Cookie Cutter Women by Harshita Chakravadhanula

This project explores female characters in literary epics across time and culture, analyzing their traits to uncover recurring archetypes. What do cultures expect of women—and how much do those expectations differ across civilizations? By studying epics as repositories of collective values, this research investigates how idealized models of femininity are constructed. It asks whether these cultural ideals become internalized, shaping the inner voice through which women learn to govern themselves. Drawing from a diverse and global selection of epic texts, the project maps the persistence and evolution of feminine archetypes across mythology, religion, nationhood, and time.