In recent years, novels centring on female characters form Greek mythology have quickly grown into a popular subgenre. Many of these novels use their mythological sources as a backdrop to focus on...Show moreIn recent years, novels centring on female characters form Greek mythology have quickly grown into a popular subgenre. Many of these novels use their mythological sources as a backdrop to focus on feminist issues, revising classical narratives to show the continuity of feminist concerns. This is typically done by shifting the focus away from male characters who recieve most attention in their classical sources and focussing instead on female characters who have been pushed to the margins or silenced entirely. This thesis uses Alicia Ostriker's term "feminist revisionist mythmaking" to describe how adaptation of Greek mythology can be used to bring forth silenced voices of female characters and simultaneously speak out against patriarchy and oppression of women. With this in mind, three recent feminist revisionist novels are analysed: Circe by Madeline Miller, The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, and Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes. These novels are part of the wave of feminist revisionist retellings following the rise of the #MeToo movement and an argument is made that the movement's concerns are reflected in the novels. This thesis aims to show that revisions of Greek mythology can be used as a potent vehicle for feminist issues of today, not in spite of their ancient source material, but precisely because the seeds of these issues are already present in Greek myths themselves.Show less
Since the twenty-first century, feminist retellings of myths have become increasingly popular. As an epic, Homer’s The Odyssey brims with female characters. However, mythology is often considered...Show moreSince the twenty-first century, feminist retellings of myths have become increasingly popular. As an epic, Homer’s The Odyssey brims with female characters. However, mythology is often considered to consist of archetypal and universally applicable stories about the nature of the universe and human life, which often leads to the notion that myth is stagnant and unchangeable. As a rising genre, feminist revisionist mythmaking aims to focus on the role of women in myth. By using Hélène Cixous’ essay The Laugh of Medusa and Alicia Ostriker’s definition of feminist revisionist mythmaking, this thesis aims to illustrate how Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad (2005) and Madeline Miller’s Circe (2018) revise and adapt previously marginalised female characters. This thesis will give an analysis of the women in Atwood’s The Penelopiad, focussing on Penelope’s voice and reputation, female rivalry, and the unjust hanging of the maids, followed by an analysis of Miller’s Circe that focusses on Circe’s voice and personal growth, sisterhood, and female sexuality. Both The Penelopiad and Circe confront issues such as gender and justice that are present in The Odyssey as well as present-day society. By focussing on women’s presence in a literary canon that historically seen has been dominated by the male gaze, Atwood and Miller emphasize that these women have survived despite the male-focused dominance and that it is never too late for them to speak up.Show less
