Sachi Robinson, Period 6, 10/12/2023

 Sachi Robinson 

Period 6 

10/12/2023

Medusa is always painted in a negative light, even when analyzed from a more “empowering” perspective. On one hand, she's worshiped for being this powerful female figure who was gifted her powers by Athena to protect her. On the other hand, she was cursed for desecrating the holy grounds of Athena's temple. Both were wrong in their own respect, and both paint her as this monster so hideous that even looking in her direction could turn you to stone. Reality is discovered through the analysis of Theogony. In class, it was clearly established that this was the only ancient mention of Medusa. She suffered a woeful fate, with close to no elaboration.

There were so many early interactions with the icon of Medusa in my life between "Percy Jackson" and "Goddess Girls". Both do implore you to pity her, to their credit, but it has always seemed to be the wrong kind of pity. In Chapter 11 of the first Percy Jackson book, they are going on this mission and encounter Medusa in her roadside shop. She initially treats them with kindness, presented with an eerie underlying tone. She already knows all of their names and begins to tell them her life story. “… a bad woman was jealous of me long ago, when I was young. I had a... a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price." As readers, we find ourselves cheering for Percy when he finally defeats her, similar to the way that Perceus “defeated” her in the myth. They both behead the monster, saving everybody and pleasing the Gods. This modern retelling of the tale was not too far off from the first mention of Medusa, and it makes it accessible to younger generations' interest in mythology. Woeful fate is turned into bad fortune; the two undying are said to have passed on, and the Dark-haired One is reduced to a boyfriend. The words are twisted into something much more violent, as she becomes a monster on the hunt for revenge as well as a seductress.

Another frustrating aspect of her story is that her character is often oversimplified. The Goddess Girls wiki, in regards to her personality, states “Medusa can be very mean, but also nice…”. She is given a Poseidon fangirl storyline, where she collects his merchandise and borders on stalker. This is harmful not only to the little girls who could be reading but also to her legacy. The whole series is an overblown caricature of all sorts of figures from Greek mythology, and the other storylines are not too far off, but it's just awe-inducing how much can come from so little. It really puts into perspective how history has been one big game of telephone.

From being overanalyzed to being oversimplified, it seems like most modern retellings I’ve encountered have perpetuated an established role she was given for the sake of entertainment, which seems to be a common trope for female figures in media. We are told to pity her when empathy is due.

This reveal has changed my viewpoint on a lot of the media I consume and will encounter moving forward. The fairytales we have gone over and analyzed in class weren’t quite as shocking, as it is generally known that fairytales have dark origins. Even then, the fairytales maintain some level of whimsy or form of the original plot. This felt like a betrayal, quite frankly. My opinion on Medusa was formed for me, and I wasn't even aware of it. This new information has inspired me to make an effort to source my information better and to be secure in my own beliefs to allow me to take in the beliefs of others with a different approach.

Hesiod, et al. Theogony. Clarendon Press, 1997. 

Riordan, Rick. “Chapter 11.” Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, Puffin Books, London ; New York ; Toronto Etc., 2008. 

Wiki, Contributors to Goddess Girls. “Medusa.” Goddess Girls Wiki, Fandom, Inc., goddessgirlsbooks.fandom.com/wiki/Medusa. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.