Bill Curry

Paradox in Expectations: Perceptions of the Average Woman

Satyrica by Titus Petronius is a latin novel filled to the brim with satire and outrageous story telling. Several characters, including the narrator himself are subjected to constant ridicule and impossible situations. However, amidst all the characters we encounter as readers, a very specific form of obsertity is targeted towards female characters and dynamics that happen to include them. While the novel covers various pursuits of indulgences by various characters, when women are mentioned they seem to be regarded as a form of indulgence itself. They are referred to as objects, but contradictory to that, women are also written in a notably unique and freeing way. Misogyny is not an uncommon occurrence in literature and history, and it comes in all shapes and forms. So, while Petronius satirizes women and exhibits little to no sense of morality, he also uses this opportunity to illustrate how society expected women to be, versus the reality of who the common woman was.