DOCSLIB.ORG

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Narcissistic Personality Disorder FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE By SUZANNE POPE Integrated Studies Project submitted to Dr. Emma Pivato in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts – Integrated Studies Athabasca, Alberta November, 2011 FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN 2 IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE Table of Contents Abstract 3 Introduction 4 The Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder 5 The Increasing Prevalence of Narcissism in Daily Life 6 What Art Can Tell Us About Narcissistic Personality Disorder 8 Narcissistic Personality Disorder in To Die For 9 Narcissistic Personality Disorder in The Picture of Dorian Gray 12 Narcissistic Personality Disorder in Othello 18 Conclusion 26 References 27 FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN 3 IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE Abstract Narcissistic Personality Disorder is more common and observable today than in past generations (Twenge and Campbell). Yet its features – a lack of empathy, a sense of entitlement, profound envy, and the like – have been noted in fictional characters for centuries. By studying certain works of theatre, fiction, and film, we may gain insights into NPD that would not be possible outside a prolonged experience of the disorder in a clinical setting. The fictional works analyzed are Shakespeare's Othello, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the film To Die For by director Gus van Sant. FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN 4 IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE Full-Length Mirrors: Narcissistic Personality Disorder as seen in Literature, Film, and Modern Life The self-absorption and sense of entitlement associated with narcissism are easily observed in modern Western society. The Internet in particular supports self-importance and exhibitionism by giving ordinary people the ability to broadcast the most mundane images and announcements through Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. In addition, reality television programs attract thousands of prospective “performers” who do not seem aware that they are applying for a chance at international humiliation. But the evidence of increased societal narcissism is not just empirical: Twenge and Campbell analyzed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory scores of college students from 1982 to 2006, and found that scores had risen by 30% during that time. Pinsky further held that the narcissistic behaviour of Hollywood celebrities has become normalized and is now being mirrored by a fascinated public. From the example set by celebrities, the public might surmise that narcissistic behaviour goes unpunished, but clinicians know better: Narcissistic behaviours may allow for material success, but they are incompatible with success in human relationships. However, laypeople do in fact have access to the truth about narcissism without engaging in specialized study or in psychotherapeutic treatment. Narcissistic characters abound in works of fiction, and they have been drawn with remarkable insight for centuries. By examining these cautionary tales, clinicians can gain further understanding of narcissistic personality disorder, and laypeople can come to understand that stories of narcissism do not have happy endings. FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN 5 IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE The diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder To begin, it is important distinguish between the normal levels of narcissism observed in healthy individuals and the levels of narcissism needed to qualify for a diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) places personality disorders on Axis II of its five-axis examination system. Personality disorders were placed on their own axis in the DSM to ensure they would receive adequate attention when patients presented with more urgent Axis I disorders (such as depression, et cetera). “Clinical syndromes were generally thought to be characterized by transient symptoms with biological causes and an unstable course; personality disorders were supposed by many to be characterized by long-standing personality traits, whose roots were primarily psychological, and a stable and unremitting course” (Ruocco, 1995). Put another way, personality disorders might render a person more susceptible to Axis I disorders, but they are seldom the reason a person presents for treatment. NPD appears in Cluster B of the DSM’s three-cluster organization of personality disorders. Cluster B includes the disorders that are viewed as dramatic, emotional, or erratic. The disorder is marked by its “pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), need for admiration, and lack of empathy...” (Livesley, 1995, p. 205). A diagnosis requires that at least five of the following criteria be met: • A grandiose sense of self-importance • Preoccupation with fantasies of beauty, brilliance, ideal love, power, or limitless success FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN 6 IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE • A belief in one's uniqueness that renders him or her fit only for persons or institutions of rarefied status • A need for excessive admiration • A sense of entitlement around favourable treatment or the automatic granting of wishes • The exploitation of others to achieve personal goals • A lack of empathy toward others • Frequent envy or the belief that the patient