BREAKING THE SILENCE: WOMAN AS A SUBJECT IN PAT BARKER’S THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS

Pat Barker’s latest novel The Silence of the Girls (2018) retells events taking place in Iliad from perspective Briseis, Achilles’ bed-slave. aim this paper is to analyse light écriture feminine, a term coined by Hélène Cixous her essay, “The Laugh Medusa” first published 1975. It found out that novel, Girls, Barker foregrounds notions female body, voice and experience, thus, problematises dominant hegemonic systems representation language culture focusing on experience. Moreover, study asserts concept bisexuality, one important features also evident as author writes perspectives male characters, Achilles Patroclus. In sense, depiction experience helps challenge undermine heroism masculinity are most persisting elements Western myths culture. concluded challenges debunks age-old patriarchal subdue voice, proposing new kind subjectivity frustrates phallocentric representations characters works literature drawing their sources myths, cultural assumptions practices.