THE CRONE’S RETURN: CONJURING MYTH IN THE GOLDEN GIRLS AND MIYAZAKI

Author

• Scott Jarmon, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Communication Studies

First Advisor

Gray, Jonathan

Abstract

This dissertation argues for the resurrection of the crone as a vital mythic figure necessary for understanding contemporary feminist resistance. It contends that rigid methodological frameworks inevitably ignore her messy, disruptive potential. In response, this project develops and practices a “crone-as-method,” an anti-methodological approach that embraces a “vibes-based” orientation (Rowe & Frischherz, 2025). This method is a practice of walking with the crone, framing her qualities as not just objects of study, but as constitutive of inquiry, positioning her as a coproducer of knowledge. The project reviews the crone’s history, tracing her fall from a revered goddess to a persecuted pariah, and into contemporary politics as a new figure of feminist agitation. Sara Ahmed’s figures of the feminist killjoy and willful subject also frame this project’s approach to the crone (2010; 2014). The feminist killjoy—who exposes the unhappy truths behind patriarchal promises—and the willful subject—who stubbornly persists against social pressure—both provide insight to understanding the crone’s disruption. Within the context of the present-day erosion of political rights for women, the dissertation claims that the crone is an instructive guide both methodologically and in present-day political contexts. The crone-as-method is used to engage with The Golden Girls and selected Hayao Miyazaki films, arguing that both sets of texts show the crone as a figure of wisdom, experience, and craft. With The Golden Girls, I use the crone-as-method to analyze how they enact the crone and use their coven as a site of power, attending to their killjoy, willful, and mythological ways. With Miyazaki’s films, I use the crone-as-method to analyze her laborious power through her roles as a Seer, Leader, and Mentor. Together, these texts show the versatility of the crone as a figure in contemporary discourse and her ability to resignify past myths about herself, offering a sustaining energy for feminist world-building.