mean becoming inappropriately aggressive, taking dangerous risks, or substance abuse/misuse, among others. The ways that individuals cope with the harm inflicted by the Death Mother, or any form of trauma endured, is not to be judged, stereotyped, or unwelcomed. We all cope in different ways, and I am not here to say that there is a wrong way to do so because I get it. You do what you must to feel a sense of security in your immediate environment and body; I think that is a sentiment many more of us know to be true than we think. It is about holding compassion for what we do not understand, especially if we have not experienced it.

Conclusion

The Death Mother is a powerful force, one that is far more common than we know. This force has been villainized and rejected in Western society due to the hostile nature of the Death Mother. Though, when we reject and dehumanize this very true and very real force, we perpetuate further harm to the individuals that hold this archetype within and to those who have been harmed and traumatized by this force. If we continue to deny the existence of the Death Mother, we are doing a disservice to many. Recognizing the background of the Death Mother and the possible factors that lead to this very force being created in someone, we must remember to hold compassion for their lived experiences. While we hold this compassion, we can also recognize and know that the harm and trauma they caused was not okay, nor is it ever justifiable. These two things can be true at once.

To bring this archetype into the conscious, we must first allow this force to take up space and accept it for what it is - no matter how uncomfortable it may be. We cannot say it is unnatural for women to kill or pose a threat to their child psychologically, emotionally, mentally, or physically just because they are the child’s mother. Humans are capable of many things, and it is faulty of us to believe that some humans are incapable of such things just because of their identity and/or familial ties to a child. If you read this article and thought of where you’ve seen the Death Mother, whether it has been in the media or maybe in your own life, all I hope is that maybe you have learned something new. Something new about this archetype, yourself, or others.

References Friedman, S. H., & Resnick, P. J. (2007). Child murder by mothers: patterns and prevention. World Psychiatry, 6(3), 137–141. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC2174580/.

Iyengar, U., Kim, S., Martinez, S., Fonagy, P., & Strathearn, L. (2014). Unresolved trauma in mothers: Intergenerational effects and the role of Reorganization. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. https://doi. org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00966

Resnick, P. J. (2007). The Andrea Yates Case: Insanity on Trial . Cleveland State Law Review, 55(2). Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1174&context=clevstlrev.

Sher, L., & Braswell, K. (2010, May 11). Most Infamous Alleged Mommy Murderers in History. ABC News. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://abcnews.go.com/2020/infamous-cases-moms-allegedly-murder-kids/story?id=10588541

Sieff, D. F. (2019). The Death Mother as Nature’s Shadow: Infanticide, Abandonment, and the Collective Unconscious. A Quarterly Journal of Jungian Thought, 15, 18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332925.2019 .1564513

Sieff, D. F. (2009). The Psychology of Violence. A Journal of Archetype and Culture, 178–179. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://danielasieff.com/media-type/writing/confronting-death-mother-an-interview-with-marion-woodman/.

Yehuda, R., & Lehrner, A. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: Putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. World Psychiatry, 17(3), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20568

Written by Andres Salazar

This year, March 12th marks the date of one of the mosttalked-about events in pop culture media. For one Sunday every twelve months, most people who enjoy watching movies sit in front of their TVs to watch the legendary award ceremony: the Oscars. We all love movies so much that we dedicate an entire evening to commemorating those that stood out. A celebration of the best of the best, the Oscars is a highlight reel of cinematic innovation, acting expertise, and editing talent.

While the Oscars spotlight Hollywood’s finest, the ceremony itself is an event. Multiple guests are invited to play live music, famous actors and actresses present the trophy to the winners, and the crowd is an ocean of celebrities and media personalities wearing the most expensive clothes. However, such an extravagant event also leaves lots of room for some very unexpected occurrences. A ballroom full of the biggest people in pop culture naturally starts to breed some moments that turn heads into confusion or utter shock. Loads of shocking instances have been witnessed in previous years. In celebration of the Academy Awards this March 12th, here are some of the weirdest things that have happened at the Oscars:

1. “Boxer” meets boxer

Sylvester Stallone is an actor with a lengthy history with the Academy Awards. As a guest or even as a nominee for best actor, the Italian Stallion has been seen multiple times during the Oscars since the 70s. Although he is incredibly well known for his roles in the Rambo (1982-2019) series and more recently for his work on the Expendables (2010-2023), Sly Stallone is best known for his work in the Rocky series. Even today, when the cameras shine on him, the images of him fighting Apollo Creed, Ivan Dragon, and Mr. T come to mind. However, we must remember that the actor is not a professional boxer. This makes for an interesting moment at the 1977 Oscar Academy Awards, where he was surprised on stage while presenting a trophy by the one and only Muhammad Ali (Stone, 2016). As the crowd cheered for these two icons of the sports, Stallone had an amusingly confused face.

