“Gender, Power and the Sacred: A Feminist Analysis of Cross-Cultural Mythological Narratives” by Dr. Vanya Srivastava and Ms. Nikita Verma is a groundbreaking scholarly contribution that explores the deep entanglement between mythology and gender ideologies across various cultures. This book is an interdisciplinary journey that repositions mythology not as mere folklore, but as an active site of cultural instruction, power negotiation, and feminist resistance.
Drawing from Roman, Greek, and Indian mythological traditions, the authors investigate prominent divine pairings such as Venus and Mars, Aphrodite and Ares, Shiva and Parvati, and Zeus and Hera. Through their complex relationships, these characters become symbols of both dominance and subjugation, reflecting societal norms that often elevate male figures as warriors or sovereigns, while positioning women as nurturers, seductresses, or moral anchors—always within a tightly controlled framework.
The book unpacks how these narratives have historically functioned to propagate patriarchal structures, while also offering interpretive space for subversion and redefinition. By engaging critically with myth, the authors spotlight how female figures are at once revered and restrained—objectified in their beauty, yet glorified in their suffering; deified in roles of creation and destruction, yet often stripped of agency. This duality becomes central to the text’s analysis of how ancient stories continue to shape contemporary perceptions of femininity and power.
The methodological framework of the book is a rich tapestry woven from feminist theory, classical literature, psychoanalysis, visual studies, and cultural criticism. Grounded in the thought of intellectual pioneers like Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, bell hooks, Sandra Gilbert, and Laura Mulvey, the study reimagines mythology as a dynamic, ever-evolving discourse. It proposes that myths are not static relics of the past but living documents whose meanings shift with each retelling—particularly when viewed through feminist and intersectional lenses.
Dr. Vanya Srivastava brings to this work her robust academic experience as an Assistant Professor of English Literature at Integral University, Lucknow, and her scholarly training from the University of Lucknow, where she completed her Ph.D. Her previous work on Bhutanese literature, oral narratives, and Buddhist feminism gives this book a comparative and cross-cultural depth. She merges rigorous academic inquiry with creative sensitivity, informed by her award-winning background in theater. Her dual engagement with scholarly discourse and artistic expression enriches the book’s interdisciplinary essence.
Co-author Ms. Nikita Verma, currently a student of English Literature at Integral University, contributes a fresh and deeply engaged feminist perspective. Her passion for mythology and gender studies is evident in her close reading of canonical texts and her ability to deconstruct traditional interpretations. With a firm grounding in theoretical frameworks and an analytical rigor that belies her academic level, she amplifies voices often marginalized in mythological retellings, offering a critique that is both fierce and empathetic.