It might be wild, but I kind of hate that the only way Maas knows how to show women as claiming their sexuality and being “strong” is having them prance around in promiscuous clothing.
We see this with Mor, Feyre, and then Nesta. It’s not a character trait, it’s a statement that anything seen as rigid, conservative or modest makes you weak.
Feyre’s would be wedding dress to Tamlin is not bad because it’s hideous, but because it’s the traditional style of “princess” ballroom dresses. She suddenly enjoys dresses when they’re all skimpy and revealing, despite her having never enjoyed dresses before. Worse, Rhysand dresses her like a harlot, exactly as he did under the mountain, branding her in front of god knows how many eyes.
Mor’s style and statement of her clothing could be beautiful, except once again, it’s only used to show that if you value a more conservative style, you are too closed off, bitchy, and without value.
Both of these could be written as character TRAITS, that women can be as conservative or promiscuous as they want because it is THEIR BODY, except Nesta is shamed for both. She is shamed for her conservatism with her own body, and then shamed for her promiscuousness. She is used and put on display by the Night Court, who she allows to fuck her put under a microscope. She is only accepted by them when she wears the clothing they want her to wear, when she fucks who they want her to fuck.
Idk, I thought there was some beauty in the initial representation of Nesta. That a woman who is conservative in how she dresses, who fights with her words rather than blades, could claim just as power in her own sexuality as Mor or Feyre dressed in sheer fabrics.
And the worst irony is Mor widely fucks whoever she wants, often very blantantly under everyone’s gaze but specifically Azriel’s, drinks wine in almost every scene - and yet no one shames her for it. No one calls her an embarrassment. No one locks her in a house with Azriel because he wants her so badly.
Women can be just as proud of their sexuality in a conservative dress as a sheer one.
There’s power in simply being a woman, not only putting your flesh on display.
Nesta never should have been forced to conform to a lifestyle that is so opposite to everything she had ever wanted in life.
#pronesta #ic-critical #acotar #nestadeservedbetter #silverflamesbutcherednessian #everywomandeservestofeelpowerful
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