Esch and The Golden Fleece Response

                  "In Mythology, I am still reading about Medea and the quest for the Golden Fleece. Here is someone that I recognize. When Medea falls in love with Jason, it grabs me by the throat. I can see her. Medea sneaks Jason things to help him: ointments to make him invincible, secrets in rocks. She has magic, could bend the natural to the unnatural. But even with all her power, Jason bends her like a young pine in a hard wind; he makes her double in two. I know her." (Esch, 38)  

                Esch shares this quote with us for many reasons.  Esch thinks she is in love with Manny but in my eyes, I believe it is more of a childish love.  She speaks as if she is Medea in this quote while visualizing it also.  Medea sneaks things to Jason but stereotypically it is usually Jason who should sneak things to Medea.  It seems as if Esch wants to be Medea only to win Manny's heart but she would not truly be herself.  I believe this is important to the text because it shows her lack of maturity but also shows how much she thinks she is in love with Manny.  Esch is a beautiful and strong girl but once Manny comes she melts and becomes defenseless. He seems to take advantage of this and uses her as nothing more than a toy.  I think this mythological allusion is important Because it shows who Esch is.  She wants everyone to think she is strong and "one of the guys" but in reality when someone comes along that she likes all her confidence and strength goes away and is replaced with be able to be dominated and bossed around.  One of the central themes in the book is life-giving power. I believe that life-giving powers are intertwined with the fact that when Media has all power compared to Jason she is still able to let him control her but  Esch once pregnant, she realizes that Manny only took advantage of her and with the strength of her baby is able to push Manny away even in her darkest days.

This shows that Medea has so much power but is still able to bow down to Jason and let him take full control of her.  She is looking at him to lead the way instead of her having the willpower to do it herself.  He is also sitting on a chair almost god-like or king like and she is the one kneeling beside him and if being a woman is not good enough and should make her be treated as less.  

This makes me think of Esch because she would do everything herself and was treated like her brothers but with guys, she would show them that they could dominate her but by the end of the book, she is a strong independent woman who is able to take on a baby and not care what others think.  She is able to have both physical and mental power and is ready to overcome anything that comes her way.