Friday 12 October 2012

As You Wish

Two posts today. This one is about this fine article by Father Raymond de Souza. Hat tip N Panchancha in yesterday's combox.

Father de Souza, not being a woman, or perhaps because he is a priest, did not mention that when Westley said "As you wish", he looked like this when he said it:


He was not scurrying around, bleating "As you wish, as you wish, madame." Ohhhh nooooo. He was saying it with blush-making MEANING.

But that's a minor quibble with a fine article. Trust me to interject female sexuality into everything. Maybe I should have some breakfast cereal.

6 comments:

Cindy said...

Wow, that was a good article. Sad though. Especially the combox.

MaryJane said...

I never thought of his line in that light, but it kind of gave me chills. (In a good way.)

Could he please be the next swashbuckling protector? This is a great photo.

Anonymous said...

What was in the comment box after the article made my chest hurt.

Seraphic said...

Well, other people's comboxes, you know! Besides the National Post is a national, not a religious, newspaper, so all kinds of crazies who think they are oh so sophisticated come out.

Urszula said...

I liked this article, and thought it was a beautiful reflection on the nature of love. And of course I have nothing against men treating women well.

But at the same time, I feel there is something at least a little bit creepy in a man totally submitting to a woman. Maybe it's because I've heard the phrase "whatever you like" go to the desperate "I will do whatever you like as long as I can keep seeing you" as early as the third date... and from there, some men go into total control freak mode. No, putting your life on hold for a woman you've only known for 2 weeks is not attractive.

I think women who have long waited for affection can easily end up with the wrong kind of man, who says such things just to manipulate. And the phrase "I think when I die, they’ll say on my gravestone ‘as you wish.’ Every woman wants to hear that.' ” could easily be misinterpreted.

I realize Fr. Raymond is talking about 'sacrifice' and not 'manipulation', but don't you think the words in both cases could be similar?

Just some thoughts.

Seraphic said...

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that at first Westley was Buttercup's hired servant. "As you wish" is something a servant would naturally say. But then someone Westley managed to make the servile phrase "As you wish" mean "I love you." And it is the change from the cheerful (or resentful) servility to an avowal of love (which claims equality, in the case of Westley speaking to Buttercup). So I am not troubled by "As you wish" in Westley and Buttercup's case as it really means "I love you."

There is something just so beautiful about the Westley-Buttercup romance that I have never come across it anywhere else. Romeo is skeezy compared to Westley.

I think all the elements of the film (I must read the book one day) contribute to making the story so wonderful, including the love of the grandfather reading to his grandson.