THE LAUGH OF CIRCE, AN ECRITURE FEMININE JOURNEY TO THE MADELINE MILLER’S RETELLING

Abstract

This article examines Miller's retelling of the mythological goddess Circe's exit from the patriarchal society in which she lived and was raised for centuries and her handling of her own story with the concept of ecriture féminine developed by Helene Cixous, one of the leading names of French feminism. Her concept of women's writing and the idea that women will be heard and strengthened as they write constitutes a powerful analysis of the way prejudices against her are heard and broken as she writes in Miller's Circe. The bad reputation that the goddess Circe has created in the eyes of society throughout history makes the reasons for her actions understandable as she writes. With her female goddess identity, Circe's actions earn her the label of a misunderstood and terrible witch, just like Medusa, whom Cixous examines in The Laugh of Medusa, in the community dominated by the male-dominated world. However, as Cixous defends Medusa, the reason why Circe is misunderstood is because hers is the story of a strong woman who is far from living up to the expectations of the role that male dominance has given her.

Keywords

• ecriture feminine,
• Medusa
• patriarchy
• hegemony
• mythology

References

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