Luca Gianquinto, Period 6, 11/27/23

 Luca Gianquinto Period 6 11/17 Modern Mythology 2024

In the complex spider’s web of democracy, power struggle is inevitable and part of the system. Although natural since elections are the most important competition in the country, this is still an area of extreme frustration for me. In recent years, elections and power struggles have greatly deepened the divisions in our nation, especially among my generation. Instead of serving as platforms for diverse ideas and the common good, political parties often become battlegrounds where personal ambition takes precedence over advancing towards a better society together.

This constant power struggle leads to internal conflicts and extremism, as well as most dangerously: corruption. As time goes on, the main two political parties deviate farther away from each other both in views and morals, making compromise infinitely more difficult. The impact of this division extends to legal bodies and subsequent laws, where decisions are influenced more by political advantage rather than a genuine concern for the people. This only leaves us in a rabbit hole with no bottom to it, as the yearning of each party to have political control will further corrupt and plague the government, straying it away from structuring society and instead dismantling it. In essence, the government is growing towards the very thing it swore to destroy: chaos. To extend this to the citizens, our society is fractured, with individuals forced to pick sides rather than engaging in constructive conversations. The growing distance between parties divides people even further, as some people will refuse to even interact with a member of the opposing party. People are dehumanized, arguments are started, and overall, we drive ourselves into anarchy on both sides of the spectrum.

My frustration arises not only from the absurd extremism I experience daily through social media  but also from the thoughts of my future. I worry about how the world will look in ten, twenty, or even thirty years as the climate tends to be growing worse with time. I fear living in a world where we are separated, divided into classes depending on our views, at a political, social, economic, and physical war with each other. 

In conclusion, my worry with political power struggles emphasizes a broader concern about the health of our country and my generation in specifics. We are straying further and further away from civilization, and are reverting back to uncivilized fighting, berating, and yelling as byproducts of anger from not getting what we want politically, as well as advocating for what we want. 

Ayah Righi, Period 1, 12/13/23

Ayah Righi
Period 1
12/13/23
Modern Mythology 2024

Research Paper: Looking at Greek Mythology’s portrayal of women through the lens of feminist criticism

After looking at and dissecting a plethora of Greek myths through various literary pieces, interviews with experts and well-known authors, and clashing perspectives of different cultural mythology creation stories, evidence of misogyny and harmful gender stereotypes can be traced back to many Greek myths through the abundance of male and female deities, specifically entailing of their actions, backgrounds, life stories, and/or identifying physical traits. As a result, reading and analyzing Greek Mythology through the lens of feminist criticism helped broaden my knowledge as a folklorist and bridge connections between numerous significant ideas in literature, whether it allows us to accurately utilize the scope of critical theories, draw connections between thematic messages in literature and historical context of society, or examine societal change through the use of modern events.

Starting from the very beginning, regarding the origins of our universe, it is very apparent that Greek Mythology creation stories were rooted in an inherently patriarchal society in which women were met with horrible treatment in efforts to “preserve their feminine sensitivity, innocence, and naivety.” This misrepresentation of women is emphasized in Edith Hamilton’s Mythology through the creation myth of Prometheus. In this example, Prometheus notoriously steals fire from the gods, awarding this precious gift to man. In response, an irrevocably outraged Zeus seeks to punish men. However, this punishment happens to take the form of a woman, the creation of Pandora. The gods give Pandora a box and she is instructed not to open it. In the end, she foolishly gives into her temptation, allowing all the evils of the universe to come out, and thus inflicting suffering upon mankind. Pandora’s story can be connected to certain aspects of biblical Eve, in which both women take the blame for bringing misery upon humanity through their dangerous curiosity. In this way, the origin of women is orchestrated and described in a way that perpetuates a false narrative that women are weak, gullible, and tend to give into harmful temptations. As an origin story, this element of Greek Mythology sets the tone for the limited power women possess in most stories to come.

Through further research women’s defining quality of weakness persists in Mary Beard’s Women and Power. Beard discusses the story of Odysseus’ wife Penelope, who spoke out against singing she heard and was then subsequently told to be quiet by her son Telemachus. Once Penelope complained, Telemachus ordered her to be silent, stating that singing was important for telling significant stories, which were tailor-made for men. After this, Telemachus banished Penelope to her chambers. This demonstration of an imbalance of power between men and women highlights how women were deemed inferior as Penelope ruled Ithaca in Odysseus’ place but still had to submit to the power of men, specifically her son in this instance due to the unjust traditional gender roles of society.

