A review by arachne_reads
The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi

3.0

Those familiar with folklore and its categorization will recognize the framework used in the Cupid & Psyche tale (Aarne Thompson 425), but this story's variations from it are surprising and pleasing. I appreciate that certain characteristics of the story's figures are not commented on: Rose's eldest sister, Orchid, is ugly (and that is likely why she wants the peacock gown), but never is that a moralistic trait. In other words, ugly does not mean stupid or evil. It is simply treated as a fact of this person, and the art depicting her. Refreshing. The wronged parties Rose helps after unwittingly taking her husband's life are split fairly evenly between male and female parties (well, as evenly as an odd number can be), and the wrongdoers in each situation are likewise not limited to one gender. I think the major thing it lacked was a warning about the taboo of removing the feather. Contextually, it seemed missing and incorrect that it was missing. Rose's stumbling upon the one thing that could truly hurt her husband instead of being warned against it felt like a misstep, but perhaps only because of my familiarity with the tale pattern. Otherwise, I appreciated it greatly.