The Radicals in the Western Culture: More Androgen and

Less Family
Chandralekha K. R.
Research
Assistant
Sahithya Akademi

A myth is a way of making sense in a senseless world. Myths are narrative

patterns that give significance to our existence. Rollo May.

Myths and legends around the world have now shrunk to the shells of retelling and anthropological study areas. Twentieth century world has
forgotten the creativity and values embedded in the myths of their land. The
Thor and Loki they know are replanted as comic characters, thus belittling
the essence contained in those myths and legends. Myths are the fictitious
records of the natural and social patterns, existed in the ancient societies.
The Western myths and legends account for various types of creatures like
Hippogriffs, Elves, Vampires, Centaurs etc. Intelligent myth makers wrapped
the accepted behavioural patterns in flowery language. In the European and
American legends, there appears a repetition of certain images and symbols,
which points to the question of gender discrimination and the boundaries

instilled by the patriarchal society. Many of the femme fatale figures began
as mysterious creatures modelled after real women who resisted the
confinements of safety and love, and went out to explore the world in their
own terms. Gradually they assumed a more general and exotic shape, and
hooded the reality in the shadows of countersigns.
Starting from Lilith, Adams first wife who refused to be subservient to him
and became one of the angels of sacred prostitution to the Norwegian
Huldra who would show her strength by lifting a heavy tree trunk, if treated
badly are the beautiful illustrations portrayed in the pages of the Western
myths and legends. These radicals are ascribed with the opposite of normal
gender characteristics and are far beyond the reach of the normal men. They
were aspects of the female which were out of mens control. Even the
twenty first century society fears such women and tries to categorize women
as marriage material and not marriage material, so that the society could
keep an eye on them, by frowning upon womans right to education and jobs.