The Persephone Myth in Young Adult Fiction

From Girl to Woman

Cristina Salcedo González (Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain)

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
12 December 2024

Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers; Children's literature studies: general; Ancient religions & mythologies

Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception

Investigating the widespread but understudied presence of the Persephone myth within 21st-century young adult literature, Cristina Salcedo González analyses six young adult novels which incorporate a reworking of this ancient Greek myth. Through the identification of mythic themes (‘mythemes’) and patterns within these novels, González shows that these works evoke the female life cycle and develop current perceptions of the female maturational experience. As a result, Salcedo González makes an important contribution in establishing the cultural significance of young adult literature in the world of classical reception. These novels, all written by women, also inflect or interpret the myth in ways influenced by their contemporary contexts, specifically the impact of the novels’ target readership on the aspects of the myth that are either emphasised (e.g. Persephone’s descent into the underworld; her existence there; and her re-ascent) or de-emphasised (e.g. the mourning and wanderings of Demeter).

This book makes original methodological contributions – through its innovative dual perspective of myth criticism and classical reception – to our understanding of the academically neglected genre of young adult literature and the reception of the myth of Persephone. As a result, Salcedo González significantly contributes to establishing the cultural significance of young adult literature within the realm of classical reception.

By: Cristina Salcedo González (Autonomous University of Madrid Spain)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781350401198
ISBN 10: 1350401196
Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 12 December 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations 1. Introduction PART I. THE REVALUATION OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY: THE MULTIPLE FACES OF PERSEPHONE FROM ANTIQUITY TO MODERNITY 2. Classical Persephone 3. From medieval Persephone to romantic Proserpine 4. Persephone in twentieth-century and nineteenth-century literature written in English PART II. PERSEPHONE ADAPTED FOR YOUNG ADULT READERS: THE YOUNG WOMAN’S JOURNEY INTO ADULTHOOD 5. Persephone’s revival in contemporary popular media and young adult culture 6. Mourning Persephone: adolescence and depression (Dangerous Spaces by Margaret Mahy) 7. Lost Persephone: adolescence and the inevitability of change (The Water’s Edge by Louise Tondeur) 8. Sick Persephone: eating disorders and mental health (Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson) 9. Abducted Persephone: violence against young women (Bone Gap by Laura Ruby) 10. Persephone and toxic love: adolescence and infernal relationships (House of Women by Lynn Freed) 11. Searching Persephone: identity formation, self-esteem and gender violence (Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block) 12. From girl to woman: female rites of passage and underworld journeys 13. Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index Appendix: young adult rewritings of the Persephone myth in English literature from 1980 to 2023

Cristina Salcedo González is Assistant Professor in English at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.

Reviews for The Persephone Myth in Young Adult Fiction: From Girl to Woman

A convincing argument for - and vivid demonstration of - the relevance of Young Adult literature in giving us a full picture of the reception of the ancient world. -- Gregory N. Daugherty, Professor Emeritus of Classics, Randolph-Macon College, USA