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In almost every fairy tale or old mythological story there has always been the helpless damsel.She is almost always beautiful, vulnerable, and in need of a hero to rescue her. The downfall of this figure is that it views women as weak and helpless and in need of protection. In alot of everyday film or story there is always the damsel in need of a hero to come to her rescue, but now times have changed and now women are doing the rescuing. But still we have to remember where women have come from and how they were expected to be saved by the hero. Although times have changed and women are very much viewed stronger, we still love when the handsom Knight comes crashing through the windows, or slaughtering the villain all to save the women they love, and thats what keeps love stories going.

One strong examples of the archetype the damsel of distress would be Kono Hana, a princesses in need of a hero to rescue her. Kono Hana was the blossom princess, daughter of Oho-Yoma also known as the Mountian God. Kono met the love of her life Ninigi, and he soon asked her father for his daughters hand in marriage, he proposed that he should marry his oldest daughter Iha-Naga princess of the rock. Ninigi couldnt find it in him to marry someone his heart was meant for, so he chose Kono. Its been said that humans live short lives blossoms and not long lives like rocks becuase he chose Kono. Kono became pregnant that night which made Ninigi suspicious that she was with other men. So being the nurvous husband he was, he sent Kono into a doorless hut. She then set fire to the hut, but making one promiss before doing so, and that was that if the baby she was carring was Ninigi's, it would make it out of the fire alive. She had three boys and they all were Ninigi's and made it out alive. So some damsels as you see dont make it out safe.

Io was a greek princess and doughter of Inachus who was an ancient hero, known as the river god. She was subjected to the lust of Zeus. In the attempt to avoid the jealousy of his wife Hera, who did in fact know he was hiding something, He turned Io into a heifer, and Hera knowing what was going on tried to outsmart Zeus by asking him for a gift. Hera insisted she had that white heifer, Zeus couldnt deny that offer or she would indeed find out about the affair. Hera then sent Io to the watchmen with 100 eyes named Argus. After being sent to stay with Argus, Io was then rescued by Hermes, although she was rescued Hera wouldnt let what happened go, so she would send Godflies (a type of fly) to sting her whereever she would go. The flies drove her across Europe and throught Asia until she was allowed to rest finally in Egypt where she returned to her human form. Io was a helpless damsel were nothing she could have done could have saved her, she needed a hero to rescue her and although he wasnt a huge factor in her life, Hermes did in fact come to save her.

A well loved movie by children and more, which really shows a true damsel in distress would be the story of Shrek and his Princess Fiona. The story of Shrek is about an Oger who lived in a forest where all he wanted was peace and to be on his own. Well all the changed when the Lord of the land sent all fairy tail creatures to live in Shrek's part of the forest. Now Shrek not liking this he immediatly went to see the lord and asked for his land back and to let all the fairy tail creatures back to their home. The lord had a proposition and if he could rescue the princess he wants to marry he will have his land back. So Shrek agreed, he went to save the princess from the fire breathing dragon. In doing so they both fell in love and he later found out that she too was a Oger. But the moral of the story is that in doing something to try and get something for himself, he found love along the way. Also, even though he wasnt the prince charming she pictured saving her, she saw something in him that made her see its not all about the image of the handsome prince saving her, its about in the end who willl fight for the one they love.

(skipping the second movie for now)

I believe the reason the archetype " the damsel in distress" stays around is because although women have proven themselves to be capable of doing mostly everything now a days, they still love to see how far they have come, and where they have come from. Also becuase the male was thedominate sex back then, it was almost unheard of when a women was able to do much for herself. We all have to admit, even though we are strong and we have showed that women are more dominate then ever, we still love the love story of the helpless women being saved by the one she loves, and i think thats what makes us want more and what keeps that archetype coming back. Face it, we all want to be rescued, maybe not rescued from a fire breathing dragon or a villian,but from anything. Us women enjoy seeing the men go through hell and back just for love. It keeps us holding on to that one idea of how far would you go for love. People love the temptation of not knowing...will he make it to the one he loves? will he save her and and bring her home safly?... (NOT DONE YET..I PROMISS I WILL BE DONE SOOON!!! SORRY =[ )