Lore Olympus and the Art of Depicting Intimate Partner Abuse, Part Two: Persephone
What Persephone Can Teach Us About The Complexities of Surviving Abuse.
Tags: #loreolympus #greekmythology #abusiverelationships #sexualabuse #rape #gaslighting #manipulation #impactsofabuse #Webtoon #intimatepartnerviolence
Content Warning: This blog contains themes of sexual abuse and intimate partner violence. Reader’s discretion is advised. Please consult your local crisis center if you require any support. International helplines can be found at https://ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
Note: This is Part Two of “Lore Olympus and the Art of Depicting Intimate Partner Abuse”. For an overview on media’s depictions of IPA and sexual violence, and Lore Olympus portrayal of Apollo as a sex offender, check out Part One. This part will take a closer look at the ways survivors are portrayed in media.
Media has a long and exhaustive tradition of representing intimate partner abuse (IPA) in a problematic, outdated, and sensationalised way (e.g. Bates 2017; Garland et al 2016; Kitzinger 2009; Lumsden & Morgan 2017; Powell and Henry 2014; Projansky, 2001). The narrative of IPA, rape, or other gendered violences within media is everchanging with growing awareness about rape myths following feminist mobilising (Phillips, 2017). Yet, many films, TV shows, and other pop cultural mediums still prescribe to hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 2005) when it comes to IPA and as such contribute to violence against women. In fact, media has moved from predominantly, if not exclusively, focusing on (sometimes extremely) violent ‘stranger rape’ in the 1970s towards acquaintance and date rape since the mid 1980s (Cuklanz, 2000; Projansky, 2001).
The alterations to include non-stranger rape are welcomed and more in line with consistent statistical findings about (sexual) abuse dynamics (Phillips, 2017). However, such nuanced and more femininst depictions are still not without their limitations. For example, there may have been less reinforcement of ‘clear lack of consent’ discourses (i.e. the involvement of severe use of violence and a completely helpless victim). Yet, a newfound discussion on the alleged ‘grey area’ of consent – which, to be clear, does not exist – has taken center stage resulting in more confusion for the audience and misconstrued cultural understandings (Phillips, 2017).
To add to this, as we have already emphasised in Part One, media continues to reinforce harmful myths about rape and IPA by putting the emphasis on survivors’ perceived responsibilities to not get violated rather than perpetrators’ accountability to not abuse others (Dowler et al, 2006; Phillips, 2017). For example, it has often been reinforced that ‘real’ survivors (try to) fight off their abusers, implying that those reacting with anything but a fight response have not actually been victimised (e.g. Bourke, 2007; Ardovini-Brooker and Caringella-MacDonald, 2002). Likewise, the myths about women (in particular) lying about their abuse for monetary gain or to ‘trick men into marriage’ prevails to this day (e.g. Bourke, 2007; Ardovini-Brooker and Caringella-MacDonald, 2002). Moreover, survivors continue to be shown severely physically and mentally impacted (Cuklanz, 2000; Phillips, 2017; Projansky, 2001) despite the harms of IPA being much more diverse (e.g. Kelly 1988; WHO 2012). Consequently, contemporary (and even somewhat feminist) media depictions of IPA still nurtures problematic understandings of gender-based and sexual abuse.
However, there are ‘unusual and groundbreaking’ (Cuklanz, 2000) exceptions to otherwise problematic or limited depictions of IPA. In particular, Lore Olympus (Smythe 2018-ongoing) has done an exceptional job conveying a nuanced discourse of IPA. While in the first part of this series we took a closer look at Apollo, as the abuser, we will now turn to Persephone, as the survivor of abuse.
Persephone
Despite her limited knowledge of Olympus, the goddess of spring and nature and future queen of the underworld, Persephone, is both highly accomplished and well educated. In Lore Olympus, she is largely unknown to the other gods. If you missed part one in this mini series: Apollo rapes her. As the story progresses, Persephone exhibits numerous behaviours and harms as a result of the abuse which may or may not be experienced by other rape survivors.
When encountering traumatic or life-altering situations, people may respond in a variety of ways. These responses are the body’s ways to protect oneself from immediate harm (All Points North Lodge, 2021). The most commonly discussed acute stress responses are fight, flight, freeze, and fawn (e.g. All Points North Lodge, 2021; Bracha, 2014; Rape Crisis, n.d; Trauma Thrivers, 2020). Fight responses may include physical or verbal fighting or struggling (e.g. hitting an attacker or saying ‘no’). Flight responses refer to physically distancing oneself from the danger (e.g. hiding or running away). During freeze responses (sometimes distinguished between ‘freeze’ and ‘flop’) the body and mind become temporarily paralyzed or shut down (e.g. tensing up, going still, or ‘zoning out’). Fawn responses involve compliance (e.g. appeasing the abuser). Regardless of the response(s), survivors are not giving consent, they are merely trying to defuse a conflict situation in order to survive the traumatic event. Survivors may exhibit one or more of these responses. We can also see this in the diverse ways Persephone reacts when experiencing several forms of abuse.
