Wonder Woman And Her Influence

Carly Woods reflects on the history of Wonder Woman.

By Michele Kennerly and Carly S. Woods | Eidolon

"Arms akimbo, Wonder Woman stands with one well-greaved leg in the ancient world and one in ours. The imminent release of the first full-length, live-action Wonder Woman film is an occasion for classical reception work that joins dynamic efforts already underway on the classics and comics and the classics and modern fantasy. The decades of interpretive enthusiasm Wonder Woman has inspired, however, make it difficult to put a new spin on things.

"So we stake our claim in the old: the story and history of Wonder Woman are suggestive of the ancient (yet enduring) habit of talking about influence, obedience, and persuasion through a gender-based idiom of power. Furthermore, the “persuasion dimension” of Wonder Woman continues to gain depth in popular and political culture, though it is not always recognized."

Read their complete article at Eidolon.

Image: Red-Figure Amphora depicting combat of Greeks against Amazons, attributed to the Suessula Painter (ca. 400 BCE). Via Eidolon.