The recurring gender inequality in Greek Mythology can be reinforced through its lingering effects on modern society. This can be illuminated by 21st-century interpretations of Medusa, more specifically my various experiences with Medusa in the media over the last few years. When I was younger, my passion for mythology soared through nightly bedtime stories of Greek Mythology. As a child, my initial experience of Medusa was filled with a mixture of emotions: terror, disgust, and consternation. I would always tug at my blanket even tighter after hearing of her monstrous qualities, whether this encompassed her snake hair or horrifying gaze. Whenever Medusa was mentioned I perceived her as an antagonist, hoping whoever was at odds with her would emerge victorious. From these bedtime stories, the only thing about Medusa that stuck with me was her haunting demeanor, pushing forth an ill feeling at the thought of her. However, after reconnecting with her character in the present through my recent reading of Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind it was almost as if the lack of distorted rhetoric and defaming images allowed Medusa to go through a transformation of metamorphosis, shifting into a more humanized character that emulated qualities of kindness, selflessness, and an overall sense of good in her that felt seemingly impossible from past stories. It was through Haynes’ beautiful retelling that I was able to gather how deeply misunderstood Medusa’s story tends to be. In Stone Blind, Medusa is a beautiful young girl, traumatized by a heinous act of sexual assault by Poseidon, leading her to be cursed by Athena and thus transformed into the monster society widely accepts her as. Even in interviews down the line, Haynes reiterates that during her research she found Medusa to be wrongly villainized after undergoing trauma and therefore believes that she is an innocent victim who deserves empathy. The widely misconstrued story of Medusa represents another key example that aligns with patriarchy by highlighting issues of sexual assault and how it’s overlooked, the sexualization and objectification of women, and the overall treatment women receive.

Although misogyny is prevalently woven in various Greek myths, the modernization of beloved well-known characters allows for a flipping of the script through the resurgence of a powerful survivor-led movement opposed to sexual violence against women. This is illustrated in the crafting of a Medusa Sculpture, depicting Medusa holding the severed head of Perseus, acting as a symbol of triumph for victims of sexual assault and empowering the #MeToo movement through art. Although the sculpture wasn’t created to fuel the influential movement, it represented a prized social symbol that communicated to other women, as well as victims of sexual assault in general, that if they are raped it’s not their fault. Through this sense Medusa was able to embody an everlasting symbol of empowerment, truly causing a shift in her portrayal from society. As someone who aided in the installation of the sculpture stated “Destabilizing the narrative as told through a patriarchal lens is really where the power of the work lies. It causes a person to pause.”

Sources:

Jacobs, Julia. “How a Medusa Sculpture from a Decade Ago Became #MeToo Art.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/arts/design/medusa-statue-manhattan.html. 

 

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Plume, 1989.

 

Haynes, Natalie. Stone Blind. HarperCollins Exports, 7 Feb. 2023.

 

Beard, Mary. Women & Power : A Manifesto. New York, N.Y. ; London, Liveright Publishing Corporation, A Division Of W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.

Selina Jiang, Period 1, 11/16/2023

Selina Jiang

Period 1

11/16/23

Modern Mythology 2024


Research Paper: Greek Art


We have recently discussed the statue of Medusa holding the decapitated head of Perseus. Ms. Fusaro mentioned the idea of how Greek artwork and sculptures have evolved to be more visually pleasing than terrifying as time went on. This was interesting especially when Natalie Haynes mentioned how some art pieces that are more recent portrayed Medusa as feminine and with beautiful locks of hair when she’s a gorgon. So, I decided to research about the timeline of Ancient Greek Art specifically how each period improved art.


There are different periods and the first is the Geometric period which lasted from approximately 900 to 700 BCE. The Geometric period is usually split into three parts, the Early Geometric (900-850BCE), Middle Geometric (850-760BCE), and Late Geometric (760-700 BCE). The period is named after the geometric patterns that were prevalent in pottery from this time. This meant that the human figures depicted were not realistic at all and usually had abstract features. Painted pottery seems to be the predominant form of art during this period, however, a most of the vases and pottery were found in cemeteries or burial contexts. There were two prominent types: kraters and amphorae. The two types usually had a slim neck and widened center with two handles on the side. Kraters were used to decorate male graves while amphorae decorated female graves. One defining feature of Geometric Period pottery is called horror vacui which means fear of empty space where the entire surface is filled with patterns and details.


