Rewriting Gender Roles: Feminist Reinterpretation of Mythological Narratives

Abstract

Mythological stories form the basis of many cultures as they are passed down through generations, serving as a means of conveying values, beliefs and traditions. Mythological tales generally idiolize and glorify male prowess. Gender inequality in mythology is a complex issue which is deeply ingrained in the socio-cultural fabric of the Indian society. This representation often mirrors the gender disparity in our lives as well. These narratives frequently portray women in subordinate roles which directly reflects the patriarchal norms prevalent in the society. Revisionist mythology takes these ancient tales and caters them to the modern readers by reinterpreting them. One of the prevalent themes of the revisionist mythology is the point of view of a female character which helps the reader in understanding the situation of females in the ancient times. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Kavita Kane, through their revisionist mythological novels, provide a new outlook on traditional narratives that challenges the existing gender bias and creates a platform for female empowerment in mythological retellings. The paper discusses and argues that the modern retellings have created an alternative feminine discourse by breaking the ideological male canon and also aims to explore the gynocentric myth created by these women writers.