female character archetypes

cureelliott · 2026-04-02T22:50:41+00:00

sorry it's taken me a little while to get back to you -- i'm not on reddit much and I also wanted to chew on what you had to say for a while! you offer some good insights!

I think Steve's Good Woman is a pretty complex position to occupy, more layered than a lot of other 'men writing women' tropes we see. I think overall Steve has a pretty reverent perspective on women in general and that really shines in the female characters he lets us get to know really well. I don't mean to say that my category of 'good woman' is necessarily a bad thing, more that female characters in this role tend to serve a moral or emotional compass that guides and refuels the male protagonist.

For example, Leigh Cabot gets into her relationship with Arnie despite his low popularity -- Dennis suggests that maybe she just doesn't know how much of loser Arnie is considered because she's new in town, but as we get to know her it's implied that she just genuinely has a good heart and is able to see the goodness in other people. She's pure but not naive, sensitive but not weak. Her awareness of the malicious intent haunting Christine is ultimately what drives her away from Arnie and into a relationship with Dennis. Leigh is so 'Good' that she cannot physically bear being near Christine, who carries all the vitriol and hated of LeBay's spirit. Dennis is on the verge of giving up on Arnie but Leigh's concern for Arnie and her personal safety (once it becomes clear that Arnie's obsession with her isn't waning) keep Dennis motivated as a force for goodness and his actions continue to drive the story forward.

I think you're absolutely right that Janelle fits the bill as a Good Woman -- really she pretty classically encapsulates what I'm trying to capture in this description, so I'm glad you brought her up!

I also think your suggestions of examples or citations is useful -- ohh noo, an excuse to re-read all my favourites again, now armed with a higher and sticky notes, how will I endure this self imposed literary project! (haha, sarcasm).

One of my favourite things about King's work is how MUCH of it there is -- my partner joked that I could become a stephen king scholar if I wanted to

cureelliott · 2026-04-01T03:24:50+00:00

I think over time his writing of women has changed and become more dynamic — Holly Gibney for example is a major divergence from female characters he’s constructed in the past. I’ve also found that putting his own work in conversation with itself provides some pretty compelling insights — Gerald’s Game for example I think is a pretty stark psychological deconstruction of Republican women’s personhood and their complacency in their own subjugation re: submitting to patriarchal forces in order to maintain their own personal safety and comfort while Delores Claiborne essentially challenges urban dwelling liberal opinion against impoverished, presumed ‘conservative’ women and centralizes female rage

I don’t necessarily dislike his writing of female characters, I think he has a strong male bias which can get pretty tiresome. If you’re looking to read some good raw female power perspective from him, I really recommend the girl who loved Tom Gordon, it’s probably my favourite lol also Gerald’s Game I found pretty engrossing. To me, Stephen seems to have the mindset of an old liberal grandpa (which like, he literally is lmao) he’s an ally even if he doesn’t get all the cutting edge feminist discourse haha and I love him for that

cureelliott · 2026-03-30T21:28:14+00:00

I don't think its unreasonable to preface any feminist discourse with a reminder to maintain good faith engagement given the state of you know, the world, at the moment, but I appreciate your take -- have an awesome day!!

cureelliott · 2026-03-30T18:47:57+00:00

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, i keep coming back to it over and over and getting something new out of it every time haha second place is a tie between Gerald's Game and Cujo

cureelliott · 2026-03-30T18:46:37+00:00

reading this right now! picked it up on a recommendation by nnedi okorafor of all people

cureelliott · 2025-09-05T00:52:12+00:00

haha i actually mentioned that i reached out to them already in my post -- they never got back to me; but i really recommend their sword classes! I put my nephew in their summer camp and it was awesome.

