Soulshine

“At least I call my soul my own. Do you?” Michael Grant, Theodora Goes Wild (1936) It’s pretty important to be able to call your soul your own. Those of us who grew up under the thumb of an overly codependent mom or dad were never allowed as children to claim our souls as our own. Our souls belonged to the parent who felt he/she had the privilege to live our lives for us by telling us who we were to be, what we were to like, what we were to believe, etc. And if we rebelled in any way, this same parent was a pro at using shame, guilt and fear to keep us in our place. I lived under my mother’s thumb until the day she died. Actually, I have still been living under her thumb to varying degrees in the 20 years since her death. She did a really good job of taking my soul away from me from the time I was born. She made it clear that I could not be who I am and that if I chose to engage in certain behaviors I was doomed to a life of misery and to eternal damnation. I understan...

“It doesn’t matter what I want. You’re telling me what’s good for me, what’s proper… You’ve been telling me since I was three years old and I’m sick of it. You’ve glared and scolded and frightened me… and now I’ll tell you something you’ll never forget: What I do is none of Lynnfield’s business. I invite the whole town to take a jump in the lake!” Theodora Lynn (Irene Dunne), Theodora Goes Wild (1936) Don’t allow anyone to judge you. Stand right up to them and retain your power by setting them straight. No one has the right to tell you who you should be, how you should live your life, what you should or shouldn’t do, what you should wear, how you should act, or who you should or shouldn’t associate with. In the film Theodora Goes Wild , Theodora Lynn (played by Irene Dunne) hits bottom with her meddling self-righteous Aunts and their equally as intrusive friends. She’s tired of dressing like a frump, acting like a dead saint and of being told who she can or...

“It’s the only way you’ll ever be a free happy soul. I know. I had to go through the same thing. Sure it’s tough to break away from your family, your background and be yourself. They had it all fixed for me to settle down in Papa’s footsteps, to be a banker and a statesman, but I wanted to paint. It was the battle of the century, but I won.” Michael (Melvyn Douglas), Theodora Goes Wild The story behind the 1936 film Theodora Goes Wild revolves around two young adults who are at the mercy of their families. Michael and Theodora are from two different worlds: Big New York, New York and small-town Lynnfield , Connecticut , respectively. Michael’s father is a wealthy businessman and the Lt. Governor of New York . Theodora lives with her two elderly and highly Puritan aunts in the small town that was founded by her ancestors. So both Michael and Theodora have the eyes of their respective worlds upon them—and their behavior. Unbeknownst to the citizens of Lynnfi...