Faludi Says 3-Year Shift in Hero Myth Warps U.S. Politics
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 23
Faludi Says 3-Year Shift in Hero Myth Warps U.S. Politics
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 23
Summary
Susan Faludi argues American politics is being distorted by a zero-sum fight over who gets to occupy the classic hero’s journey — men or women.
Two films released 3 years apart frame that shift for her: Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” with a female quest and restored matriarchy, and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” which returns to a traditional male epic.
Faludi says the clash is not just cultural symbolism; whoever controls such foundational myths shapes public life and political power.
Trump becomes her clearest political example: she portrays him as casting himself as a Homeric hero who lost power in 2021, won it back, and now seeks vengeance while reversing women’s gains.