Filo-mentor

Justice, Female Agency, and Moral Clarity xoxo

[perfectquote]

“Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is remind ourselves over and over and over other people feel this too.”

— Andrea Gibson

[virtueindisguise]

In tragedy, when the world runs towards chaos, we came together; we shared our stories and our wisdom to help others through the suffering we witnessed. Sure, we did not suffer as much, and we had the company of like-minded, pure, lawful, and just persons… but it was really hard, guys. I am just glad we survived the reaping of the unholy.

[weltenwellen]

Hanif Abdurraqib, from "The Story of The Last Punk Rock Show Before The City Tore Down Little Brother's", The Crown Ain't Worth Much

[virtueindisguise]

If only this were the case for Elisabetta... Anyone down for some gardening after that cold shower?

[weltenwellen]

Julia Liu, from "Exit Wound"

[virtueindisguise]

Let them call us weak...and stupid - we know better.

[virtueindisguise]

He loves me, I love him not

“...give you an insight into the mind of a worthy lady and see how she managed to free herself from two men who loved her against her will.” (Boccaccio, p.444)

Madonna Francesca did not fight for her freedom - she outwitted her way to it.

Two suitors, one tomb, zero romantic entanglements. That is what I call divine strategy. (Dare I say, devious...?)

Madonna Francesca did not scream, argue, or reject. She designed a test so absurd it exposed their foolishness. And when they failed, she simply turned from the window, praised God, and went to bed.

"Delighted at the way things had turned out and praising God for delivering her from this awkward situation," (Boccaccio 447)

Francesca’s story reminds us: sometimes the best way to say “no” is to let others prove it for you.

[virtueindisguise]

When the Ride Is Rough, Dismount Gracefully

Madonna Oretta speaks like a true queen - “Sir, this horse of yours is trotting in a rather ungainly way. Please set me down on my feet.” (Boccaccio 303)

Wit does not have to be loud- but it needs to be timely. Madonna Oretta did not insult the knight, instead, she rescued herself with elegance. I would say her words were a saddle of silk on a 'horse' of clumsy storytelling.

Filomena’s Writing Tip

“Want to silence a bore without being rude? Use metaphor. Use grace. Use Oretta.”

A lady’s charm is not just in her silence - it is in knowing when to speak. And how.

[virtueindisguise]

Love, Basil, and the Cost of Desire

Be careful what you wish for. Desire, when fed in secret, can die of bloom into obsession - and obsession, when denied, can rot into grief.

Elisabetta didn’t just love Lorenzo. She persisted. Even when her brothers buried the truth, she unearthed it... literally.

Some still sing the sad tune "Whoever was the evil man

Who stole away my pot of basil..."(Boccaccio 228)

[virtueindisguise]

Robe-winked: The dance of wit

"but also to make you aware how even men of religion, in whom we are all too ready to put our trust, can be, and sometimes are, cleverly deceived, and not only by other men, but also by us ladies." (Boccaccio 145)

Let’s not confuse robes with righteousness. In a world where virtue is often assumed by appearance, this tale reminds us: even the holiest can be hoodwinked...especially when they underestimate the cleverness of women.

[virtueindisguise]

Zinevra's Victory

“When the world doubts you, become the storm they didn’t expect."

"The common people like to come out with a proverb to the effect that the deceiver often ends up outwitted by his victim... And you will not dislike my story, since it will teach you to beware of deceivers." (Boccaccio 118)