is the subject of envy • Arrogance or haughtiness in attitude or behavior NPD first appeared in the DSM as part of DSM-III in 1980, but it is probable that even the authors of the diagnostic criteria would not have foreseen the rise of narcissistic features in the general public in the decades that followed. The Increasing Prevalence of Narcissism in Daily Life Even a layperson’s understanding of narcissism is sufficient for recognizing how much more socially acceptable narcissism has become in recent years. Reality television, sex tapes, Twitter accounts, and visible tattoos on women are displays of the self that were rare, shocking, or nonexistent twenty years ago. Today, they are so common as to be unremarkable. Twenge and Campbell confirmed that the perceived increase in Western society’s self-absorption could be measured. Analyzing college students’ scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, the team determined that scores rose by 30% between 1986 and 2006 – as much, they note, as American rates of obesity. They also FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN 7 IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE proposed that the growth in young people’s narcissism is accelerating, given that the sharpest increase in the scores occurred between 2000 and 2006 (p. 30). Twenge and Campbell disputed the common clinical position that narcissists struggle with deep-seated feelings of emptiness and worthlessness: “(T)hey like themselves just fine, and even more than the average person. Adults who score high on narcissism typically score high on self-esteem as well” (p. 26). However, Pinksy’s analysis was more in keeping with the prevailing view of narcissism as a mask for deep distress (p. 88): Narcissism...springs from an opposite relationship with the self: not self- involvement, but a disconnection with oneself. The key to understanding the Narcissus myth is not that he fell in love with himself, but that he failed to recognize himself in his own reflection. In other words, true narcissists are not self-aware. A real narcissist is dissociated from his or her true self; he feels haunted by chronic feelings of loneliness, emptiness and self-loathing and seeks to replace that disconnection with a sense of worth and importance fueled by others. Narcissism is also marked by a profound lack of empathy, a fundamental inability to understand and connect with the feelings of others. Pinsky sought to analyze the particular relationship between narcissism and celebrity in Western culture (specifically, the United States). Pinsky proposed that narcissists are predisposed to seek the limelight as an antidote to their self-loathing (p. 13), and that an increase in societal narcissism has boosted the numbers of people seeking fame in spite of having no discernable talents. But, as Pinsky noted, the general public is FULL-LENGTH MIRRORS: NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER AS SEEN 8 IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MODERN LIFE as pathologically invested in celebrity as are the celebrities themselves. When celebrities flout societal norms (and even laws) with impunity, they effectively model that behaviour to an adoring international audience. The apparent absence of consequences for celebrities encourages ordinary people to mimic the attitudes and behaviours of celebrities in their own lives (p. 7), thus “causing damage to our relationships, our families, and the fabric of society” (p. 15). The public in due course becomes narcissistically envious of the very narcissists it admires, delighting in dethroning its idols, and fuelling the tabloid gossip industry that seeks to destroy reputations and careers. What Art Can Tell Us About Narcissistic Personality Disorder The findings of Twenge and Campbell confirm the gradual normalization of entitlement, exhibitionism, and self-involvement, behaviour that, in decades past, would have been considered inappropriate, and even offensive. Pinsky observed that much of this behaviour is effectively
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MYTHS Echo and Narcissus Greco/Roman the Greeks
    MYTHS Echo and Narcissus Greco/Roman The Greeks (and Romans) were among the early monogamous societies. The men, however, seemed to revel in stories of Zeus’ (Jupiter’s) adulterous escapades with goddesses as well as humans, and enjoyed tales of the jealousies of his wife, Hera (Juno), the goddess of marriage and the family. For the full introduction to this story and for other stories, see The Allyn & Bacon Anthology of Traditional Literature edited by Judith V. Lechner. Allyn & Bacon/Longman, 2003. From: Outline of Mythology: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne by Thomas Bulfinch. New York: Review of Reviews Company, 1913. pp. 101-103. Echo was a beautiful nymph, fond of the woods and hills, where she devoted herself to woodland sports. She was a favorite of Diana, and attended her in the chase. But Echo had one failing: she was fond of talking, and whether in chat or argument, would have the last word. One day Juno was seeking her husband, who, she had reason to fear, was amusing himself among the nymphs. Echo by her talk contrived to detain the goddess till the nymphs made their escape. When Juno discovered it, she passed sentence upon Echo in these words: “You shall forfeit the use of that tongue with which you have cheated me, except for the one purpose you are so fond of—reply. You shall still have the last word, but no power to speak the first.” This nymph saw Narcissus, a beautiful youth, as he pursued the chase upon the mountains.
