A monumental exploration of female representation in world culture, in which Harvard professor, cultural and literary scholar Maria Tatar challenges the canonical archetypes described by Joseph Campbell.

She examines the “heroine’s journey” through the space of stories to make a compelling case that women are not only mothers, spouses or patron goddesses of heroes. They can fight, deceive, travel and tell stories guided by their own motives and interests, and not simply complement and inspire men.

Heroines are also full of spirit of struggle, but the goals of their missions (and they, as a rule, turn out to be not a laurel, but a wedding crown) pale in comparison with the brilliance of the glory and valor with which the heroes crown themselves. However, the rebel and the reason for her rebellion are often right among us under our noses, just not always where we are accustomed to looking for heroic deeds.

You will find out what the heroism of Penelope from the Odyssey and Scheherazade from the Arabian Nights is, which connects the ancient myths about Philomel and Arachne with the #MeToo movement, how can we explain the phenomenon of Wonder Woman.

The book is full of examples from myths, epics, fairy tales, fiction and cinema, where women become key characters, and their unique journeys demonstrate diversity and the wealth of female experience. Moreover, in both myths and literature there are many examples of dissolute men, but they are rarely described as people with a bad reputation: they are presented as legendary freethinkers, mischievous scoundrels, cunning swindlers, daring scoundrels and charming rogues. They are rarely declared insidious seducers and deceivers - these characteristics are reserved for mythological and biblical women such as Pandora and Eve.

Photos with reproductions of famous paintings, stills from films. Looking at the data of the film industry, you remember that you need to constantly ask yourself the question: who tells a story and why. A 2016 study supported by the Annenberg Foundation found that about two-thirds of speaking or named characters in films made between 2007 and 2015 were men, and only a third were men. women.Only 32% of films had a woman as the protagonist or one of the main characters.Of the 100 highest-grossing films of 2015, 92.5% were directed by male directors and only 7.5% by women. Women were more represented as screenwriters (12%) and producers (22%), but were much less likely to act as composers (less than 1%). For whom? For those who share a feminist view of culture or are looking for a deep understanding of the role of women in society in different eras.