“If you were frightened, you were likely experiencing a freeze response”
(Lore Olympus, ep 161)
During the initial rape and non-consensual image taking, Persephone freezes. She zones out into her safe place to “stay [there] where it’s safe until he’s finished’ (Lore Olympus, ep 24). Her immediate response later in the story, when Apollo threatens to share the images of the assault, is again, to freeze (Lore Olympus, ep 113). Given the perception of freeze responses as a lack of fight and therefore indirectly implying consent, it is unsurprising that both Persephone and other Olympians (Apollo and Zeus, mostly) at times question her reality and whether the abuse really occurred. It did.
“Let me make this clear … There was no we that night. There was a you”
(Lore Olympus, ep 97)
Despite her initial freeze, Persephone also demonstrates instances of fight responses. When Apollo shows up yet again uninvited to cook breakfast, Persephone asserts that she does not want another crepe or to talk to him and insists he leave (Lore Olympus, ep 96). As Apollo does not listen very well and continues to harass her, she snaps and throws a plate at him and exclaims “[she doesn’t] like [him]. [She doesn’t] want [him]. [She doesn’t] want to be [him] … [they] are not in a relationship” (Lore Olympus, ep 97). Later, after running into Apollo on a date with her friend Daphne, she polite asks him to back the fuck off. He refuses and she threatens to tell Daphne and Artemis, his sister, what he did (Lore Olympus, ep 113). Persephone might not be physically attacking Apollo, these are considered examples of verbal fight responses.
“I said pull over” (Lore Olympus, ep 37)
After Apollo corners Persephone at her university, demanding to give her a ride home, best boy Cerberus offers her an escape (Lore Olympus, ep 37). Later in the story, when she arrives home to find Apollo at her house, yet again, Persephone immediately sneaks past everyone and into her room. Having trouble sleeping, haunted by intrusive thoughts, she summons Hades – pat, pat – for support (Lore Olympus, ep 112). (Don’t worry: we will be going into our social media ritual sacrifice to the god of the underworld in part three!) Her clearest flight response comes after Apollo threatens her with sharing the images he took of the rape. While initially freezing, she then goes AWOL at the end of season one. She goes into hiding in the underworld, alone (Lore Olympus, ep 115).
“All I have to do is eat this stupid crepe and then I can leave” (Lore Olympus, ep 96)
Finally, Persephone exhibits instances of fawning albeit to a lesser extent than any other response. During the initial rape, her short ‘ok’ could be interpreted as a way to appease her abuser (Lore Olympus, ep 24). In the same vein, when forced into eating breakfast with Apollo, she wonders if eating another crepe would get her away from the situation faster (Lore Olympus, ep 96). Fawn responses in sexual abuse situations often lead to victim blaming due to preceived compliance with the abuse. However, you cannot consent to abuse.
Apart from immediate stress responses, IPA can have various negative short and long-term impacts on survivors including harms to physical (e.g. bruises, cuts etc.), mental (e.g. anxiety, depression, PTSD etc.), or reproductive (e.g. unwanted pregnancies, STIs, etc.) health. Additionally, survivors may experience harms to social life (e.g. withdrawal from family/friends, loss of friendships, difficulties maintaining relationships or forming new ones etc.), restricted economic access (e.g. loss of education/work, financial strain etc.), or experiencing continuous threats (including re-victimisation by social field or people unknown) or an existential loss (e.g. loss of liberty and agency) (e.g. Bates 2017; Daigle 2018; Kelly 1988; Koss 2006; WHO 2012). Once again, Persephone exhibits many of these impacts throughout the first and second season of Lore Olympus.
“I’m terrified, and I’m furious because I don’t want this, him, to shape me”
(Lore Olympus, ep 161)
Repeatedly we see Persephone struggling with her mental health, particularly showing signs of anxiety, fear, and possibly even PTSD as a result of the rape. In fact, we are continuously reminded that Persephone is trying everything she can to avoid Apollo and remove herself from possibly stressful or triggering situations. Yet, at the same time “[she’s] terrified and [she’s] furious because [she doesn’t] want this, him, to shape [her], [her] plans, [her] relationships, or even [her] body” (Lore Olympus, ep 161).
