Sara Palermo (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
The endurance of the Amazonian archetype in mass media fiction products -tv series, movies, video games, comics, etc.- has been steady for the last eighty years, since William Moulton Marston brought to light the mother of the modern Amazons: Wonder Woman. Nevertheless, the manifestations of these mythological warriors have been changing over the last decades. This proposal seeks to analyze the shape-shifting nature of this archetype in characters of mainstream television, with a special focus on recent queer implications. To this end, I will analyze the characters of Arya Stark (Game of Thrones, HBO 2011-2019), Merida (Brave, Disney Pixar 2012) and Clarke (The 100, The CW 2014-2020).
Beyond the actual existence of a society of warrior women identifiable (or at least comparable) to the one described by Greek and Latin sources (cf. Davis-Kimball & Behan; Mayor; Toler), Amazons have been considered a historical reality by the groups that use them as a model and a source of inspiration (see, for instance, the analysis of the feminist agenda in Wonder Woman by Penrose; Potter, 2018). On some occasions, lesbian individuals have chosen these classic warriors as origin of a true lesbian genealogy (cf. Millward). In fact, as stated by Paula Graham, «Amazons and cross-dressing warrior-maids are dear to most lesbian hearts, giving us both a sense of history and of possibility» (p. 197). This appropriation of the Amazons finds another crucial link in the tv series Xena: Warrior Princess (NBC, 1995-2001) and its queer subtext, which developed into a clear lesbian reading within the fandom (cf. Potter, 2009; Alesci). However, both Diana of Themyscira and Xena shared a feature that diminished their revolutionary (lesbian) potential: their hyper-sexualization. This specific aspect of the modern Amazonian archetype vanishes in some of the most recent rewritings of the warrior women (cf. Graf), such as Arya Stark, Merida or Clarke.
By adopting a trans-cultural and trans-historical perspective (cf. Matzner), and drawing on Hardwick’s Classical Reception framework, I will claim that the representation of the classical archetype in these postmodern products is no longer linked to the recognized heritage of Wonder Woman and Xena. Instead, they respond to a new form of dialogue with Antiquity, one that concerns characters who cross gender and normative sexuality boundaries. If Diana of Themyscira and Xena were still the ambiguous antianeirai (“match for men”, Iliad 3.189 and 6.186) that had to be defeated, nowadays this prototype of woman does not represent a danger to society, or at least not an important one. This implies that they should not be exposed to the process of de-lesbianization which the “phallic” heroines have suffered so far (Hills; Beirne), to satisfy the male gaze. Nonetheless, its lesbian interpretation remains constant, as evidenced by fandoms in unauthorized formats (fanfiction, fanart, meme, etc.), where Arya, Merida and Clarke are undoubtedly considered lesbians. Postmodern Amazons have changed their iconography, but the queer potential of the original myth still holds its value.