Grimm’s Dear Mili Tale: A Feminist Perspective

I called her hero.
A fairytale little girl.
And not heroine.
In a Wilhelm Grimm’s story.
A dissertation problem.

“What makes her hero?”
Question posed at my defense.
“Child in dark forest —
What arguments can you make.
To satisfy our questions?”

I was quite surprised.
Not expecting this question.
But answered firmly.
More ready than I had thought.
The answers came from within.

To think of it now.
With the passages of time.
I sometimes wonder.
How did I summon courage.
To face my jury scholars?

Those were seasoned men.
With not a woman present.
Wizened by their years.
Yet ignorant of Wisdom.
Lofty men in their smugness.

And, facing them all.
Words poured forth — like a hero.
Wounded by attack.
Yet strengthened by conviction.
To muster staunch defense.

“Your talk of heroes.
Concerns those who slay dragons.
Armored shining knights.
Like those medieval knights.
Who rescue forlorn damsels.”  

“Courtly gentlemen.
Like Knights of the Round Table.
Men as Knights Errant.
Chivalrous toward women.
In readiness to rescue.”  

“Men as Prince Charming.
Protectors of all women.
Men as Knights Templar.
All of some noble ranking.
In the form of King Arthur.”

“My hero is quite different.
With a desire.
More subtle to imagine.
Beyond what is commonplace.
What is more hidden than seen.”

“My hero — Mili.
Picks up a tiny rosebud.
Its thorns are quite sharp.
And, showing loving kindness.
Nurtures it with her own tears.”

“Tale of Dear Mili.
A tale of death and rebirth.
Has archetypal meaning.
How like a rosebud nurtured.
We, too, can all be heroes.”

“That is my thesis.
To show a different viewpoint.
One much more subtle.
A hero needs no bragging.
Attends to nature’s bidding.”

“My child heroine.
Slays other kinds of dragons.
Those with distempers.
To bring illumination.
With moral code of ethics.”

My analysis.
Registered new sentiments.
About a hero.
Heroine not withstanding.
Inviting paradigm shift.

My inquisitors.
All argued with much passion.
During my defense.
A final vote was then reached.
With me declared as victor.

My research model.
A von Franzian framework.
Concerned the challenge.
Of Individuation —
And how a rosebud blossomed.

Grimm’s Dear Mili tale.
Invites us to consider.
What life is about.
How all of us — as subjects.
Are challenged to be heroes.