There are women's voices that sound like poetic, unearthly echoes. Then they change. The eyes change. I believe that all these legends about people changing into animals at night – like the stories of the werewolf, for instance – were invented by men who saw women transformed at night – from idealized, worshipful creatures into animals and thought that they were possessed.
In Anaïs Nin's "Little Birds," the author discusses the transformation of women's identities, particularly how they can shift from being idealized beings to more primal figures. This change is likened to the mythical transformation seen in tales of werewolves, suggesting a deep-rooted fear or misunderstanding of women's complexity. Nin implies that these stories reflect men's perceptions of women, who are seen as both enchanting and ultimately threatening when they reveal their true, untamed nature.
The observation highlights the duality of women's existence in a patriarchal society, where their multifaceted identities can provoke fear in men. Nin's insight suggests that the legends of transformation were created to rationalize the mystique around women's power and allure, portraying them as otherworldly beings who, when unleashed, become something fierce and animalistic rather than merely human. This framework reflects broader themes of gender dynamics and societal expectations.