Cleanne Art

Idk much about it— I think it’ll be cute and I like the art style. But I am worried Penelope will be mischaracterized, and that that mischaracterization will become mainstream interpretation.

And this not to say that women cannot or should not be warriors or the like, they absolutely should! But more so that *only* having women be shown as strong through our still horrifically misogynistic ideal of strength that equates what is viewed as traditionally masculine with said strength creates a dichotomy where the traits that are the opposite (and as such viewed as feminine) are then presented as weaknesses. It gets worse when a feminine character (because this does not just apply to women, but to any character that would be considered feminine or presented as feminine by the text) is either assumed weak by the audience despite the opposite being presented or, because of those traits (as is often the case with female characters) have their entire character overhauled to better suit what we as a (western) culture associate with strength, which also is what we associate with masculinity.

I guess it is just frustrating to see people be so...dismissive of Penelope's actual accomplishments in the Odyssey solely due to the fact that they where not achieved with weaponry or physical strength. She *is* strong! She doesn't need to be able to wield a spear for that to be true, she doesn't have to be emotionally stoic for that to be true. Hell, *Odysseus* himself, who does more closely fulfill traditional ideals of strength, is not emotionally stoic! He weeps, he is afraid, he loses himself to anger, but never does the text present him as weak for these emotions! Neither does the text present Penelope as weak for hers!