Reclaiming Helen: discovering the facets behind the infamous face
Date
2019-05Author
Aumann, Josephine E. (Karcz)
Advisor(s)
Boehler, Karl
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A vivacious demigod, a scapegoat, an intercessor of love, a shameful adulterer, a
pawn traded between men, a victimized woman persecuted by her society, a border
crosser: Helen of Greek mythology has played all of these roles in myths, stories, songs,
and allusions across time and cultures. How a culture treats Helen is a barometer for how
that society judges women, their bodies, their sexuality, and their autonomy. Artists like
Chaucer, Shakespeare, Yeats, and Atwood objectify Helen as the most beautiful woman
of Greek mythology and vilify her for her part in the catastrophic Trojan War. Their
portrayals overlook the agency she exhibits to survive a male-dominated society or how
she is being scapegoated to avoid revealing flaws of the patriarchy. As revisionists, artists
such as Sappho and H.D. give Helen a major role and draw back the curtain of ignominy
to peer into her face, her identity as a woman, and the qualities she may share with other
women. The foundational texts, Homer and Virgil, support these explorations in their
ambiguous portrayals of Helen as both a victim and a villain. Textual analysis of Helen in
works across time reveals how cultural expectations affect women, and, in particular,
how women can still gain authority of their lives and rebel against oppression.
Subject
Greek mythology
Helen of Greek mythology
Cultural expectations
Helen of Troy
Textual analysis
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/79582Description
"A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts-English."