Research Abstract
Patriarchal Guilt Versus Monstrous Desire in Penny Dreadful
Even though she enjoys letting her dark side out to play with characters, such as Ethan and Dorian, their monstrosity does not have the same effect on her 
as Dracula’s. Dracula has an intense effect on her that no one else has. Being afraid of no longer being in control of her own body, such as the possession episodes, just adds to the guilt of having a monster inside of her begging to get out. Even though Dracula is the only male character that wants her for who she truly is that means losing control of her ‘normal’ self and giving into the monstrosity that she had spent so much time avoiding and that she had suffered so much to be ‘cured’ from; never letting go of that patriarchal guilt.
Capstone Description
Reclaiming Women’s Voice in Greek Mythology and Today
In the newest wave of the Me Too Movement, Madeline Miller rewrites the life story of Circe. In doing this she is reclaiming women’s voice from 3000-year-old stories to mirror the dangers of patriarchy that are still prevalent today. The patriarchy has silenced and harmed women’s bodies for centuries 
and the few that resist are ‘monsters’ because they fight back, unwilling to bow to what men tell them to be. Miller’s retelling strips away the patriarchal power and influence that has always portrayed Circe as a problematic woman that has to be reprimanded and cast out. By giving Circe back her voice, Miller shows her resistance to oppression and the entitlement of the patriarchy. Miller uses Circe’s story of sexual assault and violence to show that every woman deserves to have a voice rather than be reduced to the monstrous conquest that men would make of her.
