Is the song of achilles gay
The Song of Achilles is a novel by Madeline Miller that retells the myth of Achilles and Patroclus, two men who loved each other in the Trojan War. The novel portrays their relationship as erotic, emotional, and public, and contrasts it with the challenges and tragedies of their historical and mythical contexts. Further, Miller struggles with separating her own voice from the voice of her first person narrator, which makes for some very uncomfortable narration surrounding the bodies of year old children.
is the song of achilles'' appropriate for a 12 year old
This is what really convinced me that this book was written for straight readers. This makes absolutely no sense considering that, as a goddess, she should be above the petty who's-kissing-who of mortals, and makes even less sense when you consider that Zeus himself took male lovers. Instead, the entire narrative focuses on the external--how attractive Achilles is, and the external consequences for their relationship such as the disapproval of Achilles' mother.
The Song of Achilles is a novel by Madeline Miller that retells the myth of Achilles and Patroclus, two men who loved each other in the Trojan War. The novel portrays their relationship as erotic, emotional, and public, and contrasts it with the challenges and tragedies of their historical and mythical contexts. And despite more and more LGBTQ+ centered stories being published, The Song of Achilles stands out as remarkable.
Here's what I got: The Song of Achilles reads very much like the erotic fantasy of a straight woman about gay men. Patroclus, 9 at the time, describes Achilles as "still plump with childhood" and with "hair lit like honey in the sun. I started the novel with high hopes, as The Song of Achilles promised to be an exploration of the romantic relationship between Achilles and Patroclus—taking what The Iliad only implied and putting it to paper.
What would a boy growing up in mythical ancient Greece, a land where even Zeus took male lovers, think about his own romantic and sexual desires? A child would never say another child their age was "still plump with childhood. Surely gay couples taking on stereotypical masculine and feminine roles have been over-used throughout literature?.
I would have been incredibly interested in a well-researched novel which explores the unique challenges and enjoyment! That would have been a truly unique novel. And despite more and more LGBTQ+ centered stories being published, The Song of Achilles stands out as remarkable. She's upset that Achilles and Patroclus kiss and makes it her mission to separate them.
The book is a must-read for Pride Month, as it portrays a genuine and direct gay relationship without stereotypes or queer-baiting. Its only notable plot point is Simon’s sexuality to the point where it feels like the overly-politicized nature of the plot is doing the LGBTQ+ community a painful injustice. A coming of age story about queer children, yet they spare no thought for their own identities?
The story is told from the point of view of Patroclus, one of the main characters in Homer’s The Iliad. Achilles is a brave and fierce warrior - although beautifully vulnerable in private - and Patroclus is the gentle pacifist that acts as his calming force.
If Patroclus really had exclusive feelings towards men, there would be some internal narrative exploring how he feels about his feelings--how does he see himself fitting into his culture? Is the trope of Achilles’ brazen personality coupled with Patroclus’ soft exterior a false, overused fetishization of a gay relationship? I was expecting this story to at least acknowledge that ancient Greece is not the same as Victorian England just because both periods happened out of living memory.
No thoughts of the future, or considerations of whether there are others like them? “The Song of Achilles” cover. I was made personally uncomfortable, especially considering how young the characters are in the first 3rd of the book The Song of Achilles revisits tired tropes that seem very out of place in the ancient Greek setting--a culture notorious for its fluid sexuality.
Thetis Achilles' mother behaves more like a small town republican than a goddess. The book is a must-read for Pride Month, as it portrays a genuine and direct gay relationship without stereotypes or queer-baiting. I stopped reading The Song of Achilles a third of the way through. Madeline Miller's novel adapts the myth of Achilles and Patroclus, two ancient heroes who fall in love and face war and tragedy.
The bigotry is only included in the text because Miller has no idea how to deal with queer characters outside of the angst of the present day. Surely gay couples taking on stereotypical masculine and feminine roles have been over-used throughout literature?. The story is told from the point of view of Patroclus, one of the main characters in Homer’s The Iliad.
Neither Achilles nor Patroclus consider themselves as part of a greater social context. Madeline Miller's novel adapts the myth of Achilles and Patroclus, two ancient heroes who fall in love and face war and tragedy. Does he desire only men in The Song of Achilles this is true of both Achilles and Patroclus , and what does that mean for him personally, as compared to what it would mean for us today?
The Song of Achilles , however, reads like Miller read one Alex Sanchez novel and thought she was somehow qualified to write this book.