The Essence of a Woman?

So, it turns out that most of the works of Literature I have browsed through recently have a 'thing' for women. And by the 'thing' I mean an irrevocable grudge towards the gentler sex. Or should I actually say, the problematic sex?

Here's an elaborate list (for the Reader's benefit), of a few classical and contemporary examples of a variety of difficulties, ranging from wars to murders, caused by women. And they are taken from the books that I recently read, each of which have depicted characters of women who are vastly different from one another.

1. The Iliad (and the same goes for all those War Epics)

Few people actually know that the Iliad, is not just the re-telling of the abduction of the beautiful (but unfaithful) Helen, it is also a book on war strategies and power- wielding.Why, had it not been for her escape with Paris, Prince of Troy, there would have been no bloodshed, no battle, no loss of great heroic men. While we read about the painful death of Achilles, it pinches the Reader's heart to acknowledge that this squabble over a woman could really kill off the sons of God.

2. King Arthur and The Knights of The Round Table

Guinevere, the legendary Queen of Arthur, was said to have betrayed her husband by carrying on a love-affair with Sir Lancelot, his most beloved Knight. This cascaded into the downfall of the Kingdom. Poems and adaptations have been written about these star-crossed lovers, the gorgeous Guinevere and the handsome Lancelot, but what really remains of The Round Table? Nothing but the misery and wrath of Arthur.

3. Gone With The Wind

Set in the plantations of the glorious South, during the US Civil War, Margaret Mitchell's novel brings to light what a woman's childish affection could do. While Scarlett counts three husbands in her lifetime, her relatives and friends suffer from the effect of her greed, selfishness and vanity. All for her desire to be comfortable, fueled by the 'love' she had for Ashley. In the end, she loses all of what she had accumulated by losing the man who truly loved her. And of course destroying multiple households on the way.

4. The Great Gatsby

Can it be any clearer? Fitzgerald doesn't need this gorgeous story set in the Roaring 20's to prove to us how destructive love can be. But he does, and he does it marvelously. The careless Daisy suffers from a state of confusion, thus endangering the Life of a great gentleman like Jay Gatsby. And her cowardice later kills him. You can almost feel, as Nick Carraway narrates, the bubbling hatred and resentment towards Daisy for her gutlessness. And it's aptly felt.

5. The Phantom Of The Opera 

This French classic stole hearts as a play, a musical and a film. However, when we get to the root of this we realize that had it not been for Christine's mad obsession with a fantasy, there wouldn't have been any disastrous torture on the part of the Phantom. Had it not been for her blindness and folly, there would have been no innocent lives lost. No heartbreak. In short, no chaos.

My list ends here, but not my thoughts. What actually calls for people to scream and blame women for the cause of almost all problems in history, is actually a baseless cause. Even though I have listed 5 literary works that have raised a question as to the role of women, we still cannot deny that without women there would have been a stark void in fiction. All the women in these books are related by one strong thread of feminine virtues : beauty, delicacy and grace.

 My favorite character in this period of time while I read these books, is Scarlett. She's the clear example of what a real woman is. She's ruthless, and yet charming. She's a married woman who fights a mental battle, who draws up a transparent profile of frankness. And yet she realizes her mistakes and repents for it all. While Christine's sacrifice in Phantom and Guinevere's boldness in King Arthur also sets them apart, it cannot be denied that Scarlett remains startlingly the most brilliant of them all.

I credit these authors for their portrayal of women, but I also raise a toast to the women of the world...for their kind contribution to mankind. And of course, for all those wars and murders. :)