Persephone blames herself “because [she] just laid there” (Lore Olympus, ep 161). She even questions the validity of her responses. When Eros first explains that her experience was rape, she immediately counters with “But-but-but [she] said it was ok” and implied consent (Lore Olympus, ep 66).
Similar to other sexual assault survivors, Persephone has difficulties with remembering the attack. She “feel[s] like [her] facts aren’t real” because “[e]verything is blurred together” (Lore Olympus, ep 66). At the same time, she admits to wanting to “just forget the whole thing ever happened and live a normal life” while also obsessing “over every little detail trying to understand it” (Lore Olympus, ep 161). For all that, she has a continuous threat hanging over her in the form of the pictures Apollo took. This makes it difficult to move on from the situation. In spite of everything, it is clear, there are days that are better and days that are worse; when she feels safe, she can relax and for a brief moment not have her experiences overwhelm her; when she feels threatened or is triggered, she becomes anxious and fearful.
“And if I think that [I’m to blame], surely everyone else will too!” (Lore Olympus, ep 161)
Previously being close to Artemis and Hermes, Persephone withdraws from her two friends, due to Apollo’s close relationship with them. Since she has also now ‘lost her virginity’, she withdraws from her friends and duties in The Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood, to which she owes her university scholarship as well. She further secludes herself from her university peers and instead spends more and more time in the Underworld and/or with Hades.
In the case of Artemis, it is difficult for Persephone to maintain any relationship at all. Persephone contemplates as to whether to tell Artemis about what happened. Yet, because “[she doesn't] want to hurt her”, she decided against it and their friendship is strained (Lore Olympus, ep 51).
She has difficulties forming new relationships. On one hand, she is anxious about Hades (and others) finding out about the abuse. On the other hand, she gets an anxiety/panic attack whenever she kisses Hades and transforms into a swarm of butterflies (Lore Olympus, ep 110).
“You are not defined by your abuse nor your abuser” (Lore Olympus, ep 161)
Persephone has lost some of her agency. Since the abuse “[e]very action [she] take[s] … [she’s] thinking, is he there? Is he a part of [her]?” (Lore Olympus, ep 161). As evidenced in her avoidance of her university and friends, her withdrawal from her relationship with her mother and in her self blame and shame, she is placing restrictions on potential opportunities and freedom of movement.
However, she does actively seek to regain some control. While Hades is distracting Apollo, she steals his magical golden lyre (Lore Olympus, ep 81). She is assertive in her feelings towards Apollo whenever he tries to dismiss her and she self reflects that, even though she may not be alright right now, she will eventually get there.
Some of her friends show support. Eros acknowledges her experiences and assures her that the abuse was not her fault, “[she] didn’t ‘mess up’. Apollo did” (Lore Olympus, ep 66). Hera takes things a step further, by enlisting her son Hephestus to permanently delete the images from both Persephone’s and Apollo’s phones. Then there is Hades, who could not be any more precious. But really, he needs his own post to explain just how *chef’s kiss* he truly is.
In perhaps the most empowering step, Persephone seeks out the aid of a therapist. In a structured and safe environment, she is able to tell her story her way. The therapist shows her just how strong Persephone is and reminds her to be kind to herself, something maybe everyone should hear (yes, including you, lovely reader). At the same time, the therapist provides tools to allow Persephone to regain control over her own narrative (Lore Olympus, ep 161). By the current mid-season finale, it is clear that Persephone is in her healing journey and has made some progress already.
Conclusion
Lore Olympus does an excellent job depicting the harms and consequences of IPA in such a realistic way. Firstly, immediate reactions to threatening or abusive situations may differ day to day or quickly follow one another. Persephone sometimes freezes before going into a flight response. Other times, she will verbally fight back. Secondly, survivors may experience a range of impacts on their mental wellbeing. Some days Persephone feels ok, while other days she is overwhelmed with most things. Finally, the way impacts manifest does not just depend on the person themselves but also changes in relation to other people. Her friendships with Artemis and Eros are affected differently depending on how safe she feels disclosing her experiences. These show a much more nuanced reality of how survivors may be affected by and process their abuse. Kudos to Rachel Smythe for doing her research well.
TLDR: Go read Lore Olympus, it has our full and complete endorsement. 15/10
In a few weeks, we will finish our mini-series with a special bonus blog on the sweetest immortal alive and most unproblematic individual amongst the gods: *pat pat*.
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Image Credit
Racheal@Lore Olympus [@used_bandaid] (2021). “CW: Fungus/fungi/mushrooms.
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Persephone's outfit is inspired by a poisonous mushroom called "destroying angel".
" 13 April, https://twitter.com/used_bandaid/status/1381729796753747968/photo/4