Title: Slaying the mermaid : women and the culture of sacrifice /
Authors: Golden, Stephanie.
Publisher: Three Rivers Press,
Year: 1998
Subjects: Women Psychology.; Women Religious life.; Self-sacrifice.
Abstract: "Addresses the great numbers of women of all ages who find themselves constantly disregarding their own well-being to put the needs of others first ... Examines the dichotomy between selfhood and sacrifice, enabling women to become conscious of self-defeating behaviors ... Uncovers the mythic and archetypal roots of the need felt by women to sacrifice their personal potential for the good of others"--From publisher description.
Contents: 1. Sacrifice and the feminine ideal -- 2. Queen for a day : the rewards of virtue -- 3. Global responsibilities -- 4. A good woman is a sacrificing one -- 5. The mermaid's tail -- 6. Disappearing acts -- 7. Victimhood and identity -- 8. Pain : false transcendence -- 9. Sacrifice and power -- 10. The lost side of sacrifice : connection.