This summer, I worked with professor Clara Hardy to help her choose materials for the class she is teaching in the fall. This Argument and Inquiry class will cover adaptations of Greek myths in the modern day and the impact of those adaptations.
My main role was to read and research adaptations and decide whether they would be appropriate for the class. This decision included considering whether the plot and characters would lead to discussion and essay topics that would be feasible and enjoyable for the students. I specifically focused on adaptations of the Iliad, the Metamorphosis, and the story of Psyche and Eros. After spending a week on a particular story and its adaptation, we would meet in small groups to discuss whether the adaptation was appropriate before presenting the adaptation in front of the whole group. For each adaptation, we considered the length of the adaptation along with the length of the original. Depending on the adaptation, some would only require students to read small portions or a summary of the original work, while others required more extensive reading.
Throughout the four weeks, I ended up reading five books; Country by Michael Hughes, Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith, The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. Out of the books I read, three of them were related to the Iliad and the story of Achilles. It was refreshing to see how different authors portrayed the same characters. The characters and relationships between Achilles, Patroclus, and Briseis were especially compelling to look into. In different adaptations the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus was either one of lovers or one of family. Similarly, Briseis’ relationship with Achilles fluctuates between one of mutual respect and one of total command and control. Even within the adaptations that viewed Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship as queer, the treatment of Briseis varied greatly. Throughout The Song of Achilles, Achilles and Briseis never have a physical relationship and Achilles only keeps her around and protects her because Patroclus asked him to. In comparison, The Silence of the Girls is more subtle about Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship and shows it as companionship more than skinship, while Achilles and Briseis’ relationship is one almost exclusively of skinship.
Another major idea we touched on throughout the discussions and meetings was what made a good adaptation. Most of the adaptations we read followed the general plot of the original story, while some chose to only keep certain aspects of the characters to create a story the author found more compelling. If an author writes a story to be the exact same as the original, it becomes a boring adaptation and does not add anything to the original story. Queer adaptations of Greek myths usually do fairly well and are quite popular because they can take an already undefined relationship, play with gender norms, and create an interesting relationship therefore adding to the overall plot.
Throughout this experience, I got a better understanding of the ways that different authors interpret myths. I gained experience in preparing and testing group discussion topics and essay topics. It was a new experience to try and think about books from the perspective of someone leading discussions. I also became more confident in my ability to find secondary sources for novels and short stories.