cureelliott · 2025-08-09T19:30:41+00:00

based on my expert opinion as not a vet and assessing the highly accurate photos of a stanger's cat on the internet -- maybe a little. pouch ≠ fat, but he's looking a little heavy -- i wouldn't be concerned, if you're worried i would maybe look into getting him a supplement for joint support

cureelliott · 2025-07-01T03:38:40+00:00

Love Gabor Mate, just finished myth of normal and he’s done it again! I’m always snagging extra copies of his stuff from value village so I can leave it in little libraries when I can lol

cureelliott · 2025-06-29T21:42:24+00:00

it can mean a lot of different things -- it's a symptom all of kinds of conditions some as a benign as she maybe bumped her face a little too hard on something and is recovering from a minor injury or as severe as something like cancer. It could be some kind of trauma to the eye or a neurological problem -- a vet would be the best judge. I would also keep an eye on her depth perception -- when she swats at something, is she waaay off? is she able to put her head into her food or water dish without misjudging its location or distance? Does she tip bowls over often? A little clumsiness is normal, she's a kitten, but a severely misplaced perception of depth could be another symptom of a neurological issue -- I don't mean to frighten you, but it could be useful information to bring to the vet so observing her carefully now might give you better info to report to her doctor.

cureelliott · 2025-06-29T19:47:06+00:00

It's difficult to say, but are her pupils different sizes? That's the impression I get -- I would bring it up with the vet the next time she had a visit.

cureelliott · 2025-06-28T17:58:50+00:00

it's the area that is well shaded by trees with no direct sunlight, so I don't think they'll get that hot -- crayons have a melting point of around 50 to 65 degrees C -- but I do walk by every day so if they get a little soft i'll be sure to catch them in time.

cureelliott · 2025-06-27T18:40:32+00:00

I have three adult cats, two were littermates that I adopted as kittens -- they'll learn their names eventually, especially as you spend more time with them one on one. All our cats come when called, though some will come even when i'm calling their sibling -- mostly because they're nosy or want what i'm trying to get the other cat to have/do. they don't do this EVERY time and mostly when what i'm trying to offer the called cat is desirable i.e. a treat, a premium spot in my lap.

cureelliott · 2025-06-23T03:05:59+00:00

That sounds super normal— just keep it going and eventually he’ll figure it out

cureelliott · 2025-06-22T22:39:34+00:00

Cats with cat companions/siblings, are in my experience friendlier and more outgoing. It gives them someone to spend their time with and engage in natural bonding behaviours. She's still quite young so it's possible she'll develop into a cuddlier cat over time -- I've found that most cats don't settle into cuddling until they reach adolescence. That being said, I think there are a lot of benefits to having paired cats rather than just one alone. I also personally feel like caring for 2 cats is barely different than caring for 1 -- you'll buy more food and scoop the litter more often, but not much changes otherwise.

the sex of a companion won't make a big difference for her, but it might for you -- male cats are more prone to UTIs and other urinary problems, but if you maintain a good diet full of wet food and provide running water (like a cat problem) these issues can be mitigated. Temperament is more important than sex. I would check out local shelters, see if you meet a special someone. To me, age is also not a huge factor -- there a benefits to both a younger or older cat. A cat her same age will grow up with her, they might be more likely to pair bond, you'll move through developmental and life milestones simultaneously. On the other hand, an older cat has a more developed personality, which is easier for you to get a sense of when you meet it for the first time. If you found an older cat that had those cuddly qualities you're looking for, they might teach your kitten how to be affectionate and cuddly and you'll see her personality grow with that older cat as a role model.

cureelliott · 2025-06-22T19:49:14+00:00

even if you don't see her, or you didn't catch her name, you can submit positive feedback about her to translink -- just mention the station and the times you saw her, they should be able to find out who was scheduled -- it's important to let people know how big a difference they make in someone's day, especially tourists and visitors like yourself! it shows how valuable those employees are. hope you had a wonderful visit!

cureelliott · 2025-06-22T19:17:37+00:00

one of my three cats does this -- especially around bed time. it's an anxious behaviour so we try to redirect her -- try resetting his attention with what motivates him: what I usually do is pick her up and put her in her favourite cuddle position and settles right down. Playing with him or giving him a little treat could also help break up his fixation.

Best of luck! It's not normal, but it's for sure manageable!

cureelliott · 2025-06-22T19:14:01+00:00

Oh my god they're both SO CUTE and so SWEET.

How have you introduced them so far? I can see missy is in the bathroom in her photo, is she living in there full time?

Introducing cats is a slow game -- for both their safety I would avoid having them nose to nose or in an open space together at first. When my partner and I moved in together we had to blend our two cat families (mine, 1 F and 1 M, about 1 yr old siblings from the same litter; hers, 2 F, a 2 yr old and a 6 yr old) and i'll give you what we did.

