Damsel, by Elana K. Arnold
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There’s a dragon in the land, and the prince needs to vanquish it in order to free the fair maiden. They triumphantly return, marry, and live happily ever after.
I’ve never really questioned the scenario or really thought about it. With “Damsel” by Elana K. Arnold, this changed: The dragon’s lair is actually beautiful. Our damsel, Ama, isn’t all that much in distress – at least until the arrogant, self-serving prick of a prince, Emory, picks her up.
As the story proceeded, I grew increasingly uncomfortable about how Ama is treated not only by the prince, but by everyone around her. All of her needs and wishes are dismissed at best, punished at worst. Ama is treated like a vessel; she has no “value” as a person but as a means to an end. (If you’re living in the US right now, Emory, under another name, is your king.)
Ama is literally and metaphorically hurt by this, but never broken. In a furious, angry finale, she transcends the confines of what was supposed to become her existence, and raison d’être.
Staying in the realm of fairy tales, let me utter three wishes (even though I lack the genie to make them come true):
– I wish for a world where no one needs to be an Ama; for everyone to be seen, heard, and respected for who they truly are. 🏳️🌈
– I wish for the Emorys among us to realise that genuine partnership, founded on equality, is worth infinitely more than dominance or rulership.
– I wish for each of us to have the courage to question the stories we’ve inherited, to claim authorship of our own narratives; to recognise and break the chains of harmful traditions, so that future generations may write new, brighter stories.
By literary merit alone, “Damsel” might not have earned a five-star rating. If you want a slightly more nuanced view, read Anne’s great review as well.
Combined with its message, though, this is an easy one:
Five stars out of five.
