The Wild Girl
Encyclopedia
The Wild Girl
is a 1984 novel by Michèle Roberts
. This work tells a fictional story about the discovery of an apocryphal fifth Gospel
in Provence
, France
. This gospel tells the tale of Jesus Christ and the period before his crucifiction, known as the Passion
, from the perspective of Mary Magdalene
. The story incorporates elements of a Gnostic tradition that speak of a sexual relationship between Jesus and Mary. For this reason, the book has been considered controversial and even blasphemous.
The central theme of the work is androgyny
. Roberts attempts to incorporate the female perspective into a largely male-dominated tradition. The author wrote of her book that, "I imagined Mary Magdalene as Christ's lover because I wanted to imagine a Christianity that might have developed differently, and valued women equally with men." Some feminist critics of the work have panned the romantic interaction between Mary and Jesus, with Patricia Duncker
calling it laughable.
is a 1984 novel by Michèle Roberts
Michèle Roberts
Michèle Brigitte Roberts is a British writer, novelist and poet. Roberts was the daughter of a French Catholic teacher mother and English Protestant father ; she has dual UK-France nationality.-Early life:She was raised in Edgware, Middlesex and educated at a convent, expecting to become a nun,...
. This work tells a fictional story about the discovery of an apocryphal fifth Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. This gospel tells the tale of Jesus Christ and the period before his crucifiction, known as the Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
, from the perspective of Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
. The story incorporates elements of a Gnostic tradition that speak of a sexual relationship between Jesus and Mary. For this reason, the book has been considered controversial and even blasphemous.
The central theme of the work is androgyny
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
. Roberts attempts to incorporate the female perspective into a largely male-dominated tradition. The author wrote of her book that, "I imagined Mary Magdalene as Christ's lover because I wanted to imagine a Christianity that might have developed differently, and valued women equally with men." Some feminist critics of the work have panned the romantic interaction between Mary and Jesus, with Patricia Duncker
Patricia Duncker
Patricia Duncker is a British novelist and academic.-Academic career:Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Duncker attended Bedales school in England and, after a period spent working in Germany, read English at Newnham College, Cambridge...
calling it laughable.