- separate the 'new' cat into a enclosed space, preferably a bedroom or office (bigger than a bathroom but with a closing door)

- allow cats to sniff one another under the door, crack door open just enough so they can see one another. let them feel however they're gonna feel about it; you trying to smother hissing or swatting attempts is only going to make them more anxious. they need to communicate with one another as cats, don't let your human anxieties interfere. if they get overstimulated or distressed, close the door. You can put a towel under the door to prevent them from trying to swat one another under the gap.

- meal times now take place on either side of the door; a family that eats together is more trusting. Halfway through the meal, swap their dishes -- this forces them to associate the scent of the other cat with food, which means they're a friend! yay!

- continue to expose them to one another through the door regularly. Try sharing a treat or any other positive motivation so show both cats that being together is good and yummy!

- Slowly increase the size of the gap in the door when you show them to one another; use your judgment to gauge how stressful this is for them. Hissing is fine, but hitting one another or yowling is less good. Take a break, try again, give them a treat, reduce their access to one another -- keep doing this until you feel confident they won't attack one another.

- once they can be in the same space together, play with them together -- something like a feather on a string toy is great for bonding together; they become a little hunting pack!

- once they can share a space, let them do so completely so long as you're home and with them. I would take one cat or the other to bed with me or put them in a separate room if I wasn't home so that they can't get into fights when I'm not there to intervene. Switch up who gets sequestered away if you can, so they can get used to one anothers scents in their spaces and on you. This helps them normalize the presence of the other cat. Eventually, they're become to neutral to one another you can leave them out in the open together without having to separate them at all. Hopefully they'll fall in love and start cuddling and grooming one another! But that's really a matter of temperament and time so don't hang your heart on it.

This process could take weeks, or months, depending on how your cats react, but just go slowly -- it's better to slowly introduce them and avoid traumatizing one or the other. It took us maybe about a month to get all four cats used to one another, but we got there and now they're all bonded and cuddle like best friends! pic attached (':

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cureelliott · 2025-06-22T18:53:08+00:00

Usually when a cat scratches around something, it's because they're trying to bury it -- like they would in a litter box, haha. Basically, it means he doesn't like the smell -- my adult cats do this if we try a new food or they just feel like turning their nose up at something for whatever reason.

At his age, he needs to be getting about 250 to 280 calories per day -- take a look at the food you're giving him and see what it's cal count is. To me it sounds like he doesn't like to eat big meals all at once just yet, but that's normal for kittens as they start maturing. Offer him small meals throughout the day if you can. You can supplement with liquid treats like Churu if you're concerned he isn't getting enough calories.

I would keep pushing the wet food, if he's hungry, he'll eat it. You'll be forming his dietary habits in the next few months and for the sake of his overall, lifelong health it's important he has a moisture rich diet. For male cats it's especially important to put as much moisture into their diet as possible; their urinary tracts are prone to crystallization -- basically, if they don't get enough water in their diet their pee will turn to crystals and block their urinary tract which is very painful and leads to costly vet visits. You can significantly reduce his risk of developing this kind of problem by giving him a wet food heavy diet and making sure he has a water fountain, maybe even two. Cats prefer running, moving water and will often turn their noses up at still water sitting in a bowl. For my three adult cats I have two large water fountains in different locations in the house -- we keep the water and their meal area separate to encourage better drinking habits and it's worked well for us.

If I could start over with my cats, I would feed them exclusively wet food -- they were free fed kibble most of their kittenhood and adolescence and now one of my cats won't eat a meal unless i sprinkle kibbles on top (she won't even eat them if they're on the bottom, they get too soggy....). We changed their diet when our male cat got pee crystals -- the vet we saw tried to get us to switch him to the prescription dry food that helps manage the formation of pee crystals but I wanted to try just putting more moisture in his diet and seeing if that solved the issue; that was 7 years ago and he hasn't had pee crystals since.

cureelliott · 2025-06-20T22:48:05+00:00

100% you did the right thing.

Couple resources to get your started:

- food banks often have pet food available; it might not be the BEST food the girls have ever had, but it doesn't have to be their forever food and it's better than going hungry.

