Thus spoke the stone women,Ahalya and Galatea : A comparative study of classical myths and their modern feminist retellings by Kavita Kane and Madeline Miller

Abstract

This article explores the transformative impact of feminist revisionist mythmaking in contemporary literature, aiming to reinterpret the archetype of the “stone woman” in Indian and Greek mythology. This study examines how contemporary authors reinterpret and question the conventional mythological narratives to recover female agency and voice through a comparative analysis of Kavita Kane’s Ahalya’s Awakening and Madeline Miller’s Galatea. Using feminist and gender-based theoretical frameworks, such as Alicia Ostriker’s theory of “feminist revisionist mythmaking” and Simone de Beauvoir’s criticism of myths, this study contends that modern retellings of the ancient myths are effective tools for challenging patriarchal systems and redefining women’s roles in society. The study adds to the expanding literature on feminist mythological interpretations by showing how the transformation of the archetype of a “stone woman” from symbols of numbness and passivity to that of awakening and liberation reflects broader changes in feminist literary practice and thought. Additionally, it investigates how these retellings interact with intersectional feminist viewpoints, tackling issues of class, power, and cultural identity in addition to gender.