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Repurposing the Homeric Epic in Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships (2019) and Madeline Miller's Circe (2018)

Petersson, Thea LU (2024) ENGK70 20241
English Studies
Division of English Studies
Abstract
Homeric epics have been a continued object of interest across the ages, and it is no different
today. Retellings of Greek myths with a focus on the female characters are especially popular
with the modern reader. Authors Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller are two of many who,
through their contemporary novels A Thousand Ships (2019) and Circe (2018), have put the
focal point on female characters. In this essay, I analyse five motifs from these novels and
compare their use in The Iliad and The Odyssey, with the way in which Haynes and Miller
participate in Hélène Cixous’ concept of écriture feminine (women’s writing). Drawing on
Cixous, I argue that Haynes and Miller repurpose the Homeric epic by rejecting the
phallogocentric model... (More)
Homeric epics have been a continued object of interest across the ages, and it is no different
today. Retellings of Greek myths with a focus on the female characters are especially popular
with the modern reader. Authors Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller are two of many who,
through their contemporary novels A Thousand Ships (2019) and Circe (2018), have put the
focal point on female characters. In this essay, I analyse five motifs from these novels and
compare their use in The Iliad and The Odyssey, with the way in which Haynes and Miller
participate in Hélène Cixous’ concept of écriture feminine (women’s writing). Drawing on
Cixous, I argue that Haynes and Miller repurpose the Homeric epic by rejecting the
phallogocentric model that the motifs previously have been associated with. I show how these
modern novelists, by using a narrative with a female focal point, enable female characters in
Greek myth to reclaim their bodies and have their story told. (Less)
Popular Abstract
Homeric epics have been a continued object of interest across the ages, and it is no different
today. Retellings of Greek myths with a focus on the female characters are especially popular
with the modern reader. Authors Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller are two of many who,
through their contemporary novels A Thousand Ships (2019) and Circe (2018), have put the
focal point on female characters. In this essay, I analyse five motifs from these novels and
compare their use in The Iliad and The Odyssey, with the way in which Haynes and Miller
participate in Hélène Cixous’ concept of écriture feminine (women’s writing). Drawing on
Cixous, I argue that Haynes and Miller repurpose the Homeric epic by rejecting the
phallogocentric model... (More)
Homeric epics have been a continued object of interest across the ages, and it is no different
today. Retellings of Greek myths with a focus on the female characters are especially popular
with the modern reader. Authors Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller are two of many who,
through their contemporary novels A Thousand Ships (2019) and Circe (2018), have put the
focal point on female characters. In this essay, I analyse five motifs from these novels and
compare their use in The Iliad and The Odyssey, with the way in which Haynes and Miller
participate in Hélène Cixous’ concept of écriture feminine (women’s writing). Drawing on
Cixous, I argue that Haynes and Miller repurpose the Homeric epic by rejecting the
phallogocentric model that the motifs previously have been associated with. I show how these
modern novelists, by using a narrative with a female focal point, enable female characters in
Greek myth to reclaim their bodies and have their story told. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Petersson, Thea LU
supervisor
organization
course
ENGK70 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Modern Retellings, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Greek Mythology, Hélène Cixous, Homeric epic, écriture feminine
language
English
id
9170294
date added to LUP
2024-11-08 13:02:30
date last changed
2024-11-08 13:02:30
@misc{9170294,
  abstract     = {{Homeric epics have been a continued object of interest across the ages, and it is no different
today. Retellings of Greek myths with a focus on the female characters are especially popular
with the modern reader. Authors Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller are two of many who,
through their contemporary novels A Thousand Ships (2019) and Circe (2018), have put the
focal point on female characters. In this essay, I analyse five motifs from these novels and
compare their use in The Iliad and The Odyssey, with the way in which Haynes and Miller
participate in Hélène Cixous’ concept of écriture feminine (women’s writing). Drawing on
Cixous, I argue that Haynes and Miller repurpose the Homeric epic by rejecting the
phallogocentric model that the motifs previously have been associated with. I show how these
modern novelists, by using a narrative with a female focal point, enable female characters in
Greek myth to reclaim their bodies and have their story told.}},
  author       = {{Petersson, Thea}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Repurposing the Homeric Epic in Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships (2019) and Madeline Miller's Circe (2018)}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}