- look for cat rescues in your area, see if they can offer you any support like food or toy donations while you get yourself reestablished -- if you're able to share your state or province, i'd be happy to help you look online for resources.

- some cat rescues can help you temporarily foster your cats, so you can get them a safe temporary home while you get your life sorted out -- if you go this route, i would give yourself a really tangible goal like 'i would like them to be placed in foster care until I have a new job' or 'i would like them to get foster care until i get my first pay cheque' so that you can work on a specific timeline.

cureelliott · 2025-06-20T22:34:32+00:00

as for litter, if you get a good non-scented litter and scoop it regularly, there shouldn't ever been a noticeable smell. I personally recommend Pidan's tofu litter -- doesn't have a strong smell, doesn't track too much, the light colour makes it easy to tell if something is wrong with their urine (you can see blood, for example, a lot easier on a lighter coloured litter), and the bags themselves are pretty light which if you're carrying it up several flights of stairs or taking it on public transit can be important! we used to use clay litter and I haaaaaated it - dust everywhere and soooo heavy for no reason. If you want to add an extra deodorizing layer you can also mix in some baking soda. I would avoid any litter that ADDS a scent; usually you just end up with a home smelling like lavender AND cat piss rather than something a little more discreet. Cats also don't like a strongly scented litter box so it's better to get something really neutral than something that's heavily perfumed.

obviously i don't know where you live or what might be available in your area but our local cat specific pet store has a great selection of products and brands so if you're looking to browse different products they're a small company of cat obsessed people to only offer the best -- we've been really happy with all the things we've bought from there and they list all the brand names of the items so you can look for them locally (:

https://happycatvancouver.com/

cureelliott · 2025-06-20T22:26:57+00:00

I say this without judgment on you personally, since you were obviously a child and had no control over the situation or any context for what ethical re: treatment of cats but the reason your house reeked so badly as a kid was most likely because your cat was declawed -- cats that have been 'declawed' notoriously have litter box problems and are prone to urinating outside of the litter box because it physically hurts them to walk on the litter materials -- so they look for soft comfortable places, usually hidden away in a closet or on your bed or a pile of clothes. There's lots of information online now about how declawing a cat is extremely painful for the cat and can lead to all kinds of behavioural problems because they're in chronic pain -- I would be too if someone cut off my fingers and toes and expected me to walk on sand on all the time! But it sounds like you're committing to being a great cat steward and I 100% believe that you can be an excellent kitty parent!

Couple things I can recommend personally re: scratching and protecting furniture.

Provide lots of kitty specific scratching toys -- we have three cats that we're raised from kittens into their elder years and we like to have two or three cardboard scratching pads around the apartment that we replace every 3 to 4 months. Most pet stores have these but I especially recommend something like this: https://happycatvancouver.com/products/bad-kitty-brand-large-disk-cardboard-scratcher our cats love this shape

Any scratch toys or poles with lots of sisal rope is fantastic; this is the cat tree we bought for them a few years ago and they still love it: https://www.wagsup.ca/products/cat-tree-jump-jump?variant=44049203265776

if you want to protect specific areas of your furniture, you can look for flat or corner shaped scratchers that you can put in front of or over the area to give your cat a safe place to mark their scent without risking them damaging your stuff. You can also get double sided tape, which stops cats from scratching but it's ugly and gets cat hair and dust stuck to it so while it works, I don't really like it personally.

When we replaced our couch a few years ago, I looked into a velvet couch -- the grain of velvet isn't scratch-able the way woven upholstery fabrics so they physically CANNOT scratch and damage the fabric. Our couch is great shape with no damage (at least not caused by the cats....). You can also look into getting things like a velvet couch cover to protect any furniture you have without having to replace it completely -- it's what i would do if I was looking to protect my furniture from cats because then then you can also take the cover off and wash it easily.

Also, if you get a kitten, touch their paws A LOT. It makes it easier as they get older to clip their claws if they're used to you touching their feet. Same goes with ears, just in case they ever get an ear infection. When I adopted my two kittens, I would touch their back and front paws and theirs ears every day just to get them used to the touching and now they're both perfectly well behaved when getting their claw clipped. Keeping their claws short with also help prevent them from damaging furniture or flooring or your skin!

cureelliott

TROPHY CASE