Unsure of what to do, he started to jokingly spar with the heavyweight legend. What was so great and fun about the moment was precisely that once he came face to face with one of the best boxers of all time, Stallone received a strong reminder that Rocky was just a movie. Perhaps in an alternate universe, Stallone might have been able to stand toe to toe with Ali, though in our case, he just looked happy, confused, and a little humbled.

2. The birthday suit

The annual ceremony is famous for people coming in with their most carefully picked dress or suit. Those attending the Oscars often ensure they are as nicely dressed as possible. Whether it’s a custom-made suit designed by Ralph Lauren himself, or even a dress made of beef, as Lady Gaga wore at the MTV Awards, fashion is of the utmost importance. There was a time, however, when someone decided to do the exact opposite by wearing nothing. One of the most notable events of 1974’s cinematic history saw a streaker run behind Oscars host David Niven, butt naked (Schulman, 2023). Speechless and smiling out of embarrassment and confusion, the host waited for security to take control of the situation after the man wearing his birthday suit “graced” the audience with his light jog across the stage. Though, what was perhaps more shocking than the streaking itself was that a mustache like the one he had was once socially acceptable.

3. Marlon Brando refuses the Oscar

The Godfather is seen as one of the best movies of the 1970s. The film was revolutionary for the crime and drama genres, partly due to the strong acting performances by all members of the cast. The leading actor, Marlon Brando, shone as the star of the romanticized look into the life of the Italian mafia.

Protesting the on-screen representation of indigenous actors and characters, the biggest prize in cinema was rejected, which was unheard of until this point (Walsh, 2022). This sparked immense controversy, with lots of the blame and criticism being wrongly thrown at Little- feather. However, the Oscars has since formally apologized to the indigenous actress for the treatment from this incident (Benchetrit, 2022). This moment has since become a highlight of the career of the at-thetime resurging Marlon Brando.

4. The La La Land confusion

All of our examples have come from the 1970s. Most of the weird moments at the Oscars have resulted from awkward interactions or guests trying to intervene in one of TV’s most-watched evenings. In some cases, however, the moment comes from a mistake made directly by the people running the show. A famous example of this is the biggest highlight of the 2017 Academy Awards. The musical La La Land (2016) received the prestigious award of the best picture, to the joy of director Damien Chazelle and the entire movie’s cast. In one of the most shocking moments in Oscars history, as the show ended, Jordan Horowitz walked onto the stage and announced that the wrong envelope was presented and that the movie Moonlight (2016) was the actual winner (Young, 2017). Journalists and guests were baffled at the last-minute error, and social media went crazy. The embarrassment from the production team was palpable and what was supposed to be a night of celebration turned into a mess of people on TV not really knowing what was happening.

5. The Slap

We couldn’t end the list without talking about one of the most viral moments of last year. This is a clip that, without a doubt, has been since countless times by anyone with a device connected to the internet. After making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock was on the receiving end of a shockingly hard and swift right-handed slap (Khomami, 2022). Everyone, including Chris Rock, was left speechless at the fact that Will Smith had just assaulted someone shortly before winning an Oscar. People were initially unsure whether it was an intentional bit from Will Smith. Still, it became abundantly clear that it was entirely serious when he started yelling expletives at the ceremony’s host. A slap so crisp it was heard worldwide, becoming one of the hottest meme trends of the year and skyrocketing to the top of the YouTube trends list (Khomami, 2022). It seemed that for about a week, the action shot was being played everywhere you looked. Will Smith has since apologized for his actions , but his picture-perfect open-palmed right hook is now an automatic talking point when anyone brings up the Oscars (Lee, 2022).

The Academy Awards is one of television’s most viewed events every year. Months and months are dedicated to ensuring the show goes as smoothly as possible. Hosts are carefully chosen, scripts are rehearsed and reviewed countless times, and the guest list is methodically curated. All of this is to try to make the ceremony incident-proof, though some things get through the cracks. As a result, these unexpected moments of chaos have become some of the biggest highlights of the Oscars’ history. The protest from Marlon Brando and the slap from Will Smith are only examples of how a couple of seconds in front of the cinematic community can become so ingrained in pop culture history. These days, capturing the slightest slip-up and posting it on social media has almost become just as popular as watching the awards themselves. Though the producers will keep trying to prevent unexpected instances from happening, the audience will always remember those weird moments from the Oscars.

