[Spoilers Below]
You can read 'Thursday's Child' without knowing or caring about the mythological basis of the plot. The story is told completely in secular, naturalistic terms. But some readers will find an awareness of the underpinnings of the story add a resonance to the narrative that considerably enhances their enjoyment of the novel. So here goes.
The basic plot arc is that the heroine, Adele Jansen, indulges in what you might call a feminine version of a one night stand. Her feelings for the hero are so strong that some sort of consummation is required - but all her practical sense warns her that there is no practical future for them. So, though the decision is agonizingly painful, she breaks it off. Unforeseen developments force her to attempt to re-engage with the hero. But what she does, she discovers to her amazement that that is much harder to do than she thought - that his entire life and history are shrouded in mystery. The bulk of the plot is the story of her attempt to find answers to the riddle of his identity.
So what's the mythical basis of this novel?
Myth and legend involving a girl - nearly always a girl or bride - and a lover who forbids her to ask him his name, open a certain door, question him about certain matters - are as old as human civilization. Perhaps the most well known of these is Cupid and Psyche, a Greek/Roman myth. Psyche falls in love with Cupid, the son of Venus, goddess of love. This enrages Venus, who puts a curse on the union. In order to shield Psyche from its worst effects, Cupid visits Psyche only at night and forbids her to look upon him, i.e., she is forbidden to find out his real identity. Naturally, she disobeys, and there are drastic consequences.
Richard Wagner's opera 'Lohengrin' is based on a similar myth. The Knight of the Grail, Lohengrin, appears magically to save the heroine Elsa from the vengeance of the king. After successfully winning a trial by combat, he offers her marriage, instantly accepted, but with the proviso that she never ask about his real name. OF course she does, and the opera ends tragically, as does the myth it is based on.
The Russian fairy tale 'East of the Sun' is similar. One of the very few in which the lover forbidden knowledge is male is Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus is permitted to lead the recently deceased Euridice out of the underworld, and back to the living, but only if he does not look at her. There are many, many other variants.
'Thursday's Child' is one of them. Adele's quest is actually to ascertain her lover's identity, to find out who he truly is, in the same way as the heroines of the other tales. The good reasons she has to begin the search soon become irrelevant. By that time, however, the quest has taken on a life of its own, and she will not give it up, even as it takes her further and further from the career path and life goals she has set for herself. The story is told in everyday terms - Adele does not get the direct warnings of the ancient myths. But within the naturalistic structure of the narrative, her world becomes ominous in the true sense of the world, filled with omens, indirect signs, subtle warnings.
Nonetheless, she persists - and her quest becomes a transforming epic.
That's the myth that underlies the plot of Thursday's Child. As I wrote at the start, the book can be read and enjoyed without knowing any of this. But awareness of the mythical underpinnings should add considerably to the enjoyment and effect of the plot.
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