    [Show full text]
  • Greek and Roman Mythology and Heroic Legend
    G RE E K AN D ROMAN M YTH O LOGY AN D H E R O I C LE GEN D By E D I N P ROFES SOR H . ST U G Translated from th e German and edited b y A M D i . A D TT . L tt LI ONEL B RN E , , TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE S Y a l TUD of Greek religion needs no po ogy , and should This mus v n need no bush . all t feel who ha e looked upo the ns ns and n creatio of the art it i pired . But to purify stre gthen admiration by the higher light of knowledge is no work o f ea se . No truth is more vital than the seemi ng paradox whi c h - declares that Greek myths are not nature myths . The ape - is not further removed from the man than is the nature myth from the religious fancy of the Greeks as we meet them in s Greek is and hi tory . The myth the child of the devout lovely imagi nation o f the noble rac e that dwelt around the e e s n s s u s A ga an. Coar e fa ta ie of br ti h forefathers in their Northern homes softened beneath the southern sun into a pure and u and s godly bea ty, thus gave birth to the divine form of n Hellenic religio . M c an c u s m c an s Comparative ythology tea h uch . It hew how god s are born in the mind o f the savage and moulded c nn into his image .
    [Show full text]
  • Dorian Gray Syndrome
    Pleskovo Comprehensive Orthodox Christian Boarding School Dorian Gray Syndrome Modern society’s cognitive disease: origin, features and therapy. Author Daniil Igorevich Chugaev a senior student Supervisor Irina Vladimirovna Nickishina an English teacher 2012 Contents Prologue Oscar Wilde’s novel «The Picture of Dorian Gray»: • author’s short biography; • summary of the novel; • theme analysis. Pages 3 through 6 Keynote Dorian Gray Syndrome: • myth about Narcissus as a representation of ancient society; • becoming a trend of modern society; • origin and features; • ways of treatment. Pages 7 through 9 Conclusion Page 10 Credits Page 11 2 Prologue Oscar Wilde’s biography Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. Today he is remembered for his epigrams, plays and the circumstances of his imprisonment, followed by his early death. Wilde's parents were successful Dublin intellectuals. Their son became fluent in French and German early in life. At university Wilde read Greats; he proved himself to be an outstanding classicist, first at Dublin, then at Oxford. He became known for his involvement in the rising philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. He also profoundly explored Roman Catholicism, to which he would later convert on his deathbed. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles. As a spokesman for aestheticism, he tried his hand at various literary activities: he published a book of poems, lectured in the United States of America and Canada on the new "English Renaissance in Art", and then returned to London where he worked prolifically as a journalist.
    [Show full text]
  • Greek Mythology and Medical and Psychiatric Terminology
    HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRY Greek mythology and medical and psychiatric terminology Loukas Athanasiadis A great number of terms in modern psychiatry, Narcissus gave his name to narcissism (ex medicine and related disciplines originate from treme self-love based on an idealised self-image). the Greek, including pathology, schizophrenia, He was a young man extremely proud of his ophthalmology, gynaecology, anatomy, pharma beauty and indifferent to the emotions of those cology, biology, hepatology, homeopathy, allo who fell in love with him. A goddess cursed him pathy and many others. There are also many to feel what it is to love and get nothing in return. terms that originate from figures from ancient He subsequently fell in love with his own image Greek mythology (or the Greek words related to when he saw his reflection in the water of a those figures) and I think that it might be fountain, and believed that this image belonged interesting to take a look at some of them. to a spirit. Every time he tried to embrace the Psyche means 'soul' in Greek and she gave her image it disappeared and appeared without names to terms like psychiatry (medicine of the saying a word. At the end the desperate soul), psychology, etc. Psyche was a mortal girl Narcissus died and was turned into a flower that with whom Eros ('love', he gave his name to still bears his name. erotomania, etc.) fell in love. Eros's mother Echo was a very attractive young nymph who Aphrodite had forbidden him to see mortal girls. always wanted to have the last word.
