Lily Januszka, Period 7, 12/5/23

Lily Januszka, Period 7, 12/5/23
Modern Mythology

Literacy & Learning

    After over a month of reading and lessons, we finally completed Stone Blind. We’ve learned about the different perspectives shown in the book, how they differ from traditional mythology, and how those beliefs affected society then and today. However, I believe one of the most important topics that Natalie Haynes shed light on was the question of what makes a monster.

    In modern culture, a monster is a creature that is frightening and dangerous, often inhuman and ugly. Children are told to beware of monsters if they don’t behave, or beasts in nature might be called monsters for the danger they pose to others. Sometimes, monsters are humans that hurt and threaten defenseless people. Monsters in Ancient Greece were creatures that terrorized men, causing destruction and death. However, it is widely agreed that monsters hurt, and therefore need to be stopped.

    In Stone Blind, Perseus originally seeks to take the head of a Gorgon in order to protect his mother, but quickly loses sight of his goal with the prospect of heroism and glory on his horizon. When Medusa was described to him by Athene and Hermes, he was terrified of such a dangerous monster, and found it his duty as a son of Zeus and a hero to slay the terrible beast. He believed that because Medusa and her Gorgon sisters were strong and did not look like him, they were monsters that did not deserve to live like he did. He felt no sense of shame or guilt when he murdered a beloved sister. Medusa, on the other hand, had never harmed anyone, especially not intentionally, but had been quite intrigued and sympathetic of mortals, as she was one herself. When her gaze became lethal, she blindfolded herself and hid in her cave to prevent turning others to stone. Medusa, by all accounts except her appearance, which could also be considered insignificant, was not a monster.

    However, she suffered a monster’s death. She was decapitated by a young demi-god in search of glory, brutally murdered in her sleep when she posed no threat. Perseus snuck up on her, hidden by Hades’ cap and Athene’s powers, and beheaded her while she rested. She was always seen as the monster until the end. She, who had suffered one horrible fate after another, faced endless pain. Her crime was simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, a slave to the will of the gods. Her head, which Medusa had tried so hard to prevent from harming others, was used by a selfish person to slaughter many. Perseus had killed more through his carelessness and shortsightedness than Medusa ever had, even in the original myths.

    There are many in today’s society that can relate with Medusa’s story. Whether from suffering due to other’s actions or being judged because of prejudice and false assumptions, the Gorgon’s story is one that rings true today, despite the myth being distorted and reshaped throughout time. Cruel people manipulate others for their own benefit, while those at the bottom continue to face hardships at every turn.

    What makes a monster? Is it tusks, wings, or a horrible scream? Is a person who looks normal, but commits heinous crimes, a monster? Medusa was always seen as the monster, the ugly creature that held the power to kill thousands. But who in the story is the real monster? Is it Poseidon for raping Medusa? Is it Athene for cursing her and aiding in her murder? Is it Perseus for selfishly stealing her life and the lives of many other mortals for his own whims? There are many monsters today, from serial killers to greedy business-people to rapists that prey on the weak. Sometimes, victims are unjustly punished for the actions of others, showing that our society is no more perfect than it was all those millennia ago.

    It was quite enjoyable to read Stone Blind and view a story I’ve known since I was young from a perspective I’ve never explored before. Through these lens, I want to be able to view the world with multiple perspectives and narratives, and know that there is never one side to a story.