(no subject)

[mlr]

I woke up at 2 something in the morning, startled by a dream. I have posted dreams before, but always as private.

Setting: Japan or Korea (it must have been)
Characters: A man. His new young wife. His new mother in law. His mother.

Story:

• The man's young and beautiful wife does something to highly offend her husband's mother.
• The mother demands the wife be punished according to tradition.
• The mother will administer the punishment herself.
• She prepares the wife for the punishment by binding her on a board, facing forwards.
• The wife is not undressed, in fact her garment is a heavy quilted fabric.
• The punishment is heavy caning to the abdomen, delivered by standing in front not at the side.
• There are very many strokes. (In the dream, this scene always fades.)
• The wife's own mother witnesses the punishment. The husband of course knows nothing.
• After the punishment is delivered, the husband's mother explains that this must continue daily for years.
• She also says that the wife's mother may substitute herself to spare her daughter.
• The wife's mother agrees.

• So for the next few years, the wife's mother is caned in this way by the husband's mother.
• The young wife fades from the story.
• Over time the wife's mother gradually becomes crippled.
• But the punishment continues.

• Only when the husband discovers the ruined health of his mother-in-law, does he realize the horrible deed.
• The punishment is halted at once, but alas, too late.
• The mother-in-law expires.

The curious dream logic was that the mother and the mother in law were both 'played' by the same character - at least some of the time.

The mother-in-law's part was played by a famous Chinese actress, or so it seemed. Also, the television was on when I woke, but I turned it off too quickly to notice what the channel had been.

Update:
Hours later, I realize who this 'actress' was. Her face remained in my consciousness all morning long. But I couldn't figure it out. I thought it was Eleanor Roosevelt, but I recall the actress being Chinese. Now I know: it was Sister Wendy.

Comments

[holy13nation.livejournal.com]

That reads like an art horror film.