Archetypes In Beauty

In many cultures water has feminine connotations. The Greek goddess of love Aphrodite rising from the ocean, or the Finnish Aino from the Kalevala who maintains her purity by drowning herself, it is clear the sensuality and beauty of women is related to water. These archetypes differ from each other, one sexual and round and the other pure and innocent, both stereotypes of the mother and the maiden. The use of these stereotypes is pervasive. Water is also viewed as cleansing and transformative. From the above examples, Aphrodite arises spontaneously out of the water and takes a human form and Aino turns into a fish. Like the stories before them, True by Rikka Pulkkinen and The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis also

Both Elsa and Eeva undress in front of Martti at different times. Elsa enters the water and “a pleasurable little whimper escaped her lips: the water was cold” (Pulkkinen, 87). The world “whimper” normally does not have positive connotations, but in this case it is described as “pleasurable,” implying she wanted the cold water and achieved her desire. This shows how Elsa is comfortable with her sensuality as she is not afraid to vocalize her needs and she has the ability to simply let go to achieve release. When Elsa goes swimming she is not doing it for Martti, she is doing it for herself as a dying wish. When Eeva swims in from of Martti, she states “the water’s cold. I keep going, not letting out a sound” (Pulkkinen, 120). Unlike Elsa, Eeva makes no noise when she enters the water, showing her need to prove herself to Martti. She as a need to impress Martti and puts on a sensual show in an effort to make him need her. Also unlike Elsa, Eeva is not swimming for herself. Eeva’s sexuality hinges on what Martti thinks of her, while Elsa only wants to experience the pleasure of swimming one last time, allowing her to feel a moment of