    [Show full text]
  • The Changes of Dorian's Personality to Be Narcissistic Caused by His
    The Changes of Dorian’s Personality to be Narcissistic Caused by His Environment Reflected in Oscar Wilde’s Novel The Picture of Dorian Gray SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE BY IRMA OEMAYA NIM 0811110048 STUDY PROGRAM OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES UNIVERSITAS BRAWIJAYA MALANG 2013 This is to certify that the Sarjana thesis of Irma Oemaya has been approved by the Board of Supervisors. Malang, 1 Agustus 2013 Supervisor Juliati, M.Hum. NIP. Malang, 21 June 2013 Co-supervisor Fredy Nugroho S, M.Hum The Changes of Dorian’s Personality to be Narcissistic Caused by His Environment Reflected in Oscar Wilde’s Novel The Picture of Dorian Gray Irma Oemaya Study Program of English, Faculty of Culture Studies, Universitas Brawijaya Abstract God creates human with the biological aspect as the foundation that build someone from the body, personality, character, etc, and biological is not the only factor that build some one’s character. There are some key factors, which provoke particular changes in human character, and these aspects can be divided into two groups, internal and external. Everyone has different personality and character, and they also have bad side and good side inside them, which is the most strongest side will be seen clearly as they wants. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel with uncommon theme or supernatural thing. Yet the real theme which is going to be analyzed deal with the change Dorian’s character a handsome young man from innocent nature into an evily selfish person. Dorian Gray was a pure man until his meeting with Lord Henry brought him to realize that beauty is everything.
    [Show full text]
  • Concept Clarity in Relation to Online Dating Behaviors
    NARCISSUS ONLINE: AN INVESTIGATION OF NARCISSISM AND SELF- CONCEPT CLARITY IN RELATION TO ONLINE DATING BEHAVIORS by MARYAM TAJMIRRIYAHI Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Arlington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON December 2020 Copyright © by Maryam Tajmirriyahi 2020 All Rights Reserved ii Acknowledgements “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field, I'll meet you there.” -Rumi I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. William Ickes, for giving me many opportunities to flourish and succeed, and for helping me grow as a scholar throughout this long and arduous process. I also would like to send special thanks to my committee members, Dr. Scott Coleman, Dr. Angela Dougall, Dr. Jared Kenworthy and Dr. Vivian Ta, for all their support, feedback, and insights. I would like to pay tribute to my family, Maman, Baba, Saeed, Zahra, Sami, Hesam, Sahar, Parsa, Atrisa and my friends, for providing me with love, support, and above all, encouragement. Finally, I want to acknowledge my awesome lab mates, Shaikha Aldousari, Dr. Meghan Babcock, Stephen Doerfler, Dr. Rebecca Robinson, Dr. Eric Russell, and Dr. Vivian Ta, for all their help and support. I owe a lot of not-falling-apart-in-grad-school to them. December 8, 2020 iii Abstract NARCISSUS ONLINE: AN INVESTIGATION OF NARCISSISM AND SELF- CONCEPT CLARITY IN RELATION TO ONLINE DATING BEHAVIORS Maryam Tajmirriyahi, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Arlington, 2020 Supervising Professor: Dr. William Ickes Nemours studies over the years have provided extensive knowledge about the association between narcissism and romantic relationship initiation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Story of Echo and Narcissus
    The Story of Echo and Narcissus When Zeus came to the mountains, the wood nymphs rushed to embrace the jovial god. They played with him in icy waterfalls and laughed with him in lush green glades. Zeus’ wife, Hera, was very jealous, and often she searched the mountainside, trying to catch her husband with the nymphs. But whenever Hera came close to finding Zeus, a charming nymph named Echo stepped across her path. Echo chatted with Hera in a lively fashion and did whatever she could to stall the goddess until Zeus and the other nymphs had escaped. Eventually Hera discovered that Echo had been tricking her, and she flew into a rage. “Your tongue has made a fool of me!” she shouted at Echo. “Henceforth, your voice will be more brief, my dear! You will always have the last word - but never the first. From that day on, poor Echo could only repeat the last words of what others said. One day Echo spied a golden-haired youth hunting deer in the woods. The boy’s name was Narcissus, and he was the most beautiful young man in the forest. All who looked upon Narcissus fell in love with him immediately. But he would have nothing to do with anyone, for he was very conceited. When Echo first laid eyes upon Narcissus, her heart burned like the flame of a torch. She secretly followed him through the woods, loving him more with each step. She got closer and closer until finally Narcissus heard the leaves rustling. He whirled around and cried out, “Who’s here?” From behind a tree, Echo repeated his last word, “Here!” Narcissus looked about in wonder, “Who are you? Come to me!” he said.
