Margaret Atwood

Paper Summary:

This paper deals with the life and works of Margaret Atwood, a Canadian author, who had a significant impact on various forms of literature; both internationally and in her home country. Her works include numerous novels, poems, and short stories on various themes and she is viewed by many as a champion of Canadian literature. The paper relates that, through her writing, Atwood has tackled many topics that are social or political in nature and that many of Atwood's works are decidedly feminist.

From the Paper:

"One of the more notable works along this line is The Handmaid's Tale, published in 1985. Set in Massachusetts, this novel deals with the subjugation of women in a futuristic, dystopian society. Christianity has taken over and a repressive social order is instituted. In a throw-back to archaic times, women are relegated to a position of insignificance apart from the purpose of bearing children. Dissidents of all varieties are routinely publicly executed, infertile women are banished to barely inhabitable lands, and all divorces are made retroactively void.
As the Christian Bible is peppered with sexist notions that women are second-class in nature, Atwood's depiction of a future that is devoid of secular control does not seem too far-fetched; though religion is certainly not the only aspect she draws attention to. Throughout the book, many issues are tackled. Generic fascism is explored to many ends, though mostly in a manner dealing with the subjugation of women. Methods of social control are present in almost every facet; something which Atwood draws attention to with the treatment of dissidents by the book's authorities; especially so with women who are controlled through various means such as color-coding their clothing to indicate a woman's status and class."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Margaret Atwood." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7 Jan 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Margaret_Atwood&oldid=99343509.
• "The Edible Woman: Introduction." Novels for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 10 January 2007. Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/edible-woman/11013.
• Atwood, M.A. Variations of the Word Love. In Eating Fire: Selected Poetry 1965-1995. January 1998. Virago Press (UK).
• Kirszner, L.G., Mandell, S.R. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing (5th ed.). Boston: Thomson Wadsworth., 2004. (Pages 46-47).

More papers on Margaret Atwood:

• Analytical Essay # 130175 : "Religion in Margaret Atwood's "Cat's Eye"
• Essay # 137893 : "The Construction of Masculinity in Margaret Atwood’s, The Edible Woman"
• Book Review # 131936 : "Silence in Margaret Atwood's "Surfacing"
• Book Review # 131900 : "Narrative in Margaret Atwood's "Surfacing"

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