The next is the Archaic Period(700-480 BC) where there was an increase in interaction between the Greeks and the surrounding areas of the Mediterranean due to trade and communication internationally. The geometric shapes from the period became more like human figures and natural elements. There were a lot more details in terms of human proportions and anatomy. This is where naturalized sculptures, Kouroi, showed up. Kouroi are lifelike statues that represent young men in their prime, of course, there is a less famous clothed female version of the statue called the kore. Since the Archaic Period came right after the Geometric Period, a lot of the pieces of art still have geometric shapes. For example, the Kouroi usually stand upright with broad shoulders, slim hips with arms on the side, and legs together, mimicking ancient Egyptian wood sculptures.


The Classical Period (480-323 BC) began with the end of the Athenian tyranny in the 5th century BC and saw the Persian Wars. Philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato came to fame during this period also known as the Athenian “golden age”. There was a great increase in temple construction such as the completion of Athenian Acropolis and Erechtheion. And of course, classical art is recognizable due to its almost perfect depictions of the human body in life-size statues. They began focusing on a variation of body poses as well as features. The Early Classical Period (480/479-450 BCE) is also known as the “Severe Style”. The features from this period include “realistic anatomy, serious expressions, pouty lips, and thick eyelids.” Artwork began to evolve more and more from the first geometric shapes to now natural human-like sculptures with emotions and distinguishable features.


Lastly, the Hellenistic Period( 323-31 B.C.), “Hellas” was what Greece was usually referred to as at the time. So Hellenistic means “Greek in nature” or “the spread of Greek ideology. Due to Alexander the Great’s reign, there has been a continuous expansion to the East so as the empire grew Greek culture and philosophy also spread to the areas they encountered. The art from this period expanded the detail and expression from the Classical Period as they began to depict illness, death, and even old age in sculpture. A big part of Hellenistic sculpture is it’s ability to elicit an emotional response with the expressions and body of the sculpture. The sculptures continued to get increasingly realistic due to the focus on making both facial and body expressions more natural.


When you think of Greek sculpture, you would never end up with an image of geometric shapes on a vase. What would pop up in your head is extremely detailed, lifesized statues that probably have a limb or two missing. The Greeks went a long way from simple geometric shapes on vases to statues with emotions and such humanlike features that you can mistake them for a living person. This is only a small portion of their rich and eventful culture.

Jack Liang Li, Period 7, 12/11/23

 Jack Liang Li, Period 7, 12/11/2023

Modern Mythology 2024

    “Stone Blind” by Natalie Haynes was one of many readings that we’ve done in class, yet it was the one that stood out to me the most. Stone Blind talks about the story of Medusa, but not in the way others may think, instead in this story, Medusa is portrayed as the victim. It may come as a shock for people who’ve read so much mythology about the Greek monster Medusa, a gorgon that turns anyone who dares look into her eyes into stone, a monster so fierce that the brave hero Perseus was sent to slay and retrieve Medusa’s head. However, as you read “Stone Blind” by Natalie Haynes, you will realize that Medusa was no monster but a victim, one that suffered from the actions of a god and the punishment of a goddess.

    Before reading “Stone Blind” by Natalie Haynes, my knowledge of the story of medusa was like many others who’s read or heard the story of Medusa, where she was said to be seduced by Poseidon at a temple of Athena. This led Athena to punish Medusa by turning her into a gorgon with the ability to turn anyone who looks at her into stone. “Stone Blind” by Natalie Haynes tells a different version of the story that really changed my perception of Medusa as a character. She was a poor girl that got her life ruined because of a god and goddess although she did nothing wrong. Medusa was in the temple of Athena when Poseidon appeared blocking the entrance of the temple, Medusa can’t outrun the god nor can she fight back against him. To make it worse, Poseidon threatened Medusa with the rape and death of a mortal girl if she doesn’t submit to him, as a result Medusa let Poseidon have his way with her to protect the mortal girls. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it, Athena who was enraged at Poseidon for raping someone in her temple, decided to take out her anger on Medusa since she couldn’t do anything to Poseidon when he’s in his domain.

