FEMINIST CRITICIZM OF THESHORT STORYABOUT CUPID AND PSYCHE (BASED ON THE NOVEL THE GOLDEN ASS OR METAMORPHOSES BY LUCIUS APULEIUS)

Abstract

The article deals with the analysis of political ideas of feminism, in particular, with the protection of women’s rights, the idea of which has been reconstructed. The author has chosen a binary opposition represented by the literary fi gures of Venus and Psyche taken from the plot of the short story The Golden Ass or Metamorphoses by Lucius Apuleius. Although the work was written in the 2nd century AD, it remains topical today. The bright characters created by Lucius Apuleius make it possible to see the limitations of modern day feminism, in particular, feminist critique as a method of literary studies. The “weak spots” that undergo deconstruction are “hierarchy of values” (Venus)
and “mass culture” (Psyche). The confl ict between the two female characters, to a certain extent, illustrates both the main ideas and the situation of the modern feminism. The author addresses one of the key problems of the feminism predicted by the ancient Roman writer, the coexistence of the hierarchy and destructive impact of its mass character. The author of stories about Psyche and Cupid challenged modern day feminists who separate the protection of rights of a certain gender from the obligation of any gender to pursue self-development and self-defense.