Quote Of The Day By Madeline Miller: 'Witches Are Women Who Have More Power Than...'

Madeline Miller knows the power and magic that lies in womanhood, so it comes as no surprise that she's made a name for herself writing powerful female characters in her books. Born in 1978, Madeline Miller grew up in New York and Philadelphia. Even before she made her mark in the literary world, Miller had a respectable career as a high school teacher. She is an alum of the prestigious Brown University, where the first signs of her future career as a writer re-imagining popular Greek myths took shape. 

While studying for a BA and MA in classics, Miller started writing what would later become known as "The Song of Achilles." The novel was a decade in the making and was finally published in 2011, and netted her the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction Award. Miller used the momentum in her writing career and followed up with "Circe" in 2018, which further boosted her name and reputation. "Circe" won Miller a whole new slew of awards, from reaching the top spot in the "New York Times" bestseller to the Indies Choice Best Adult Fiction of the Year Award and the Elle Big Book Award.

It's clear that readers really resonate with the way Miller writes her characters, and her novels deserve a place on the list of modern books perfect for fans of "The Odyssey" that's full of mythology and epic journeys. As such, Madeline Miller's evocative words also deserve to take the spotlight as today's quote of the day.

"Witches are women who have more power than society says they should." Madeline Miller spoke these words during an exclusive sit-down with Bustle in 2018, shortly after "Circe" was published, where she explained the beginnings of her fascination with the beautiful sorceress. In the interview, the established author outlined her frustrations with the original story told in Homer's "The Odyssey," which encouraged her to make a go of it with her own version of Circe's tale. 

Miller couldn't accept how Circe's story ended, as a mere "obstacle to be vanquished in the male hero's journey," and that there must be more complexity to Circe than that. And we're glad that Miller thought that way, establishing Circe as the powerful and keenly intelligent woman she is, who could go toe-to-toe with the cunning Odysseus. It's certainly an inspiring message to deliver to young girls everywhere, and one we should all support. It's also why "Circe" is one of the retellings of Greek mythology perfect for book club discussion. 

Historically, powerful women have been cast in a dark light or portrayed as a lesson to be learnt for others. But Madeline Miller's words (and body of work) confront this stereotype and redefine the motivations and personalities of powerful women beyond just the usual archetypes of being jilted, grasping, jealous, and vain. Instead, Miller's quote pushes us to see women in history and myth not in relation to the men around them, but as their own person. 

This could apply to how women are even viewed today, especially women who work in public spheres such as politics or entertainment. Even the way female characters are treated on screen should be subject to scrutiny. And Miller's words are truly powerful and resonant, in that they encourage us to continue questioning how women are perceived, in both ancient and modern times.

• "I thought, there are so few female characters like [Circe] in Greek Mythology, who are really powerful, but not like, powerful with six heads who eat people."
• "I think the culture is ready for the kind of love story that transcends gender and time."
• "Most of us aren't Achilles — but we can still be Patroclus. What does it mean to try to be an ethical person in a violent world?"
• "I think the thing that makes [Circe] a true witch is that she's an embodiment of male anxiety about female power."
• "[Circe's] power is something that she has invented herself."