Incest? - Eve's Bayou (1997) Discussion

[–] supermans_girl 19 years ago

I don't think it was a sexual love. She adored her father as many young girls do...but she behaved in a manner usually found in much younger children, say pre-school or kindergarten age. At that age, Freud believes that children desire their opposite sex parent (Oedipus/Elektra complex). She adored her father and idolized him. I think that she kissed him inappropriately on impulse, I don't think she consciously harbored sexual feelings for him or fantasized about him. It is a little strange that she displayed such behavior at her age, because usually children outgrow that very brief phase around age 5. She was kinda old enough to recognize certain boundaries at that point.

"Me, I want what's coming to me...The world, Chico, and everything in it."

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[–] sweetz4u663 17 years ago

Well, from my understanding, I thought she kissed her father because she felt that he needed love from a woman and her mother (Roz) wasn't giving it to him b/c they were always fighting...she just confused and plus she Cicely stated in the movie that she kissed him b/c she thought Samuel was going to "divorce us"...get it?...she said divorce us, not divorce their mother

www.myspace.com/sweetolicous663

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[–] badponymedicine 17 years ago

I thought it was rather obvious she had a crush on her father...she defied her mother to go visit his office, got her hair done, put on lipstick, to be sexually attractive. Her fights with her mother as if she's the other woman of the house, refusing to believe her sister saw their father with Mrs. Moreaux...it all seemed, to me anyway, a young girl with an inappropriate fixation on her father.

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[–] Kisses2710 17 years ago

In the end of the movie when she's telling her sister what was wrong with her she says that she alsays believed her sister when she told her about Mrs.Moreaux. I think she just wanted to give him the attention she felt her mother wasn't giving him.

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[–] ladybo454 17 years ago

She was in love with her father. It took me years to finally see that. Her behavior wasn't normal and not to be mean, but they would have needed to committ her if her father hadn't died.

His death probably snapped her into reality.

It Stays The Same

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[–] snapesgirl84 17 years ago

she had the elektra complex.

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[–] beauty02000 17 years ago

Snapesgirl84, you sum it up!

Big fat pink panties, I like them pink, I like them pink!

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[–] snooks_md 17 years ago

She may well have had a crush on her father at some point; most little girls do. They are also often both competitive with and striving to be like their mothers. That being said, you don't have lines being crossed like these unless those lines were pretty wavy and indistinct to begin with. It really doesn't matter who initiated the contact. Even if Cisely initiated, it's likely her father had given her reason to believe he'd be receptive [worst case scenario: there's a process called grooming in which children are "softened up", so that they come to believe that they want to be/should be sexual with the adult, and the adult has an excuse if he/she gets caught -- "Hey, he/she wanted *me*. I didn't have anything to do with it."] Unfortunately, I see entirely too much of this in my practice.

S.

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[–] AnnHolway360 16 years ago

No, he didn't rape her. After a moment when he realizes what she's doing, he's so drunk, angry and shocked that he stands up and smacks her, both of which send her to the floor, devastated. Very sad climax to a disturbing scene.

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[–] gnosis81 16 years ago

actually, i am most certain he definitely did indeed rape her.
the morning after (the weird hair doo and make-up) eve goes to wake and torment cisely only to find her in bed crying and obviously shaken up. eve then lifts the sheets and sees blood, hence eve believing that her sister had her first period (thus the crying and bad mood cisely is in). this could be true, but there's a also a strong indication to us, the viewers, that maybe this was due to her virginity being taken. i am not with the latter at all on this one.

also, the end scene where eve takes ciselys hands to find out what really happened, her vision only goes as far as what cisely had told her already (that he'd kissed her, then slapped her). after, cisely then states that she didnt understand/doesnt know what happened - meaning that it was maybe too painful to remember vididly in order for it to come through as a vision for eve.

there's another give away too, when cisely first talks of the kiss and being slapped, she then says "...then" but does not finish beause she starts crying. :/

really wonderful, but heartbreaking movie.

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[–] rmcrae_deluxe 14 years ago

"there's another give away too, when cisely first talks of the kiss and being slapped, she then says "...then" but does not finish beause she starts crying. :/"

She did finish the sentence. It's hard to hear since she whispers it, but she says "then he hit me!" I don't think Louis raped Cisely. The only inappropriate contact that took place was the kiss and he snapped back into reality and slapped her.

Don't eva let nobody tell you you ain't strong enough

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[–] Gina_Riley_Admirer 16 years ago

Cicely knew her father was a chick-magnet. She knew she herself was turning into a woman and wanted to feel desirable to men. There was a certain flirtatious quality between father and daughter. I believe the night they kissed briefly, it was basically Cicely experimenting and her Dad having too much to drink. I do not think she was sexually interested in him as such, or vice versa. She was just a confused young girl who aimed her affections inappropriately.

-- Leet.

~ Gíñä ®ïl€ÿ ¡§ Â GødÐes§! ~

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[–] tiffanykk2002 16 years ago

I think that what happened between them that night was the culmination of a relationship that allowed for the father to subconscously encourage Cecily's feeelings for him. I think he knew her feelings for him went beyond mere loyalty, and he "indulged" in her adoration for him. If the boundaries between them were really intact, there's no way that line would have EVER been crossed.

Did she want to have sex with her father? I don't believe so. I think instead she had an overwhelming desire to gratify him. She wanted to fill every void in his life, much like the actions of a person in love. I don't think it was physical, or sexual. I believe that she was fearful of him leaving, among other things, to the point where she was desperate not to lose him.
I LOVE this movie!

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[–] There_Is_No_Sayid 14 years ago

Cisely definitely had a crush on her father. And if we're to believe the father's letter, and the movie seems to imply that it's likely he told the truth, she tried to physically consumate her attraction.

"If you're looking for a better steak in an arcade setting you're sh!t out of luck!

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