ABSTRACT
Thomson-Salo focuses on the story of Boadicea, a Celtic queen with mythic qualities. This character is a mature woman, a mother, who stood up against the powerful Romans. She did this to protect her daughters, her countrymen, and her self. The daughters were raped by slaves at the instigation of the Roman overseers, while Boadicea was degraded. In treatment, we see women who, as children, were raped or sexually abused. The rapist or abuser belonged to a band of invading warriors in Boadicea’s time. In our own time we hear of rape and/or abuse by fathers, uncles, grandfathers, mother’s lovers, brothers, sisters, even mothers. A therapist’s support of a mother’s ego strength in her relations with her children and in general helps both mother and child. The mother does not have to think of herself as a “monster” mother just because she sometimes feels as if she wants to kill her child.
