Hi? Can you say what you mean about this story converting the male gaze into empowerment, fenrix? thx
I'm not Fenrix, but my take on it is: if you want men to look at you or desire you and take steps to make that happen, it would be empowering when they do. I don't think this is a rare situation.
Hi Jen, yes I agree that sirens are generally despicable beings however I just listened to the story again last night and there attitude toward trans characters is really inconsistent. I guess I just felt it was weird for them to understand about descendents of hermaphroditus and or intersex people in the past and then for them to say something like yeah there's no doubt doubt about it sarah girl is def a boy. but I suppose if they were generally despicable people then there inconsistent attitude toward trans people makes sense.
Can anybody help explain to me what made the sirens turned to stone and how they escaped the stone?
harrietpodder, I think the author was very clear that Sarah was a girl and the sirens thought of her as female in her core. How should the author have worded the reveal that Sarah was trans? The sirens didn't hate Sarah for being trans. As you mentioned, the story said they had met with many others in the past and had no problems. They hated her for being unpredictable and having a sense of self which they couldn't corrupt. They hate Sarah for a part of herself which runs deeper than gender or sexual orientation.
I think the sirens turned to stone as punishment by Hades for failing to complete their task. Somebody was able to cheat their test (I'm not sure exactly what they were testing though, especially if no man can resist them). They escaped the stone by vibrating it with their song until it cracked.
The sirens were terrible, but they were also cursed. After becoming sirens, they had no choice but to perform their songs. I think the sirens' only moment of choice came when they gave into their anger and hatred and allowed themselves to become sirens in the first place. I feel sorry for them because they have no chance at redemption or hope of peace. They can only follow their compulsion to kill or be punished for failing to kill.