A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.

In the context of contemporary publishing, which has witnessed the considerable success of the genre of female mythological retelling, Madeline Miller is a notable figure. Miller is an American author who has already published two novels and two short stories dedicated to rewriting episodes from cla...

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Main Author: Chiara Valenzano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Bologna 2025-08-01
Series:Griseldaonline
Subjects:
Online Access:https://griseldaonline.unibo.it/article/view/20629
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author Chiara Valenzano
author_facet Chiara Valenzano
author_sort Chiara Valenzano
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description In the context of contemporary publishing, which has witnessed the considerable success of the genre of female mythological retelling, Madeline Miller is a notable figure. Miller is an American author who has already published two novels and two short stories dedicated to rewriting episodes from classical mythology. The short story entitled Galatea represents a noteworthy reinterpretation of Ovid’s tale of Pygmalion from a feminist perspective. In contrast to the original narrative, which celebrates the power of art and the artist, Galatea becomes a narrative of violent love and possession. In this reimagining, the woman is positioned as subaltern and confined by her husband. The myth thus provides a foundation for elucidating the pervasively contemporary phenomenon of domestic violence. Galatea’s arduous pursuit of autonomy and freedom prompts the reader to reflect on the enduring relevance of classical narratives, despite their tragic persistence.
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spelling doaj-art-1b7ff44aa12446bd830db15e684be8f92025-08-20T04:03:22ZengUniversity of BolognaGriseldaonline1721-47772025-08-01241597610.6092/issn.1721-4777/2062919001A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.Chiara Valenzano0Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di BolognaIn the context of contemporary publishing, which has witnessed the considerable success of the genre of female mythological retelling, Madeline Miller is a notable figure. Miller is an American author who has already published two novels and two short stories dedicated to rewriting episodes from classical mythology. The short story entitled Galatea represents a noteworthy reinterpretation of Ovid’s tale of Pygmalion from a feminist perspective. In contrast to the original narrative, which celebrates the power of art and the artist, Galatea becomes a narrative of violent love and possession. In this reimagining, the woman is positioned as subaltern and confined by her husband. The myth thus provides a foundation for elucidating the pervasively contemporary phenomenon of domestic violence. Galatea’s arduous pursuit of autonomy and freedom prompts the reader to reflect on the enduring relevance of classical narratives, despite their tragic persistence.https://griseldaonline.unibo.it/article/view/20629miller mythovidpygmalionretelling
spellingShingle Chiara Valenzano
A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.
Griseldaonline
miller 
myth
ovid
pygmalion
retelling
title A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.
title_full A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.
title_fullStr A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.
title_full_unstemmed A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.
title_short A rewriting of Pygmalion from a female (and feminist) perspective: «Galatea» by Madeline Miller.
title_sort rewriting of pygmalion from a female and feminist perspective galatea by madeline miller
topic miller 
myth
ovid
pygmalion
retelling
url https://griseldaonline.unibo.it/article/view/20629
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