    The poor Medusa who gave up her body for the lives of some mortal girl, had to suffer the punishment for something she couldn’t control, in my perceptive Medusa was a true hero who was willing to sacrifice herself for the lives of others that may not acknowledge it. It made me disgusted with the actions of the gods and goddesses, they were petty and unjust, punishing the mortals caught in the conflict between the gods. It made me think about situations in the modern world that might’ve mirrored this story, take child abuse for example, because of an unresponsible adult’s actions the child may suffer the abuse of the other parent. It made me think that these myths were just so relatable to the modern world and that perhaps this was the reason why Greek myths were able to survive to this very day, there are so many aspects to it that can be related to modern world experiences. Another aspect from “Stone Blind” that could be related is the concept of heroes and monsters. I perceived it as the modern concept of an outcast and someone popular. Outcast is someone perceived as different from others based on societal norms such as a person’s looks or actions, because someone may be disabled, have a disorder, or even a different skin color. Someone popular on the other hand may be someone rich, famous, or just looks and acts like everyone else, they don’t have a disability or disorder that makes them look or act different from the average person.

    It’s horrible that individuals may be judged and discriminated against based on their looks and actions but that's something that happens often in the modern world. Relating Medusa’s story from “Stone Blind” to the modern world experiences showed me how greek mythology can be perceived in many different ways and every one of them can teach a valuable lesson. Medusa’s story in “Stone Blind” taught me to not just be kind and be there for others, but also to find the truth behind a story because when a lie is repeated enough, it’ll eventually becomes the truth, just like the story of Medusa to many people.

Sofya Ochirova, Period 1, 12/12/23

Sofya Ochirova
Period #1
12/12/23
Modern Mythology 2024

Socio-political Consciousness

For years, the "model minority" narrative has pictured Asian Americans as a uniform group who excel in academics and professional fields. While this stereotype may seem positive on the surface, it masks the complex reality of Asian-American experiences and completely ignores the pressure they are put under. When society holds up this idea that Asian Americans are perfect, overachieving, model students and workers, it creates unrealistic expectations. It creates assumptions that we're all good at math, science whizzes, and destined for Ivy League schools. It dismisses the challenges and struggles many Asian Americans face – the mental health issues from academic pressure, the cultural barriers, the economic disparities within our communities. It erases our individuality and lumps us into this homogenous group. This stereotype is a “damned if you do and damned if you don't” kind of situation. For example, in school you will be greeted with this bias that you’re good at sciences, so if you’re not then you’re a failure, but at the same time if you are, then you just fit the stereotype and the teacher might downplay your success. And while non-Asians buy into this stereotype, it often comes from our own community too. We're often expected to live up to these standards set by our families especially if you or your parents weren’t born in the US but only immigrated later in their lives. While this expectation might come from a positive place of wishing a better future for you, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy or being seen as the "failure".

Breaking free from the "model minority" stereotype means acknowledging our diversity, embracing our individual stories, struggles, and successes without being confined by societal expectations. It means recognizing that behind the facade of success, there are complex, multifaceted lives that deserve to be seen and understood.

Anthony K Lai, Period 7, 12/7/23

Anthony K Lai

Modern Mythology 2024

Literacy & Learning

Medusa #MeToo Sculpture

    Recently in class we went over the ending of Stone Blind and in the lesson we discussed a sculpture in the MeToo movement (a movement to expose and convict rapists/sexual assaulters that held positions of power or influence) that was of Medusa, holding Perseus’ head after having decapitated him. The class came up with a few interpretations of what the sculpture represented, noting how she had taken Perseus’ head when it had been Poseidon that had raped her. Someone connected that choice to how gods didn’t face consequences for their actions, others chose to view Perseus as a representation of the justice system at large rather than the individual rapists that were convicted during the movement. I agreed with this sentiment since the movement really was women taking justice (perseus) into their own hands and bringing light to popular people actually being rapists when they had previously been ignored or silenced due to these people’s reputation. I think the sculpture is an overall effective representation of the movement since even if you didn’t know the story of Medusa and saw it the way we did, you would still see the statue as women taking down their oppressors.
    However, reading through the article I found myself befuddled at the segment on the twitter comment that sighed at how the statue was created by a man when the MeToo movement was started by women. It got me wondering if men really do have the right to join the MeToo movement; I came to the conclusion that of course men can, why shouldn’t we support the opposite sex, we aren’t opposing teams, we are people. I like to believe everybody has a valid opinion in the world, and to take in their opinions to have an open mind about things, but this serves as an example for why I should have a filter on what I take in. Additionally, not everybody in the world is as good as they appear to be because this advocate for women also bashes men for doing the same (misandry), showing they care more about them being seen as an advocate than actually caring about the movement. I also see the comment as an example of when people in the world get too caught up in mass media and can’t think critically for themselves to discern good from bad, creating unjustified hate and dividing us as a society.
 

