Bitch-Goddess: The Revolutionary Power Against Tyrannical Patriarchy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17501/24246743.2020.5102Keywords:
Bitch-goddess, patriarchy, transgression, revolutionaryAbstract
The archetype of ‘Bitch-goddess’ is a literary concept which is often read and depicted as entailing negative connotations. It is researched in relation to twentieth century literary work, which depicts feminine and powerful female characters. This approach fosters reading of ‘Bitch-goddess’ archetype in a positive light and in relation to Greek drama; a source of art, culture and history. Focusing on the two Greek dramas, Medea and Lysistrata which serve as my primary data, I demonstrate that the afore mentioned archetype is not a form of deviance, but a form of transgression that threatens the unbridled authority that patriarchy wields. Both dramas depict how the ‘Bitch-goddess’ functions in the patriarchal society as the dramas showcase the nature of the patriarchal society, in addition to the fact that they are produced in a patriarchal society. My approach is analytical and qualitative and focuses whether ‘Bitch-goddess’ is a ‘label’ that is utilized by the patriarchy to undermine the power of women with agency. Women who possess immense power and agency are labeled as ‘Bitchgoddesses’ and their actions which do not conform to that of normative gender roles are deemed as deviant and transgressive. Thus, the research reveals that patriarchy brands powerful and defiant women as ‘Bitch-goddesses’, as their transgression threatens patriarchy and challenges the absolute authority that the patriarchs possess.
Keywords: Bitch-goddess; patriarchy; transgression
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