"Surfacing" by Margaret Atwood

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the gender conflict of the main character in "Surfacing" by Margaret Atwood. The paper explains the ecofeminist position that allows the main character to integrate male gender role attributes into her own life. The paper illustrates the power of natural environments to reconstruct a woman's divided psyche.

From the Paper:

"The main issue for Atwood's Surfacing is the conflict between gender roles that are present within the main character. The novel is set within the Northern Quebec, where the main character had grown up in an isolated cabin. She has suffered a divorce, the death of her father by drowning, and an abortion. Atwood creates this past history to help build the character around a return to her childhood, which forces the protagonist to face her fears and family history. The central aspect of Ecofeminism within this novel is defined by the main character's victimization of patriarchal domination."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Atwood, Margaret. Surfacing. London: Random House, 1994.
• Wilson, Jenna. Ecofeminism in Margaret Atwood's Surfacing. 2006. Virginia Tech. 27 November, 2006. <http://athena.english.vt.edu/~exlibris/essays99/wilson.htm>

More papers on "Surfacing" by Margaret Atwood:

• Book Review # 131900 : "Narrative in Margaret Atwood's "Surfacing"
• Book Review # 85467 : "'Alias Grace' by Margaret Atwood"
• Analytical Essay # 130954 : "Eco-Feminism, Gender and 'Surfacing'"

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