Elizabeth Fleyshmakher, Period 6,11/16/23

Elizabeth Fleyshmakher
Literature Circle - Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (Parts 1 & 2)
11/16/23


Going into this novel I only had some baseline knowledge of Ariadne, primarily as a background character in Theseus's myth. I was aware that thanks to the ball of yarn Ariadne gave him,Theseus was able to navigate the labyrinth and slay the Minotaur.


Foreword: “ But helping Theseus defeat the monster means betraying her family, and Ariadne knows that in a world ruled by mercurial gods, drawing their attention can cost you everything.”

This section of the foreword reminded me of the enchantress Medea whose story parallels Ariadne’s. Infatuated with her love for Jason, Medea aids in stealing the Golden Fleece and flees her home. In doing so she broke Aeetes trust.

• Poor Scylla, drowned and then transformed into seabird to be endlessly preyed upon. I wonder if this is the same sea-monster Scylla. If so, I want to know how she became this creature?

*I noticed it’s a trend in Greek mythology of monsters who were originally entirely different beings* (Ex: Medusa, Arachne, Lamia)

• When Daedalus claims that Ariadne “can soften anyone’s will to hers”, he is probably foreshadowing future events

• I found it interesting how varied coping-mechanisms are, both within the context of this plot and in real life. Ariadne tunes out the outside world through her dancing. This form of expression possibly allows her to feel closer to her mother as this was a shared passion. Alternatively, Pasiphae’s means of dealing with her trauma involve sinking into herself, losing touch with reality. Medusa, on the other hand, is fueled by her experiences. I myself disappear into music, whether it be through playing instruments or listening to songs.

• Slight deviations from “Stone Blind” in Eirene’s recounting of Medusa; In this version Medusa rampages, leaving statues left and right, while in “Stone Blind” by Natalie Haynes, she refrains from killing anybody.

• “A truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do” -  I thought this was a beautiful quote. Captures the epitome of Feminist Critical Theory.

• Asterion could be seen as a victim of circumstance. An abomination spawned from an unnatural coupling, shunned and feared by society, rejected by relatives, entrapped in a labyrinth, forced into isolation, exploited by Minos.
• Minotaur is a “Categorical Interstitiality” monster seeing as he is a human bull hybrid.
• Originally named “star” only to be branded “Bull of Minos”. I feel that the name-change was representative of when Asterion changed from being Pasiphae’s babe to Minos’s monster.

• Ariadne’s stream of thoughts in regards to her baby brother remind me of the The New York Times Magazine poll: “If you could go back and kill Hitler as a baby, would you do it?”

• Coexistence of love and hatred. The royal family is both despised and admired by the Cretians.

• Fascinating how powerful a mother’s love is. Pasiphae harbors a fondness for Asterion regardless of his monstrousness. Pasiphae only places a fidelity curse on Minos, preventing him from laying with any concubines, after he claims ownership over Asterion.

• Minos has no affection towards his family, treating them like tools. Ariadne - sold off to Cinyras, King of Cyprus, in exchange for copper. Androgeos - reason to wage war against Athens. Pasiphae - initially a prized possession Minotaur- means of strengthening his status and garnering respect.

• The bull is a recurrent symbol throughout the novel. The Cretan Bull is sent to Minos by Poseidon to be sacrificed, Androgeos is killed by a wild bull on an Athenian hillside, seven Athenian young men and women would be murdered in the same fashion by the Minotaur, Taurus, the name of Minos’s general, comes from the Latin word for “bull”.

• I wonder if the Labyrinth is where ideas such as the Hunger Games and Battle Royale spawned and why audiences continue to be fascinated by demonstrations of such barbarism centuries forward. *Following this stream of thought, Katniss and Theseus both volunteered for the games for the sake of others. And the “Tribute Parade” in THG mirrors the Funeral Games.*

• I wasn't expecting Minos to grant Theseus freedom due to his performance in the Funeral Games.

• Sadly ironic how both Ariadne and Daedalus manage to escape Crete only to be met with devastating loss. Daedalus with his son and Ariadne faced total abandonment.

• “And back then, I did not know how wings could melt and peel away from your body; how someone could plunge so unexpectedly from their soaring ascent to freedom and be swallowed by the ravenous waves below” - reference to Icarus story.

• I didn’t make the connection that Hercules killed the Cretan Bull as one of his twelve labors. It’s bizarre thinking about the interconnectedness of Greek lore. How Theseus and Hercules were acquaintances. How Medea was Aegus’s wife and cousin to Ariadne.

• “Until, abruptly, I felt gritty sand beneath me and I knew I was on a beach. But it was not one I knew, and I was alone – so alone that it tore a ragged gap”.

 Is this a precognitive dream of sorts? In Ancient Greek culture dreams were typically perceived as revelations.

• Does the Dionysus statue on the island of Naxos hold significance in the context of this story?

• Are Theseus's interactions with Ariadne fully fabricated or did he genuinely love her. Whether all the sweet-talking, heartfelt conversations, and displays of affection were part of an elaborate plan. If not, then what prompted him to suddenly abandon his wife. 

• Ariadne could be observed undergoing the stages of grief on the island. She is first overcome with grief, even contemplating suicide, which then transforms into a boiling rage targeted towards Theseus.

• It’s an interesting choice to switch perspectives from Ariadne’s POV to Phaedra’s in Chapter 13.