What was once her home, from which she was banished by her father's murder and her mother's traumatic fears, can now be her home again.
Her mother's protective love gave her the space to grow beyond the fear. And now, forty-five years later, she's venturing back into being more fully the daughter of her slain father. The princess is now ready to be near the throne upon which her father was murdered.
It is not just the passage of time, the maturation beyond fear into strength. Obama's rise --and her strong connection with Obama-- are clearly central to the return of the princess.
And in terms of the fear, the fact that she would once again have a bond with the King makes the situation altogether safer for her. As when she was a little girl, she is bonded to a strong man upon the throne, but unlike when she was a little girl, she's developed the skills to be an important political officer in his political forces.
For Caroline Kennedy, methinks, this major life transition would be deeply meaningful and healing. The existence of this mythic pattern in folk tales, however it is to be interpreted, is in itself proof of the its importance and meaningfulness in human life. And the fact that whole cultures have placed such tales at the core of their story-telling may also point toward ways in which, at a level more subtle than the politics, it could have meaning also for the country that bore witness to her early blossoming and traumatic loss.
[Final note: the phrase above, "however it is to be interpreted," marks a place where the exploration of this mythic dimension ought to be expanded and deepened. I do not, however, feel able to do so to my own satisfaction, and would welcome the addition of insightful comments along these lines from anyone who feels able to provide them.]
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