The Representation of Sexual Assault in Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus (2018-)

Abstract

[eng] Lore Olympus (2018-) is a popular webcomic created by a New Zealand-born artist, Rachel Smythe, based on the ancient myth of the abduction of Persephone. The retelling of the myth in popular culture has been widely researched, though not much attention has been paid to this webcomic in particular. The purpose of this study is to investigate how sexual abuse is represented in Lore Olympus in opposition to other comic books, such as Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) and Black River (2015). This paper examines, through the lens of rape culture, the representation of rape and its aftermaths in Lore Olympus with a focus on the perspective of the victim of sexual abuse. This paper argues that the webcomic challenges the traditional depiction of rape in comic books by shedding light on the underrepresented perspective of the victim. It will begin by offering a brief overview of the challenges involved in adapting the ancient myths into literature, making reference to the so-called fidelity debate. Then, the differences between the original myth and this particular adaptation will be addressed. Finally, an analysis of the representation of rape in Lore Olympus will be carried out.