"Adjusting the scope" : on the narrative strategy of feminist retellings and their cultural connotations

Abstract

This paper examines the phenomenon of feminist retellings of classical Greek myths, with a particular focus on contemporary novels that use this narrative strategy to critique traditional representations of women, while also problematizing the (heteronormative) politics of masculinity and sexuality in general. The primary aim is to explore how and with what implications female and queer male voices and experiences are granted agency within narratives where they have historically been marginalized. The analysis is centered on three novels: The Song of Achilles (2011) by Madeline Miller, The Silence of the Girls (2018) by Pat Barker, and Stone Blind (2022) by Natalie Haynes. These works are read as literary interventions that engage with the Western canon by reimagining mythological content from feminist and, at times, queer perspectives. Methodologically, the research relies on narrative analysis, particularly drawing on the theoretical framework of Porter Abbott. Special attention is given to the role of the narrator, interpretative tensions, and the multiplicity of perspectives within a single narrative structure. Through close reading, the paper identifies how these texts reassign narrative authority to previously silenced characters and question the ideological foundations of the myths they rework. The analysis also considers the intersections of feminist and queer theory in representing gender, especially in relation to the rearticulation of the Trojan myth and its characters. One of the key findings of the study is that feminist retellings function not merely as acts of revision but as culturally significant re-narrativizations that disrupt androcentric epistemologies embedded in canonical literature. By shifting the narrative focus, these novels subvert the traditionally glorified heroism of male protagonists and instead center experiences of trauma, resistance, and survival among female and queer characters. In doing so, they problematize the authority of myth and propose alternative frameworks of memory and meaning. Ultimately, the paper argues that such retellings are part of a broader cultural process of reevaluating literary heritage. They perform both a literary and ideological reorientation, reconfiguring the boundaries of voice, perspective, and historical legitimacy. These texts serve not only as reinterpretations of ancient myths but also as contemporary commentaries on gender, power, and the politics of storytelling. As such, feminist retellings emerge as a form of narrative agency and a mode of cultural critique with lasting relevance within the political realm.