Abstract

In my paper, I aim to explore the critical endeavor of reclaiming feminist rhetorical agency through a subversive resistance against Ovid's entrenched narrative of Medusa and its reinterpretation through the lens of Helene Cixous’s feminist perspective. Analyzing Ovid’s Metamorphosis and Cixous’s “The Laugh of the Medusa”, I demonstrate how female writers and interpreters can resist Ovid’s oppressive narrative of Medusa and rewrite her-story using Cixous’s lens. Ovid’s depiction of Medusa characterizes female experience as powerless and objectified, utilizing her sexuality as a means of punishment. I critically problematize Ovid’s narrative, exposing the oppressive gender dynamics embedded in classical mythology. Contrasting Ovid’s perspective, Cixous’s work celebrates women and advocates for reclaiming their bodies, sexuality, and dismantling patriarchal discourse. Drawing from Campbell’s notion of rhetorical agency, I claim that Cixous, through Écriture féminine advocates for a feminist rhetorical agency by reinterpreting Medusa’s story. Her ideas provide a pathway for women to reclaim power and challenge established male narratives. Building upon Cixous’s insights, I advocate for reimagining, rewriting, and reshaping female experiences to reclaim their rhetorical agency in narratives. To support my claim, I will follow a text-based qualitative method and analyze the primary and secondary sources to encourage reinterpreting and rewriting the myth of Medusa for the contemporary audience who, as I believe, are conscious about the gender discrimination and gendered narratives. I believe that my paper seeks to contribute to the field of feminist literary analysis by reinterpreting Medusa’s story from Cixous’s perspective and highlighting the empowerment of potential female authorship.

Keywords

Feminist Rhetorical Agency, Écriture féminine, Medusa, Her-story, Reinterpretation