    [Show full text]
  • Poor Narcissus by Darlene Lancer, LMFT
    Poor Narcissus By Darlene Lancer, LMFT The gods sentenced him to a life without human love. He fell in love with his own reflection in pool of water and died hungering for its response. Like Narcissus, narcissists only love themselves as reflected in the eyes of others. It’s a common misconception that they love themselves. They actually dislike themselves immensely. Their inflated self-flattery, perfectionism, and arrogance are merely covers for the self-loathing they don’t admit–usually even to themselves. Instead, it’s projected outwards in their disdain for and criticism of others. They’re too afraid to look at themselves, because they believe that the truth would be devastating. Actually, they don’t have much of a Self at all. Emotionally, they’re dead inside and they hunger to be filled and validated by others. Sadly, they’re unable to appreciate the love they do get and alienate those who give it. Diagnosis All personality traits, including narcissism, range from mild to severe. Narcissism can be viewed on a continuum from mature to archaic. Mature individuals are able to idealize romantic partners, express their talents and skills, and accomplish their goals, while employing only neurotic defenses; a middle group has unstable boundaries and employ borderline defenses; and those highly sensitive to wounding, employ destructive, psychotic defenses and have unstable relationships (Solomon, 1989). Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), first categorized as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association in 1987, occurs in 1 to 6.2 percent of the population; males exceed females at a ratio of 3:2 (Dhawan, 2010; McClean, 2007).
    [Show full text]
  • *Some of the Myths Below Are Very Compressed and May Not Work As Well As Other Versions You Discover, However, They Are All Correctly Cited
    *Some of the myths below are very compressed and may not work as well as other versions you discover, however, they are all correctly cited. Perseus and Medusa In Greek mythology Perseus was the young hero who slew Medusa, one of the fearful Gorgons who turned to stone anyone who dared to look at them. Perseus was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and Dana, the beautiful daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. Acrisius had banished mother and son because an oracle had said Dana's son would one day kill him. Polydectes was king of the island where Dana and Perseus had been carried under Zeus's guidance. The king wooed Dana, but knew that he would have to get rid of Perseus before he could win Dana's hand. So he sent the youth to bring back the head of Medusa, thinking Perseus would be killed. Medusa was one of three terrible sisters called Gorgons. They had leathery wings, brazen claws, and writhing poisonous snakes in place of hair. Anyone who looked at them turned to stone. But Perseus was helped by the gods. Athena lent him her brightly polished shield, and Hermes gave him a magic sword. Perseus came to the land of night where the three Gray Sisters (the Graeae) lived. They had only one eye and one tooth among them. They refused to help Perseus, but he stole their eye and returned it only when they told him where to find the Gorgons. With winged sandals that enabled him to fly, the helmet of Hades that made him invisible, and a bag in which to conceal the head, he set out again and finally found the three Gorgons asleep.
