Similarities Between The Silence Of The Girls And Circe

Through the construction of the societal expectations and relationships, “Circe” and “The Silence of the Girls” builds the perception of indoctrination within a patriarchal system. This is significant within the introduction of both novels, gaining a perspective into the systemic lives of both characters. “Circe” confronts this system through identifying how she is situated within the world: “That word, nymph, paced out the length and breadth of our futures. In our language, it means not just goddess, but bride.” In this moment, the reader is being introduced to the world of “Circe”, explaining the position of Circe and her importance. Through the utilisation of complex sentence structures, and lexical metaphors, the quote encapsulates the

This is reinforced through the parallel structure of stating that a nymph was “not just [a] goddess, but [a] bride”. This juxtaposition of the two labels of “goddess” and “bride” is reflective of the societal pressures enforced upon women, even if they are powerful – such as any God should be. The noun “Goddess” creates the illusion of a divine status, omniscient and worshiped, therefore creating an ironic shift when the noun “bride” is used. “Bride” creates an illusion of subservient nature, and belonging to someone else, stripping the nymphs of individuality. This creates a prophetical nature to the livelihood of a nymph, being outlined within their own label as someone else’s property; this is further reinforced in the phrase, “paced out the length and breadth of our future.” The phrase creates a further sense of inescapability, and certainty within their function in society; they are made to further the blood line, and rule with no power. Similarly, this social position is given to Brises within “The Silence of the Girls”, however, her status is more condemning when assigned the role of a female