One idea that has been grabbing my attention is the way that foreignness is portrayed in Greek Mythography, in texts such as the Odyssey. Greek mythology has been carried through history through numerous eras, all the way until present day, when characters commonly depicted as foreign such as Circe are spoken and written about in many different lights. One particularly interesting aspect of Circe is the way that the Odyssey positions her as foreign to Odysseus’s crew, and the “evils” she inflicts upon them are therefore unjustified attacks. However, the modern novel Circe by Madeleine Miller repositions her, casting Odysseus as the foreigner.
All of this is to say, I am particularly interested in looking at the way Greek mythography positions foreignness, and the impact that it has and has had since. I am considering questions like: How does the portrayal of foreignness in Greek mythology change over time, and how has it impacted the way we consider foreignness now? What does the literary depiction of characters such as Circe mean for the conversation of foreignness and colonization?
This idea is not developed to any full extent, but as it stands now, I want to position my texts within conversations surrounding foreign bodies and identities. I think that Rita Dove’s poetry will be helpful as a secondary source for contextualizing foreignness as an important conversation and how positionality impacts the way in which people are treated and depicted in literature. In terms of theory, I might revisit Jacques Derrida and his work surrounding hospitality and hostility, understanding them as two sides of the same coin.
Overall, the exact texts I want to look at are uncertain, and I need to do more research. But I hope that this general concept will provide me with a solid foundation, and I can go from there. If anyone is reading this on the forum and has recommendations, please share!