In Goddess of Yesterday, Caroline Cooney suggests that Anaxandra represents a strong female character in a male dominated society. Although the novel has a female main character, the rest of the world around her is very man-controlled. For example, on her birth island all women are expected to stay home while men work. Also, she proves that she is smart and has learned a lot which is uncommon for woman. Another example is that Anaxandra stands up to different men throughout the story which would scare a lot of other women.
For example, Anaxandra’s father is a very powerful man on her island. This leaves Anaxandra and her mother with a lot of time on their hands. While Anaxandra’s mother cares for the house, Anaxandra has time to explore and teach herself about many things. Anaxandra says, “ ‘I am never afraid’ I said severely. ‘I can do anything.’ ” This quote proves that Anaxandra taught herself bravery and also that she can face anything.
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Anaxandra’s father is able to teach her skills that other women don’t know. She is capable of solving her own problems without any help. When Anaxandra is being chased by the men that came to attack King Nicander, she has enough courage to try and save Callisto. When she can’t save Callisto, Anaxandra is brave enough to jump off the cliff and put an octopus on her head to scare off the men. She is smart enough to stand up to those that hurt the people close to her. This protective trait is shown when Anaxandra says, “ ‘You touch my prince, you dog of a Trojan, and the gods will rip your Ophian apart board by board and pierce your heart with it’s splinters.’