Threads of Identity: Classical Reception and Feminist Perspectives of Homer’s Penelope in Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad and James Joyce’s Ulysses

Abstract

The aim of this academic paper is to analyze the conflict of identity regarding heroic figures (particularly heroines) that derives from literature being suited to different periods of time. Margaret Atwood’s novella The Penelopiad (2005) and James Joyce’s novel Ulysses (1922) are explored as modern reinterpretations of Homer’s The Odyssey that differ greatly. Atwood’s retelling offers a feminist view, emphasizing Penelope’s experiences and questioning traditional portrayals of heroines. Meanwhile, Joyce’s Leopold and Molly Bloom reflect concerns of early 20th-century Dublin, navigating a parodic approach to the original story so as to delve into the topic of human experience. Both authors challenge conventional stereotypes by giving voice and agency to marginalized characters like Penelope, although in very different ways and to very different extents. By examining them through the theoretical frameworks of gender studies, classical reception and reception theory (reader-response criticism) intertwined, these reinterpretations reflect contemporary social issues accordingly, and can, thus, shape readers’ perceptions and opinions. This results in Atwood’s Penelope and Joyce’s Molly Bloom being two different and unique characters despite sharing the same origin.