References

Benchetrit, Jenna. (2022). Sacheen Littlefeather receives apology at Academy event 49 years after Marlon Brando’s Oscars protest. CBC News. Retrieved February 9, 2023 from https://www.cbc. ca/news/entertainment/evening-with-sacheen-littlefeather-oscars-1.6586887.

Khomami, Nadia. (2022). Video of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Oscars tops YouTube chart. The Guardian. Retrieved February 10, 2023 from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/01/video-of-will-smith-slapping-chris-rock-at-oscars-tops-youtube-chart-guardian.

Lee, Benjamin. (2022). Will Smith posts emotional apology for the slap: ‘I am deeply remorseful’. The Guardian. Retrieved February 20, 2023 from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/ jul/29/will-smith-slap-apology-video.

Schulman, Michael. (2023). What Became of the Oscar Streaker?. The New Yorker. Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/06/what-became-ofthe-oscar-streaker.

Stone, Natalie. (2016). Watch Muhammad Ali and Sylvester Stallone Present at the 1977 Oscars. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2023 from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ news/general-news/watch-muhammad-ali-sylvester-stallone-899674/.

Young, Ian. (2017). Oscars 2017: How did the La La Land/Moonlight mix-up happen?. BBC. Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39097183.

Walsh, Savannah. (2022). The Academy Apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather, Who Refused Marlon Brando’s 1973 Oscar. Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 9, 2023 from https://www.vanityfair.com/ hollywood/2022/08/the-academy-apologizes-to-sacheen-littlefeather-who-refused-marlon-brandos-1973-oscar.

Written by Shawn Funk

Through a portside window on the stern, he watched as hundreds of metal fragments from the bow of his ship sparkled and glistened in the sun against cold space; it might have been beautiful, but he wasn’t celebrating; the bodies of his crewman spun and whirled farther out, tangled up in the web from the onboard computer’s micro-optic cables.

His magnetic boots clanked toward the Geronimo escape tube hatch near the end of the passageway, Clank! Clank! Clank! a red light on the tube hatch control panel blinked the word ‘disabled’.

His body shook, collapsed against the grey tube hatch and onto the metallic floor, finally scared, finally lonely, and afraid to die alone, he watched as grey smoke slowly crept down the corridor toward him.

He pulled a black sphere from his pocket, about the size of a marble, placed it on the checker-plated floor in front of him; leaning his back against the escape hatch, he stared into the sphere as faint light began to glow from its smooth surface; a gift for his nephew, but now he needed it.

Light flooded around the black marble and a floppy eared holo-puppy resolved, jumping, turning, and smiling at him.

He thought about his nephew as the dog whirled around, rolling onto its back, barking playfully; a teardrop fell across his quivering smile, and he forced himself to speak the words, ‘good boy.’

Just Within

Look into my eyes

The true river to my soul And twin to my state of mind

Reflected back at you I am Like an open book My story freely flowing

In the most unique of ways I let myself be known Expressing what my voice cannot

I become a mirror of yourself

A soul who speaks for you Through a kaleidoscope of emotions

L’esprit en moi

Regarde-moi dans les yeux

Le vrai fleuve de mon âme Et jumeau à mon état d’esprit

Refléter je suis à toi Comme un livre ouvert Mon histoire est sans fin

D’une manière unique Je me fais connaitre En exprimant ce que ma voix ne peut pas

Je deviens un miroir de toi-même Une âme qui parle pour toi À travers un kaléidoscope d’émotions

By/Par Vanessa Bowen

This article contains content with physical violence if any of this may be emotionally distressing to you, please do not continue further.

Written by Liberty Blair Charissage

“You kissed a boy, didn’t you, Dante?” exclaimed Sarah. Dante turned from walking back to his home and looked at Sarah with shocked surprise at being found out. Having a piggish nose and black eyes, Sarah considered Dante to be an ugly boy. Weirdly, for a boy, he had a massive mane of glossy blonde hair, which simultaneously made him look wild yet effeminate. His style added to the confusion; Dante always wore a white collar shirt and black tie under a vivid red jacket. He had earrings that looked bizarre to Sarah, and he wore black pants and sparkling red sneakers alongside that. “Don’t try and hide it!” continued Sarah. “I saw you. I saw you with that other blonde boy in the park. You thought you wouldn’t be noticed because you look like a girl, but I did!”

Suddenly Dante’s expression and composition changed. He started smiling and replied in a commanding tone, “Yeah, I snogged the boy, snogged his face off. What about it?” in that bizarre, unplaceable English accent. Sarah glared at Dante; he was trying to play this off cool. “It’s wrong. It’s unnatural!” she shouted in his face.