Kelly Mei, Period 1, 12/7/23

Kelly Mei
Period 1
12/07/23
Modern Mythology 2024

Literacy and Learning
Title: What meets more than to the Eye

    Medusa. When I hear the name Medusa, the first image that pops into my head is a green lady with snakes for her hair. Now, this necessarily doesn’t mean my conception of her is entirely wrong, but it only scratches the surface of who she is and what she is.

    I’ll admit, before the unit for Medusa I would be exposed to, I didn’t have a clear picture of who she was. All I knew were her iconic features which many people would also come up to answer for. The self-awareness of my limited knowledge without a primary source of the fate of Medusa was presented in an exercise in class. In class, we were to come up with as much information as we can about Medusa. Next, we had to contact our family members and ask them what they knew about her. The results were roughly similar, due to the fact that we only had a simple concept of her rather than understanding her from her primary source. A lady cursed by Athene with snake hair that can turn you into stone if you made eye contact with it was a frequent answer.

    After that exercise, we were introduced to a book called Stone Blind. As the title implies, it follows the story of Medusa from a feminist point of view. Our perspective of the gorgon was not originally in a feminist lens, rather just what was memorable to us: cursed snake hair. When I approached the story, I was amazed at the different take of Medusa’s life. From other retellings of the story of Medusa and Perseus, it had shown a more ‘human’ side of Medusa, rather than a monster who sought vengeance. This was also prevalent to a primary source of Medusa’s story, where it only described her as a person whose fate was unfortunate due to being deflowered by Poseidon.

    Before I explain more of how Stone Blind has changed my perspective of mythology as a whole, I must define what a feminist lens is. Literature can be viewed in different perspectives, from a structuralist theory to the queer lens theory. The feminist criticism involves the use of the writing to advocate for gender equality between the two sexes. Throughout the evolution of literature from the years, men were predominantly involved in the stories, mostly as the heroes or the characters in focus. Very rarely in past literature would the woman be viewed in the same light and pedestal as men, due to a sexist perspective of how ‘unrealistic’ it would be because they’re a /woman./ It’s important for literature to be viewed in this lens because once again, it was to establish a more balanced power dynamic between men and women. The reason why I would view Medusa in a feminist theory and why Stone Blind chose to lean towards this stance was because Medusa as a structure in the story of Perseus, is the villain. She is not a morally good character because she is the villain in Persues’s story. In the feminist theory, she’s viewed as a gorgon with a human side. She’s valid to seek vengeance because of what happened to her and Poseidon. One can even stretch that the curse that Athene placed on her was to protect her from a repeat of the incident.

    What defines a monster? When I hear Medusa, I first associate her as a ‘monster.’ But, what are the characteristics of a monster and does Medusa really fit those descriptions? In later lessons, my group and I had assumed a monster was an evil being who did not fit any characteristics of a human in a literal sense. In a more figurative sense and more commonly used in literature, they’re animalistic and don't fit with the social norms placed in society. They’re most often morally wrong in the narrative.

    Medusa was a human before turning into a gorgon. As a gorgon, as retold in Stone Blind, she was afraid of ever looking at someone in fear of turning them into stone. In a figurative sense, she had animal features (snakes, wings) however, her behavior is more meek and terrified of what her capabilities are. She doesn’t fit with society because she casted society away, scared to hurt people. In future lessons, this statement will be important.

    Then, what defines a hero? In discussions in class, the attributes of a Greek hero is that he must be of royal or divine blood, perform extraordinary deeds, have a fatal flaw, be assisted by the divine and suffer physically. In a sense, Perseus was a Greek hero, he had come from Zeus and went on a journey to defeat a gorgon to save his mother from marriage. His fatal flaw was that he was rash and suffered from hubris (excessive pride) in many times of his journey, written in Stone Blind. The attributes of a hero in modern day, however, would be someone who protects for the good with or without supernatural abilities. In my opinion, my definition of a hero leans more towards feminism, a person who sacrifices themselves while bettering others. Perseus went on his journey for his own goals, trying to protect his mother and marry Andromeda from rescuing her. However, after he had beheaded Medusa, he uses her as a weapon – which breaks the idea of bettering others. This was further viewed in, as repeated, the feminist lens in the book Stone Blind in Perseus’s perspective, revealing how incompetent he was compared to the past retelling of myths of him being a brave hero. There are many types of heroes as well, anti-hero, medieval hero, romantic hero and vigilante hero. However, I cannot see Perseus in a positively heroic light after what he had done with Medusa.

