Behind my Writing - Medusa’s Reflection
Ok I think we can alllllll agree…. Medusa got the raw end of the stick well before Perseus snuck up on her while she was sleeping and cut off her head. Yeh… Dick move. Who does that?
I’m not going to talk about her origin story too much. If you’d like to know more about it, feel free to have a google before reading on. But assuming you know the following events:
Medusa was a preistess for the Goddess Athena;
Medusa was pursued by the God Poseidon;
Medusa had to stay a virgin as a preistess to Goddess Athena;
Poseidon and Athena were having a feud;
Poseidon decided to take Medusa by force in Athena’s temple; and
Athena then punished Medusa for dishonouring her, turning Medusa into a Gorgon and becoming the monster Perseus would eventually slay.
Ahhh the Greeks. Their stories are *chef’s kisses*. But with history comes many differing accounts. Some say Athena protected Medusa by giving her the power to turn men to stone. Others portray Medusa as a beautiful woman when Perseus comes to slay her. At the end of the day though, Medusa deserves better.
So I thought I’d give her a happy ending. And put a little bit of symbolism into the story at the same time. Make some “subtle” statements about the world we live in.
Subtle Statement 1 - Her happy ending isn’t about being beautiful, or being with a man (thanks a lot Disney…) it’s about opening up a shop, doing what she wants to do. Living. Existing. Creating. Bringing value to the community she lives in.
Less Than Subtle Statement 2 - There’s this insidious cycle women are forced in that revolves around beauty. You only need to go so far as your own phone to log onto social media and see it with your own eyes. But this is a very shallow view of women, of the world around us. We might as well be made of stone if that is all we sense from another human being.
What were your thoughts on the story? I’d love to hear about them.
xo A.R.Willow