Dante, swagger unbroken, proclaimed, “I’m queer.” He brushed or rather pulled his hair. “In more ways than one, I’m not afraid.” Then, grinning, he turned around and began to walk back home, singing, “I kissed a boy, and I liked it. I hope my girlfriend won’t mind.”

Sarah gritted her teeth. She would relish getting one over Dante. It was so easy getting one over people, maybe even two or three. She walked until Dante was far enough away, and then she started following him. She had nothing to do when she returned home, and besides, she wanted to follow Dante. Sarah wanted to see what he was doing, see what he was up to, and see if she could discover any dirt on him. They wandered through a few dismal blocks and industrialized areas, Sarah always too far behind Dante for him to notice that she was following him until they came to an apartment complex. She looked the building up and down, then up again, and wondered how a kid like Dante could go to the same school as hers.

Then, from her combination of the hiding spot and distance, Sarah abruptly perceived Dante drop on all fours, run across the sidewalk towards a tree, and begin sniffing the dirty base of the tree covered with bits of trash. How bizarre!? Sarah knew that Dante had his ‘spells’ or at least heard that he had some ‘spasms’ of some kind, yet she had never witnessed them. She was always somewhere else when they supposedly happened.

Now here it was, and she was seeing it. Dante seemed to shuffle and ruffle around the tree for a few more moments, always walking on his hands and feet. Then suddenly, he rushed to chase after a squirrel until it dashed up a tree where Dante hopped up and down, trying to get it. Sarah could not contain herself and laughed. She grinned and grew bold. She walked the distance between her and Dante until she was on the lawn of his apartment building. Dante stopped trying to hop the tree and started scratching himself flexibly with his sneaker. He halted once he noticed Sarah. Sarah stopped walking, suddenly thinking this might not have been a good idea. Now Dante became very alien and animalistic to Sarah. This silent, motionless pause happened only for a second. Then Dante emitted a sound. It startled Sarah and made her cringe. The sound was exactly like a dog’s woof. Dante woofed again, then one more time, drawing nearer to Sarah in a friendly manner. Sarah grinned again and allowed Dante to come close. She held out her hand and laughed when Dante licked it, then petted his hair and face. Dante seemed to like it, woofing and panting happily.

Sarah’s grin turned more callous then. What a strange mental defect! The boy was under the delusion that he was a dog, and what a good job he was doing keeping up the illusion. This was the dirt she could get one up on him for. Dante was a pathetic creature: a poor, mentally insane, ugly, queer boy. She let Dante scamper off across the grounds. Satisfied by the easy acquiring of dirt on Dante, Sarah headed out towards her own house. Since her house was away from Dante’s apartment, she took the bus back. Sarah didn’t take the bus much because she didn’t like it, yet it was the only choice. She didn’t like riding the bus once she felt discomfort at seeing the boy whom Dante kissed getting on the same bus.

This other blonde boy had a similar style to Dante, though he was handsome and, as well, freckled. His hair was in a short military cut instead of Dante’s, and he had no weird earrings; however, the boy outpaced Dante’s strange style by wearing a gray kid-size trench coat over his white shirt and red necktie. Sarah didn’t know him. He must have gone to a different school. Sarah’s discomfort at seeing this boy get on the bus only grew when the boy decided to sit right next to her. He plopped right down next to her and popped out the giant lollipop in his mouth to say, “Best not be spying on Dante, love,” in a similar English accent as Dante’s, yet not quite the same.

Sarah’s eyes widened. “You followed me!” she cried loudly. Then, speaking more softly so the other bus passengers wouldn’t look at them, she spat, “How dare you follow me!” The boy shrugged, “You followed him. Take my advice. Don’t spy on Dante. He’s a dangerous kid.” Then he jabbed the giant lollipop back into his mouth simultaneously as his other hand pressed the stop button where, perfectly on time, the bus driver stopped the bus and the boy left. Sarah was even more befuddled by this, yet even more than that, she was angered by the audaciousness of this boy who kissed Dante.

During the next few days in school, Dante seemed to stay away from Sarah. The few times she did see him, he appeared dreadfully distressed to be in her presence. Every now and then, he would cast a fretful glance at her, a blink-and-you’llmiss-it look at her with fear and wariness in his eyes. How she loved it! How wonderful that she could dangle this little secret over him. Sarah could do anything with the information; thus, she felt like she could do anything to Dante. She knew the score, and, more significantly than that, Dante knew the score too. He knew that she knew the secret, and that was fantastic. She loved the fear and the threat that she could invoke in him; what was perfect was he couldn’t do anything about it. He was utterly helpless because of the position he was in.

