As a myth student, I hear all the major thinkers, mostly men, comment on how the myth of Perceival and the Holy Grail symbolizes our cultural myth. Which makes sense, because we so often seem to be questing for something or another. I recently heard an excellent recording my psychoanalyst Robert Johnson, The Golden World, in which he makes the comment that Perceival is really only a myth for men because it so nicely represents the male model of the psyche (see Johnson, He). The female equivalent, according to Johnson in this recording, is Perceival’s wife, Blanchfleur, who represents the loyal, faithful, dutiful wife who waits at home for her knight in shining armor to return to her.
I think that in actuality, the female myth in my society is governed by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This is the story wherein a young woman has to choose between marrying for love or for economics, and finds the both in the character of Mr. Darcy. The feminine quest appears more internal than that of the masculine, more introverted, because the feminine myth is one of home-building and protecting the castle. This is not to say that this model is restricted to only female protagonists, but I will cover that on another day.
In addition to several movie renderings, Pride & Prejudice has been completely updated in Bridget Jones’ Diary, which peaked in popularity at the same time as another, more indirect, updating: Sex and the City. Both story lines follow women in their 30s trying to find love in a market that suggests that love is only for the 20-somethings. Of course, in both tellings, the women find someone to love, either a Mark Darcy or a Mr. Big. In the case of Sex and the City, economics is not the primary push, as all the women are relatively economically stable, but it does help fuel the decision.
I have not seen Desperate Housewives, but I can only assume that it is Pride & Prejudice 2: After the Marriage, giving us an insight to whether happiness can come from the decision to marry for love or economics, if you are not lucky enough to marry for both.
I am of the age right between Elizabeth Bennet and Bridget Jones. It is very easy for me to identify these myths because they represent the phase of life I am currently in myself. I know one thing for sure: I am not looking for a Holy Grail.