Volume 10, Number 3
From Kore to Queen: Feminist Transformation in Rachel SMYTHE’S Lore Olympus
Authors
Taylor C. Ferguson, Southern New Hampshire University, United States
Abstract
This paper explores Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus as a contemporary feminist interpretation of the ancient myth “The Taking of Persephone.” Focusing on the tumultuous relationship between Demeter and Persephone, the analysis explores how maternal control and female complicity reinforce patriarchal power structures. Drawing on the feminist frameworks from Simone de Beauvoir and Adrienne Rich, the paper argues Demeter’s attempts to infantilize Persephone are born from her own trauma and fear of losing status within a male-dominated system. These action result in Persephone lacking the knowledge and agency necessary to navigate her newly discovered adulthood, leaving her vulnerable to social repression and sexual violence. However, through Persephone’s relationship with Hades, portrayed as a rare example of feminist male allyship, Persephone reclaims her autonomy, embraces her identity as a fertility goddess, and ascends to power as Queen of the Underworld. By contrasting Demeter’s complicity with Hades’s support, Smythe’s Lore Olympus reframes classical mythology to expose feminine enablement of patriarchal control while simultaneously celebrating feminine resilience and transformation.
Keywords
Lore Olympus, Rachel Smythe, Greek Mythology, Female Complicity, Feminine Agency.