Sarah didn’t care that she did not see him often anymore because when she did spot him, the way he acted looked even greater. After all, it was rare. One day on the weekend, after this went on for a couple of weeks, Sarah decided to meet Dante at his apartment complex to confront him with what she knew and see how he handled it. So she again took the bus and began walking to his apartment. When she reached the building, it was early evening. The apartment complex was a deserted, bare part of the city as ever, like a ghost town. She wandered past an alley in her journey to the apartment complex yet immediately retraced her steps. She did so because she spotted Dante resting on one of the bins in that alleyway.

She walked back and peeked to see what happened next. Dante was lying on a bin and, parallel to him, was a tall, older man, disheveled, unhappy, and unpleasant looking. The man was walking through the alley with a bag in his hand. The scene was picturesque in its grime. Sarah watched this moving picture for a moment. Dante smiled friendly-like at the unhappy-looking man. In response, the unhappy man gave Dante the middle finger, the man’s face contorting into a quiet, smug chortle. Dante’s look and smile turned from friendly to vicious and unhinged in a second. He leaped off the bins, and Dante bit off the man’s finger. The man croaked in stunned surprise at the hideous abrupt pain that surged in him.

Dante landed on the ground. He chewed the finger before the man, then gulped it down slightly exaggeratedly. The man clucked in stark cowardice. Dante dashed upon him before the man could do anything else. Dante’s legs were like springs, and he attached himself to the man, biting and wolfing down the rest of the man’s arm. Meanwhile, Sarah swiveled her head back and clung to the building’s wall. She did this faster than anything else she had ever done before. She could hear her breath heaving out heavily, her heart threatening to vomit out of her and nearly doing so. Then Sarah began hearing the man’s groanings and screams. Sarah tightened. Some part of her mustered strength, and she fled. She rushed through the neighborhoods and streets until she could stop running. She halted deadstop in a park.

She panted. “Oh, my gosh” She thought. “What is Dante!?” The Police! The police had to be warned. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket. She dialed. Sarah heard someone say over her shoulder, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you now, love.”

She heard this just as the person on the other end of the phone asked, “9-1-1, what is your emergency?” Without warning, the boy swiped the phone out of Sarah’s hand. Sarah turned around and saw the boy with the lollipop holding her phone.

The boy replied to the 9-1-1 operator, “Prank call! Ha! Ha!” and turned the call off just as Sarah pounced on him. He jumped out of the way, keeping the phone away from her. Sarah punched him in the face. The scuffle stopped abruptly once Sarah perceived the boy still smiling after the punch. He raised his eyebrows just as blood trickled down from his nose. This didn’t calm Sarah, yet it made her lower her fists and look at the boy with the lollipop still in his mouth.

“I told you not to spy on Dante,” said the boy.

“What was that!?” exclaimed Sarah.

“He ain’t just queer. He ain’t even human.”

“You kissed that?!”

“And I liked it!”

The boy changed his smile. “Don’t worry, love. I’m human, be sure of that, and you’re in a pickle, be sure of that too. You know Dante’s Secret. The thing is - - - he doesn’t know that you know - - - but I do.”

The full ramifications of the boy’s statement descended upon Sarah.

“Want to call him right now?” asked the boy, thumb moving around the phone held in the air.

“No!” screamed Sarah. She leaped to the phone, yet the attack soon became a begging clawing.

“No! Don’t! Please! I don’t want to be eaten!”

“Good. You realize the position you’re in.”

The boy lowered his hand and offered the phone back to Sarah.

Sarah snatched it back.

“I was never going to call Dante.”

Sarah looked at him.

“I’m still human,” winked the boy. “But you gotta understand. You can’t tell anyone about this, nor can you give any hint to Dante that you know this. If you’re wise, you won’t try and see me again. Can you do that?”

What could Sarah do but nod?

The boy suddenly made a skeptical face, then smiled his usual grin again. “Get something to keep the monsters in the dark away. It might help you sleep at night.” The boy patted Sarah on the shoulder and walked away. Sarah never saw him again.

Sarah now stays away from Dante at school and is incredibly distressed when she is in his presence. As is Dante with her. But I want to ask you, reader, can Sarah keep it up? Can Sarah never let out a word? Can she never give out a hint that she knows something of Dante’s brutal nature? Can Sarah live a long life, constantly hoping every night that the monsters don’t eat her?

Can she, Dear Reader?