Anger

Abstract

The Medusa trope depicts women who are angry as having no real reason for being angry, since more often than not, they are not really victims. It also depicts such angry women as dangerous, and society concludes that these angry, blameworthy women must be conquered and controlled through patriarchal norms, laws, expectations, and hostility. This chapter describes the reality of such a trope for many women and girls. It then discusses some implications of it, particularly the urge for women and girls to escape features of the trope in order to escape being conquered and controlled. The author also wonders to what extent it is possible to escape the trope, and offers some reasons for why women should not escape it, even if they could. The chapter concludes by arguing why and how women and girls can embrace the Medusa trope as a form of resistance against sexism and misogyny.