Student: Alexandra Bouselli
Advisor: Dr. Kara Stone
In Homer’s The Odyssey and Margret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, Penelope is a dynamic female protagonist at the forefront of societies harsh criticisms. Penelope is forced to endure social influences that are damaging to her perception as well as her reputation as Queen. The influences that are seen within both novels include, gender segregation, feminine silence, and the concept of pious women. Male domination and presence seen within these literary classics is the root of these sociological stereotypes and categorization of women. Therefore, I will conclude how a male-dominated society can interfere with the treatment and perception of Penelope causing not only the readers themselves, but other characters to view her differently.