Villainy and Women: A Critical Edition of James Baldwin’s “The Quest of Medusa’s Head”

Abstract

Tales of Medusa typically end in her death, but, if all she does is die, why are the stories about her? Through analyzing Medusa’s story with a feminist lens, readers can see that her life is dictated by the men around her—she is hideous because a man rapes her and is killed because a man desires her head. Medusa has become a comparative symbol for women who break from gender roles and defy the patriarchy. This edition analyzes restraints placed upon Medusa, and all women, with particular focus on literature from the nineteenth century.