What Can Be Inspired By Reading?

I recently finished reading the novel ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller. Miller’s interpretation of Circe's myths made Circe more relatable as a person. Someone more human than a witch or even a goddess. I think in modern times, humans treasure this more than some god-like beings that are cruel, mean, and selfish. It showed sides of what kind of life she had to deal with and the confusion she went through trying to understand it. I focused on Circe's self-worth as a character that is shown by her transition from an exploitative life to a compassionate life. When we first meet Circe, we experience the relationship she has with her family. The quote, “My mother whelped again, a boy. My father blessed him, but spoke no prophecy, so my mother looked around for somewhere to leave him.” (Circe, pg 27) This is the first time that Circe sees her mother not value her children unless she can use them. It is also the first time she asks for something from her mother, which is to take care of her brother. This proves that she has the Instinct to be compassionate towards others. But it also reflects the kind of life she wants without realizing it. Comparing it to how she raised her brother with motherly love of comfort and bring him a sense of wonderment to how she raised her son with fear and protection.

When she was faced with Athena asking to give up her son for Athena to kill him, she still had the instinct to be compassionate but more of an impact. Not only was she proving that she was different from her mother's explorative example, but she chose to defy a goddess, who thought the same way. The quote, “Children are not sacks of grain to be substituted one for another.” (Circe, pg 251) proves that Circe doesn’t see anyone as a means of trading goods. It also shows how human Circe’s actions are. Most mothers in our modern world work their butt off trying to protect and guide their children from danger. In this case, Circe is precisely doing that with Athena. A different scenario than with her brother which had no danger presented because her mother gave up the child to Circe in exchange for continuing her normal routine.

This shift we see from Circe was just her breaking point, but it started to take shape when she realized that her brother Aeetes became the same as her parents. Aeetes’s relationship with his daughter was something that even Circe couldn’t understand. The quote, “I am no child to him. I was his to dispose of like his seed Warriors, or his fire breathing bulls. Like my mother whom he dispatched as soon as she bore him an heir.” (Circe, pg 170) would have had to hurt because she raised him, showing him her compassion and give him a chance at a life that wasn’t about something worthless or not. However, it didn’t change Circe's compassion, just shifted it to who she is compassionate towards. Circe offered to help prove safety and even perform a cleansing ritual, however, it was under pretenses. Not only was she faced with a brother who she didn’t recognize but was being used by her niece. This made her aware that showing compassion without the full story wasn’t good.

So when she was faced with Athena that experience helped her understand the situation and stay true to herself. She wanted to distance herself from the gods and her family. The quote, “Father would put me in the chains himself if it would keep his precious alliance. You are proof of that. Zeus is terrified of witchcraft and wanted a sacrifice. Father picked you because you are worth the least.” (Circe, pg 148) proves to her that even the gods live off of an explorative lifestyle. Everything was a trade to them no matter the cost. So why defy a goddess? Why take the risk?

Simply because Circe knew their weakness. The pain wasn’t something she was afraid of like the gods and her family were. To protect her son from Athena she goes to Trygon seeking his poison tail. Trygon law states that the person seeking his tail must submit to its poison. Which turns out to be eternal pain, Something she has felt many times before. The quote, “The currents moved around us. If I did this thing, Telegonus would live. That was all that mattered. ‘I am ready,’ I said. ‘Strike.’ ‘No. You must put your hand to the venom yourself.’” (Circe, pg 280) proves that her compassion overweighs that fear of pain, but it also shows that the explorative life she was surrounded by was also self-based. She is doing this for her son, another life. Not for herself and not for gain. It is a choice that she is willing to take.

When Circe decided to give up her immortality to mortal life, It was her highlight of a compassionate statement because she is surrounded by the human family she brought into her life. The people who love, support, and want to be with her. In return, she wants to be with them. The quote, “Circe, he says, it will be all right. It is not the saying of an oracle or a prophet. They are words you might speak to a child. I heard him say them to our daughters, when he rocked them back to sleep from a nightmare, when he dressed their small cuts, soothed whatever stung. His skin is familiar as my own beneath my fingers.” (Circe, pg 384-385) It's a beautiful statement because she's reflecting on life she didn’t get as a child and wants her own family to have, alongside her. If she had stayed immortal, she would be without them. There would be no one left for her to be with. No god and not even the family she was birthed into because they all see her as worthless. It would be a worse fate than death, being alone for all eternity. The same routine she did for thousands of years before she became a mother and eventually a wife. Or how about the boredom she felt as a child, watching the gods and her family do the same thing over and over again?

In conclusion, choosing to be human was her way of finally feeling alive and feeling like she isn’t nothing. Her self-worth is created by the people around her, who see her value. They are the ones who give her a chance to see how much she is worth. This wouldn’t have happened if she had an explorative lifestyle. Instead, her compassion helped her interactions and experiences transition her into a compassionate lifestyle.

Work Cited:

Circe, Madeline Miller, publisher: Back Bay Books, 2020