Misogyny in Circe

    *Spoiler Warning*  

    In Circe, a novel by Madeline Miller, we follow the journey of Circe, the daughter of the powerful titan Helios, and minor character in Greek mythology. Being the seemingly talentless member of her extremely bold and pretentious family, Circe struggles with feeling alone and purposeless. This soon changes when she learns that she is a witch, and is able to use potions and herbs to perform magic. Because this is a new and frightening concept to her family and the Olympians, she is shunned to an island called Aeaea. Rather than looking at the banishment as a punishment, she uses the time she has to to learn how to wield her abilities, making her grow increasingly powerful. Throughout the novel, there is an apparent theme of misogyny, that can relate to our society today, and Circe must learn how to navigate through the many challenges this brings.  

    This theme of a woman's place in ancient Greece can be demonstrated through Circe's newfound abilities, and can be reflected our system today. When she first suggests that she has powers, she is laughed at and not taken seriously at all, showing how her society expected women to be powerless and weak. Once it is clear that Circe is a witch and has outstanding abilities, she is shunned the island of Aeaea, since everyone was so unaccepting and fearful of nymphs wielding this much power. I believe the others' unwillingness to accept Circe's witchcraft comes from their fear of not having enough control over her. Witches cannot be contained and suppressed as easily as other nymphs can be. Because of this, her banishment was intended to subdue her powers. However, the island acted as a place for her to practice her magic freely without the fear of Helios or any of the Olympians. This pattern can be seen in our world today as well. Women is positions of power are still sometimes seen as unworthy or they are not taken seriously--something Circe would relate to.

    Circe was also abused and assaulted by men during her banishment, which is a prevalent issue in current times as well. On Aeaea, where Circe was exiled, several ships came to the shore to stop for something or another; food, shelter, anything that required them to enter her home. Being a woman on an isolated island proved to have its fair share of disadvantages. These sailors that stopped by often times came with unethical intentions, and Circe became victim to multiple kinds of abuse. Although Circe is a witch, the first occasion led her into a state of shock that prevented her from using her abilities against the men. However, this soon changed when visits like these became a common theme in her exile. She learned how to defend herself and how to deal with men like this, proving to them that she was not a helpless and delicate nymph that could easily be taken advantage of. Circe actually turned these men into pigs-- a metaphor for the comparison between the men and their actions. We can see this theme very apparently in today's society, as abuse and sexual assault affects a great deal of women. 

   Ultimately, this novel uses Circe's character to demonstrate how women navigate through life and the several obstacles they meet. Although set in ancient Greece, the patterns are still largely noticeable today. Circe is a great example for all women, as she defies the norms in her society and learns her place in the world as someone other than the "daughter of Helios." I would strongly recommend Circe due to the theme of feminism, the compelling storyline, and character depth.