    Stone Blind not only focuses on Perseus and Medusa’s story, but the characters surrounding them as well. One of the noteworthy moments of the novel is the interaction with Hephaestus, the god of blacksmith and Athene. In their interaction in myth retellings and artworks, Hephaestus is seen as the victim whereas Athene is seen as rude and neglectful for not returning his love. However, in Stone Blind, Hephaestus is seen as the aggressor, trying to force himself on her. Athene was rightfully angry for being forced upon, and in class, we dissected her character even more. Athene was seen as ‘cold’ because she had no experience with nurture. In Stone Blind, her mother’s story involved her death and her coming out from Zeus’s head, so she had no motherly connections. Under the surface, she’s seen with having trust issues, putting up a front so she can protect herself because she never had the moment of vulnerability to herself. This can also be why she was so angry at Hephaestus as well, he wanted her to be vulnerable. It was easier for her to push him away rather than to open up and be hurt again.

    Back to the topic of Medusa being depicted as a monster in modern day, in an interview with Natalie Haynes, it was revealed in research that she never killed anyone. With monsters in a literal sense, they're seen as aggressive and dangerous, dangerous enough to kill. Medusa never killed a single human being as a gorgon, she had pushed everyone away in fear that she would end up killing them with her transformation. She was scared to approach the sisters who had nurtured and cared for her in case that she would end up killing them. This shows more of her human side, her behavior to protect those she loved was still there even after transformation. With that in mind, can Perseus be depicted as a monster after collecting her head and using her? I’d like to argue yes figuratively.

    Now, how does this tie up to what meets more than the eye?

    It is important to view texts in different lenses, such as Medusa’s text, because it reveals more of the story than what we are told over and over. It’s like the story of a little red riding hood, we have a perception of a little girl who’s been repeatedly forced upon by an aggressor before a hero comes and saves her. However, in a feminist lens, we can dig deeper into little red’s character and show that she is a confrontational and smart girl, who’s able to make her own decisions rather than being under her mother’s shelter. She pushes herself forward and questions everything for her own safety. If I had not learned about different literary criticisms, I would always have a one-sided perspective on a text and never would be able to dig under the surface of the characters, decision makings of the story and the small details that were put into it. After reading Stone Blind, it had given not only Medusa more character and had me learning more about her relationship with her sister and her true personality, it had also given other characters their own voices, such as the story with Athene. I believe now that I can view other texts in other literary theories such as structuralism so I can have a deeper insight into the story than what meets the surface.

    Natalie Haynes does an excellent job on tackling ‘what meets the eye’ of Medusa since she assumes that everyone had a one-sided narrative of her. In her interview, she even admitted to having one-sided assumptions, mistakenly believing that she may have killed someone but after research, zero. What I learned from Stone Blind is that everything in literature has a purpose. Not only in Stone Blind but in Greek Mythology in general, everything from names to the roles of the character had meaning. In a discussion, I talked about Medusa’s and Perseus’s name and how that played a role in their narrative. The word ‘gorgoneion’ could be derived from thunder, showing her sister’s loud nature. It also represents the fear of the natural world, people fearing the realities of the world and not confronting it. Perseus, from my own analysis, had meant ‘to destroy,’ which could be referring to his destructive nature after obtaining the gorgon's head and his victory of Medusa.

    From the discussions, I talked about my favorite book series, Warriors and how the analysis of Stone Blind had helped alter my mind into diving deeper into the text, better helping me understand the characters and the plot more. From the names of the characters, which had been representative of their character’s behavioral and physical traits to the complex psychology of the character’s decision of the story, it also helped me understand the author’s decision and mindset while constructing the story which ties everything together. This not only applies to literature, but to everyday life as well, specifically with the psychology side of life. While currently taking my psychology class, I had learned that there was a reason for behavior, just like there was a reason for writing decisions in books.

    Overall, after finishing Stone Blind, I really liked how it took a story that has been reiterated similarly multiple times from back then to modern day and took the characters that had been overlooked by the main characters and used that to give a rounder perception to them. I had enjoyed reading the blooming and caring relationships between Medusa and her sisters, which never was fleshed out in the first sources of her story and really in most retelling of her story as well. I also enjoyed reading a more raw side of Perseus, rather than a one dimensional character who’s brave enough to go on an adventure and is encountered by adversities, he had interactions with the characters he met on the go. It was refreshing to have more of a ‘slow’ pacing to expand on the characters while sharing an important message of feminism.

    I guess you can say that I had learned about what meets more than to the eye, in literature and in the story of Medusa.