![]() ![]() It teaches us about power in our relationship with our fathers. The myth of Icarus is especially relevant to boys of the baby boom (children born after World War II and up until the Vietnam era). Icarus had soared towards the sun, his wax melted and he fell to his death. He peered down at the ocean and saw a small cluster of feathers floating on the water. Daedalus looked around in flight and could not find his son. Drunk with his newfound power, he soared higher in the sky, ignoring his father's warning. Also, like many adolescents, Icarus moved rapidly from ungainliness to false prowess. He found flight awkward at first, but learned quickly and soon flew with the attributes of adolescence-his physical strength made up for his lack of coordination and balance. ![]() Like any adolescent boy, Icarus struggled with parental advice. Icarus took off with all intentions of following his father's sage advice. If he flew too low, his wings would get wet in the ocean if he flew too high, the sun would melt the wax and the wings would disintegrate. Just before their flight, Daedalus warned his son to be careful. ![]() ![]() In theory, the wings would allow Daedalus and Icarus to fly above the labyrinth and off the island to freedom. Ever the inventor, Daedalus built wings of feathers and wax to escape. Because he was his father's son, Icarus faced the same fate. Sometime after building it, Daedalus fell into disfavor with the king of Crete and was condemned to live the rest of his life inside the labyrinth. Even Daedalus could not find a way out of his maze. He was the son of Daedalus, an accomplished inventor, who produced an ingenious labyrinth on the island of Cnossus for Minos, the king of Crete. Icarus was a minor character in Greek Mythology, famous for not surviving the transition from boyhood to manhood. ![]()
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