Tracing a lineage from Greek mythology to our own most intimate relationships, Carol Gilligan asks why, generation after generation, we relive tragic stories of loss and betrayal, and sets out to create a radical new map of love. Within the sweep of this book, Gilligan takes us through novels and dreams, ancient legends and contemporary research to an illumination of modern couples in crisis. She shows us that, although the women's movements of the 20th century have challenged patriarchal structures, the underlying patterns remain: the early channeling of boys into "masculinity, " the double consciousness of girls in adolescence, the silences between men and women, the splits between our social and inner selves. In the haunting love story of Psyche and Cupid, Gilligan discovers a crucial tale of resistance--showing us that the path of pleasure can be found in the heart of tragedy, that joy and harmony can defy anger and pain.
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