Carrie Selwood ’24
Defining Womanhood: Influences of Ancient Greek Representations in Modern Ideas
Carrie Selwood ’24, History and Classics major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robin Green, History and Classics
Oral Presentation: Wednesday, April 24, 4:24 p.m.
This thesis examines Antigone, Helen, Athena, and Artemis, their conceptions in ancient and modern cultures, and how they continue to influence our ideas about womanhood today. What is the value of still talking about these women? What can we learn from them? These classical women portray those who have stepped outside of their assigned gender roles, but in their own context, they exist in spaces that are both subversive and conformist. In the modern conception of womanhood, these women have been reclaimed as figures of resistance to traditional gender roles, giving voice and agency to those who are usually silenced.