#anyway this is just another word salad bc im STILL working through classic

[cosmicoryx]

while I don't think pathologic is the height of feminist literature by any means imo there's good potential for a reading in there about how the concept of innate, gendered spheres of influence and knowledge (i.e. when trads say bullshit like 'the roles of men and women are equal but different' 🤢) is just another tool of oppression that can be utilised when it becomes convenient.

The women in pathologic are persecuted because of their association with mysticism during the witch-hunts for the shabnak-adyr, despite the so-called reverence of the townsfolk towards the powers of the mistresses. I think you could also read aglaya as an example of the even more vicious hatred directed at women who defy that association, given that she is portrayed as the character most despised by the powers that be. Like it's not a 1:1 or anything, and there's certainly a lot more going on with aglaya and the meta narrative than just 'god forbid women do anything' but there's for sure something there about the town's 'respect' for the perceived mystical knowledge of women being a thin veneer for oppression

#reminds me of that le guin quote criticising the idea of 'women's irrational wisdom' #anyway this is just another word salad bc im STILL working through classic #pathologic