Ariadne

The depiction of heroism changes over the course of the novel; where the word “hero” initially evokes someone courageous, brave, and selfless, it ends up referring to someone who merely seeks their own fame and glory, even at the expense of others. Greek mythology praises and champions great heroes who accomplish brave and seemingly noble feats, but just as Ariadne comes to understand the darker truths underlying such narratives, so too does the novel question these celebrated heroes.

Early in the novel, Theseus tells the story of his life and reflects on what it means to be a hero, saying that it involves great sacrifice. What goes unspoken is how often these sacrifices are shouldered not by the hero himself but by others; the women in these stories typically pay the greatest price and attain the least glory in return. For their contributions to men’s victories, women experience great losses in the form of their dignity, their agency, their children and loved ones, or their very lives. Ariadne’s own story is a testament to this, but the novel also pays homage to Phaedra, Medusa, Pasiphae, Scylla, and other heroines whose stories and struggles have traditionally been secondary to those of their male counterparts.

Saint’s examination of these male heroes, as well as the immortal gods they strive to emulate, also invokes the idea of sacrifice, suggesting that conventional heroism entails giving up the joys of a quiet, simple mortal life and embracing brutality and cruelty. Theseus is mythologized for defeating the Minotaur and thus saving the lives of numerous Athenian children, but his actions hinge on the abandonment (and near death) of Ariadne—not to mention the killing of her brother, whose monstrosity was no fault of his own. If, as Dionysus suggests, it is in part the gods’ immortality that makes them so cavalier in their interactions with humans, the pursuit of “immortality” in legend becomes inherently questionable. Humans who seek fame beyond their deaths turn their backs on what makes them most human, Saint suggests. As a god who has spent years living alongside mortals, Dionysus initially seems like an exception to this, but even he surrenders to the allure of fame, worship, and power and commits atrocities as a result.

Ariadne emerges as the true counterpoint to this trend, sacrificing herself for the good of others with no expectation of fame or reward. Though she gains both in becoming a star, this is largely incidental, and it is her selflessness and compassion that the novel ultimately defines as heroic.

Ariadne revolves around two sisters—Ariadne herself and Phaedra—who have a close relationship. However, many familial bonds throughout the novel have an undercurrent of betrayal. A recurring pattern among the women of Greek myth is sacrificing their homeland and family for love only for that sacrifice to lead to their own betrayal in turn. Scylla, Medea, Ariadne, and Phaedra follow this pattern, and even the maenads who arrive on Naxos are said to have left behind “fathers, brothers, and husbands” (184). In a time and place where women are expected to be loyal and dutiful daughters, wives, and mothers, these women’s actions are a way of rebelling against the oppressive systems that strip them of their agency. In all cases, the women’s abandonment of their families and homes leads to greater suffering, but where traditional legends would frame this as a cautionary tale about female disobedience, Ariadne suggests it is the result of women’s unequal status destabilizing interpersonal relationships.

In keeping with its interest in women’s experiences, where the novel tends to depict the male father figure as oppressive, tyrannical, and cruel (like King Minos) or frequently absent (like Theseus or Dionysus), it offers a more varied and complex view of motherhood. Pasiphae, for example, is vibrant and attentive to Ariadne until her pregnancy with the Minotaur causes her to withdraw. Nevertheless, throughout the Minotaur’s life, she claims him as her son, demonstrating her ongoing maternal devotion. Ariadne takes to motherhood with joy and finds comfort in her role, birthing five children and reveling in the shared female experience of childbirth. Phaedra, on the other hand, finds motherhood stifling and miserable. Ariadne highlights the various ways in which mothers may approach their roles and treats each of them with empathy, cognizant of the demands society places on women and mothers and of how those demands shape women’s attitudes toward childrearing.

At the same time, the novel suggests that motherhood is of vital importance by contextualizing men’s behavior in terms of their early influences. For example, Dionysus claims he lacks the other gods’ cruel, petty ways because he was raised by nymphs rather than on Mount Olympus alongside his father, Zeus. Likewise, the honest and gentle Hippolytus grew up with the Amazonian tribe of female warriors, while Ariadne’s own sons are raised by gentle maenads on the island of Naxos and go on to lead peaceful and quiet lives. As a counterexample, Theseus had the great hero Heracles as his mentor and adopted his “heroic,” fame-seeking ways. Saint therefore suggests that those raised in a predominantly female environment grow up to be gentler in nature—less inclined to strive for glory and greatness.