A Damsel in Distress, a Sexual Slave and a Femme Fatale: Mechanisms of Creating a Female Character as an Erotic Object in Andrzej Ziemiański’s Novel Achaja

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of methods used by Andrzej Ziemiański in his novel Achaja to create a female character. The main character of the novel is the eponymous Achaja, a princess of the fictional kingdom called Troy. Although she is presented as a strong heroin dealing with all sorts of adversities, in fact she can’t make decisions for herself. The article presents three stereotypical figures of femininity reflected in the main character at various stages of the novel: a damsel in distress, a sexual slave and a femme fatale. The analysis shows that the protagonist is defined by her sexual attractiveness and that she is created as an erotic object.