Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman”
Taking my cue from Hans Blumenberg’s notion of the “work on myth,” according to which myth is always in the process of revision, this article explores Alcott’s reconfiguration of the Psyche and Pygmalion myths in her novella “A Marble Woman” in conjunction with the nineteenth-century context of wome...
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European Association for American Studies
2022-10-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/18739 |
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| author | Michaela Keck |
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| author_sort | Michaela Keck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Taking my cue from Hans Blumenberg’s notion of the “work on myth,” according to which myth is always in the process of revision, this article explores Alcott’s reconfiguration of the Psyche and Pygmalion myths in her novella “A Marble Woman” in conjunction with the nineteenth-century context of women’s quest for self-possession in marriage. Alcott rewrites Psyche’s curious gaze at the sleeping Amor as the heroine’s, i.e., Cecil’s, self-possessed rescue of her legal guardian and later husband and Pygmalion’s animation of his Galatea as Cecil’s superb imitation of wifely adoration. However, Cecil’s quest for self-possession in marriage is not successful until Yorke acknowledges her beauty in body and mind. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9f417be643994348bb9f8fb1ea8b03e8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-9f417be643994348bb9f8fb1ea8b03e82025-01-06T09:08:29ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362022-10-0117310.4000/ejas.18739Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman”Michaela KeckTaking my cue from Hans Blumenberg’s notion of the “work on myth,” according to which myth is always in the process of revision, this article explores Alcott’s reconfiguration of the Psyche and Pygmalion myths in her novella “A Marble Woman” in conjunction with the nineteenth-century context of women’s quest for self-possession in marriage. Alcott rewrites Psyche’s curious gaze at the sleeping Amor as the heroine’s, i.e., Cecil’s, self-possessed rescue of her legal guardian and later husband and Pygmalion’s animation of his Galatea as Cecil’s superb imitation of wifely adoration. However, Cecil’s quest for self-possession in marriage is not successful until Yorke acknowledges her beauty in body and mind.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/18739Louisa May Alcott; nineteenth-century women’s fiction; classical myth; Amor and Psyche; Pygmalion |
| spellingShingle | Michaela Keck Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman” European Journal of American Studies Louisa May Alcott; nineteenth-century women’s fiction; classical myth; Amor and Psyche; Pygmalion |
| title | Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman” |
| title_full | Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman” |
| title_fullStr | Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman” |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman” |
| title_short | Psyche and Pygmalion: The Heart’s Desires Revised in Louisa May Alcott’s “A Marble Woman” |
| title_sort | psyche and pygmalion the heart s desires revised in louisa may alcott s a marble woman |
| topic | Louisa May Alcott; nineteenth-century women’s fiction; classical myth; Amor and Psyche; Pygmalion |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/18739 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelakeck psycheandpygmaliontheheartsdesiresrevisedinlouisamayalcottsamarblewoman |