A Feminist Mythology takes us on a poetic journey through the canonical myths of femininity, testing them from the point of view of our modern condition. A myth is not an object, but rather a process, one that Chiara Bottici practises by exploring different variants of the myth of “womanhood” through first- and third-person prose and poetry. We follow a series of myths that morph into each other, disclosing ways of being woman that question inherited patriarchal orders. In this metamorphic world, story-telling is not just a mix of narrative, philosophical dialogues and metaphysical theorizing: it is a current that traverses all of them by overflowing the boundaries it encounters. In doing so, A Feminist Mythology proposes an alternative writing style that recovers ancient philosophical and literary traditions from the pre-Socratic philosophers and Ovid's Metamorphoses to the philosophical novellas and feminist experimental writings of the last century.
Author(s): Chiara Bottici
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 216
City: London
Cover page
Halftitle page
Series page
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Contents
Preface: a myth and a half
Introduction: a book of books
PART ONE Two myths and a half
First myth: Sherazade and her phantom
I. Sherazade
The match
II. Sherazade
Interruptus
III. Sherazade
The wait
IV. Sherazade
The breakfast
V. Sherazade
The birth
VI. Sherazade
The fall
VII. Sherazade
The mirror
Second myth: the dress of Ariadne
I. Ariadne
The thread
II. Ariadne
The seamstress
III. Ariadne
The scarf
IV. Ariadne
The skirt
V. Ariadne
The mannequin
Third myth: Europa recovered
I. Europa
The swim
II. Europa
Seaweed
III. Europa
The sea
Epilogue
Intermission
PART TWO The city of women
I. Ouverture
II. The vest
III. Rehab
IV. The oven of opposites
V. A witch and her broomstick
VI. A bill
VII. The names
VIII. The call, or occasional tourism
IX. Maximum ten (with addendum)
X. The lifebelt
XI. The threat
Epilogue
Intermission
PART THREE Bestiarium
Prologue
I. The ostrich
II. The butterfly
III. The dog
IV. The snake
V. The herring
Epilogue
Intermission
PART FOUR Herbarium
Prologue
I. The investor
Interlude
II. The inspector
Interlude
III. The dancing god
Grand finale
