The Femme Fatale

Femme fatale literally means 'fatal woman' in French. For too long, the femme fatale has been a literary device of a intelligent, charming, beautiful woman who will eventually lead the male protagonist to harm. This physically desirable and cunning ladywill often 'lure men to their deaths' using her feminine wiles, spells and other dangerous methods - depending on what you're reading.

Basically, the femme fatale is the personification of the idea that a women having power over man is dangerous, undesirable and should be avoided. It signifies the long-held belief that intelligent and powerful women only brings harm and disruption society (read: men). Passed down through the ages, from the legends of the succubus to the Black Widow, the femme fatale persists as one of the many negative portrayal of women found in literature and popular culture.

However, we no longer live in the Middle Ages so I think that it is safe to say that such backward thinking should be discarded. Hence, I would like to take the liberty to redefine the term (my apologies to the French).

In my opinion, a femme fatale should stand for an independent, strong-willed woman lives by her own terms and controls over her own life. She would be a woman who does not let foolish social and cultural constructs 'put her in her place' or let other people hold her down. 

It does not matter if the woman is a career woman or a full-time mom. She would be two things: whoever and whatever she wants to be.

- Bal