«You could cut off my head and still not end my myth.» Feministisk medusaresepsjon i engelsk ungdomslitteratur.

Abstract

In this text I have analyzed in what way the Greek mythological character Medusa and the myths surrounding her have been received in two modern texts, namely Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole, and Medusa by Jessie Burton. These two texts are relatively recent receptions of the Medusa myth and handle the story in widely different ways. Even though the texts are so different, they still manage to convey the same type of message to modern young readers. Through the method of feminist social theory and reception theory I have analyzed in what way Medusa has been received by the authors, and discussed why Medusa seemed to be important or relevant to the authors’ agenda. There are a range of different mythological creatures in a similar position as Medusa in the Greek myths, thus I am looking at what part of Medusas character, or her story, makes her relevant even today. By analyzing how Hesiod, Homer and Ovid wrote about Medusa I could compare their stories to modern interpretations of the Medusa myth. How the modern interpretations stand out and differ from the older versions could serve as an insight into the choices and messages Cole and Burton try to convey.