ÉCRITURE FÉMININE AND INTERTEXTUALITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CAROL ANN DUFFY’S “MEDUSA” AND ITS ARMENIAN TRANSLATION

Abstract

This research studies Carol Ann Duffy’s reinterpretation of the Medusa myth in her poem Medusa alongside its Armenian translation, focusing on the intersections of feminist poetics and intertextuality. Drawing on the theories of such scholars as Beauvoir, Cixous and Bowers, the research explores how Duffy’s Medusa defies the patriarchal literary canon and reclaims the voice of the mythological woman. At the same time, the study applies Berman’s ‘negative and positive analytics’ and the Vinay and Darbelnet model to analyze the translation’s balance between literalism and necessary transformations. Through a comparative and intertextual analysis, the paper assesses how Duffy’s poem subverts the male gaze, portraying Medusa not as a monster, but as an embodiment of female agency and resistance. The findings suggest that, while the translation remains largely literal, certain poetic and cultural adaptations reshape Medusa’s empowerment narrative within the Armenian literary context. And finally, this research contributes to discussions on feminist retellings, mythological reinterpretation, and translation as a tool for preserving and reimagining female voices in literature.

Keywords: Greek Mythology, Medusa, intertextuality, rewriting, écriture féminine, feminist translation