    [Show full text]
  • 291 DORIAN GRAY's SYNDROME Dorin GANDRABUR Christian
    LITERATURĂ ŞI INTERCULTURALITATE _________________________________________________________________________________ CZU 821.111.09 DORIAN GRAY’S SYNDROME Dorin GANDRABUR Christian University “Dimitrie Cantemir”, Bucharest, Romania In the article The Dorian Gray Syndrome the author is analyzing the image of a Dandy and of course the Dorian Gray Syndrome. The author starts with telling us that the protagonists of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray are looking for pleasure in all aspects of life. This results in the protagonists leading bad lifestyles which include drugs, sex and even murder. They try to find the pleasure of beauty as they think that it is the most important thing in life. Throughout the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian's perspective of the world becomes solely aesthetic and he feels the increasing need to surround himself with objects of beauty. Aestheticism states that there is nothing wrong with materialism but problems arise when it replaces spiritualism. A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies. Dandyism is a man’s weapon of seduction, thus the author continues the article by reinforcing masculinity in The Picture of Dorian Gray. He notices that Dorian Gray’s narcissism is the main feature of his masculinity. The need to review his beauty and youth, impress it to audience and proof it is almost surreal as an unimaginable lust for beauty and masculinity due to the fact that he is a great charmer and possesses an impressive charismatic aura. As a conclusion the author ended his article by stating that the Dandy sees that beauty exists in evil and evil produces beauty.
    [Show full text]
  • Narcissus Englished: a Study Op the Book Op Thel, Alastor, and Endymion
    NARCISSUS ENGLISHED: A STUDY OP THE BOOK OP THEL, ALASTOR, AND ENDYMION. by BERNHARD D. HARDER B.A., University of British Columbia, 1964 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Arts in the Department of English We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA June, 1966 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for ex• tensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for finan• cial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada ABSTRACT The origin of the story of Narcissus is unknown, and the circumstances of his death are uncertain, but the most popular version of the tale as told by Ovid has been read, '<.•:• translated, explained, moralized and disputed by innumerable writers and alluded to by many more. Renaissance writers in England, such as Golding, Edwards and Sandys, were interested in first introducing the myth Into their own language and then, in explaining its meanings, lessons and moralizations. Later poets paraphrased their translations,often adding their own point of view or else using only the skeleton structure of the myth for their own poetic purposes. The simple story of a youth who died by a pool after falling hopelessly in love with his own reflection acquired a significance and immorta• lity worthy of a Greek god.
    [Show full text]
  • Gaze of the Medusa: the Defeat of Hillary Clinton
    Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts - Volume 5, Issue 3 – Pages 285-298 Gaze of the Medusa: The Defeat of Hillary Clinton By Victoria Clebanov Bennett Kravitz‡ Peel off the napkin O my enemy. Do I terrify? Sylvia Plath, Lady Lazarus You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her. And sheʼs not deadly. Sheʼs beautiful and laughing ... Helen Cixous, The Laugh of Medusa This essay ventures a post-election reflection on the significance of Clintonʼs defeat by addressing its emblematic representation as Medusaʼs decapitation by the triumphant Perseus. It is not a coincidence, we argue, that Clinton triggered in public imagination the odious image of Medusa, the epitome of female monstrosity of all [patriarchal] times, while Trumpʼs imagery of his rival articulated the ancient angst of man: the fear of woman as a mirror of manʼs own monstrosity, the inability to tolerate ambiguity embedded in woman, the envy of incapacity to create life ("uterus envy"). Thus, Trumpʼs experience of Clinton as Medusa echoes manʼs experience of powerful/ creative woman as a monstrously threatening reminder of his own narcissistic discontents. It also unravels manʼs need to demonize Medusa by victimization and then re-victimize her by demonization. Just as Medusa herself, an innocent beautiful maiden from Ovidʼs story, converts into a petrifying mirror of manʼs own monstrosity, so does the representation of Clinton and Clintonʼs defeat becomes a mirror through which an invisible lens of misogyny manifests itself. Introduction - The Medusa Defeated: An Aftermath Since the very day of the presidential election, many pundits, scholars and intellectuals have desperately been seeking a rational explanation for the defeat of Hillary Clinton.
    [Show full text]