Jason Chiu, Period 7, 11/29/2023

Literacy and Learning

As we have been reading Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes in class I recognize the importance of mythology as it has been taught in the classroom. Natalie Haynes takes the classic story of Perseus beheading Medusa and shows it from the perspective of many characters and all of their differing views on the situation. She also uses some of these characters as stand-ins for herself and her views. Through the words of her characters, she condemns the actions of Perseus and calls him a fool for embarking on the adventure to receive a gorgon’s head. Haynes points out the futility of the quest as its purpose may seem noble but once inspected further seems to be misguided. Perseus wants to defend his mother’s honor by preventing her from having to marry a king she does not want to marry but it is implied that this marriage would most likely be temporary as it is the result of sibling rivalry with one vain brother trying to make a pointless show of power over the other. If Perseus were to think more clearly and not act on his emotions, Medusa’s tragic end may have been able to be avoided. His cruel acts of trickery he engages in as he travels to learn more about the gorgons are bluntly expressed with Haynes invoking the reader to reflect on how they might have changed their opinions of Perseus after her explanation of events.

I’ve begun to notice I have similar revelations while looking through media and I also notice when writers employ similar methods to analyze different character archetypes in various forms of media. For example, I have been watching the show Invincible and reading the comic Watchmen, both of which take a look into the minds of the superhero characters they follow. They each serve as breakdowns of the archetype of a superhero and explore what would happen if morally unjust people were to take up the mantle of a hero like Superman. Rather than serving the public out of goodwill, there are ulterior motives present and the fear that these heroes need to be controlled in order for them to be safe to the public. This subversion of the typical superhero story is akin to the way Haynes views Perseus and Medusa in her story. While Perseus has been framed as being in the right by contemporary takes on the myth, notably the movie Clash of the Titans, Haynes’ less sympathetic view feels fresh and offers a female point of view from the perspective of Medusa on what is perceived to be a masculine story of triumph. 

One thing I would like to add before ending this blog is how Haynes’ story shows the importance myths have in the present day. Her use of a familiar myth as a way to tell her story with the themes of womanhood and what it means to be a mother exemplifies how these myths have been interpreted in different ways centuries after they were first told. This would also serve as a reason as to why these myths are still so popular today. Aside from the themes present in them, the reader's own interpretations can explain how these myths have persevered.