Feminism

Many of the stories in this collection explore feminist ideas, particularly with attention to the forms of oppression that women have faced both in history and the modern era. For example, “Shit Cassandra Saw…” uses the Cassandra myth as a means of exploring dynamics of misogyny and sexual assault. In the original myth, Apollo gives Cassandra the gift of prophecy, then spits in her mouth to curse her to never be believed. However, in this story, the narration states, “The women of Troy…know that Cassandra’s curse is their curse as well. That Apollo spit in her mouth, but it was only spit” (4). Thus, this retelling emphasizes the idea that women are often disbelieved in society. The motif of sexual assault in this story then asserts the idea that these dynamics are especially insidious when women try to draw attention to issues of sexual assault...