Eric Jiang, Period 7, 12/5/23

Eric Jiang Pd 7 12/5/2023

Modern Mythology

Literature circle

Circe by Madeline Miller

Circe by Madeline Miller is a retelling of the Greek story of the witch Circe from
Homer's Odyssey, which offers a lot of different themes to talk about. We can use the
feminist critical theory lens to Circe can give us insight into the novel's exploration of
gender dynamics and the freedom of women living in a patriarchal society. Circe was
initially played as a minor character in Greek mythology but in this book she emerged as
a more developed character, challenging traditional gender roles. Miller does a good job
of re-imagining Circe's story, allowing her to have more freedom from the limits of her
original myth and depicting her course toward self-discovery and autonomy.
In Circe's original myth, she is depicted traditionally as a female minor character in
Greek mythology but in the story she challenges the historical limits of female figures in
ancient stories or myths. In the story, it says “It is a common saying that women are
delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment's
carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did” The author depicts how others try
to put women down and put constraints on them but Circe no longer believes it to be true
and also sees it as a constraint and not believing is to try and break free from the
constraint placed on women. Another quote that shows how the author subverts
traditional women's roles is “Only that: we are here. This is what it means to swim in the
tide, to walk the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive.” This
shows that to be free is to be truly alive and women deserve this too and should not be so
constrained by others. But the author also depicts oppression as well. In the text, it says
“In the feasting hall, gods still drank and laughed and lay across each other’s laps. I
watched them. I waited for someone to remark on my absence, but no one did, for no one
had noticed. Why would they? I was nothing, a stone. One more nymph child among the
thousand thousand.” The author does a good job showing that at the beginning of the
story, Crice was not special and only after the journey did she turn into a powerful
sorcerer.

The novel subverts traditional gender roles, presenting Circe's evolution from a normal,
overlooked nymph into a powerful sorceress who takes control of her destiny by creating
things like sorcery. An aspect of the feminist lens in Circe is the consequences of defying
society’s expectations. In the story, Circe always struggled with being alone even when
her family was around since she refused to follow expectations and even said that they
might as well not count her when counting their children. Miller emphasized the want
that Circe wants to be free and the many things she does and the struggles that Circe
faces within a patriarchal society to try and be free. Miller also emphasizes the
importance of people such as women supporting each other in a world where their voices
are often suppressed and to break through you need lots of people like you. By writing
the novel from Circe's point of view and her course to agency and relationships with
others, the feminist lens shows the novel's broader commentary on the strength and
resilience of female characters within the constraints of mythology and society. Circe through a feminist lens becomes a strong story that challenges traditional gender stories
which merely makes females a supporting character or something to save or desired,
offering readers a new perspective on myths. Madeline Miller's re-imagining of Circe's
story is a testament to the enduring relevance of feminist discourse, both in literature and
in our broader understanding of gender dynamics.