| Papers [1-15] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 7] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 —> | Search results on "SURFACING MARGARET ATWOOD": |
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"Surfacing" by Margaret Atwood, 2008.
This literary study analyzes the dualistic gender roles within the main character of Margaret Atwood's novel "Surfacing."
979 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
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."
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Margaret Atwood's "Surfacing", 2008.
An analysis of the theme of silence in Margaret Atwood's "Surfacing".
1,214 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the symbolic aspects of Margaret Atwood's, "Surfacing" and argues that silence is something that pervades the entire novel and keeps people from saying what needs to be said. The paper also examines how the narrator's strange relationship with Joe reveals her inability to communicate and how she views him with silent disdain, never deigning to sit down with him to see if there is a way for that sentiment to be turned into something more positive.
From the Paper
"The symbolism of the novel's setting is unmistakable. The story begins with the narrator returning to the remote northern Quebec hinterland to seek her father, who is missing and with whom the narrator is estranged. The opening line, "I can't believe I'm on this road again," (Atwood, 3) gains in significance when the full nature of the narrator's relationship with her dad is revealed. Quite simply, she had thought the tie between them had been severed permanently - only now she is returning once more to seek out the man she had, for all intents and purposes, left behind years earlier. "
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Margaret Atwood, 2005.
This paper discusses the life, philosophy and works, especially her novels "Cat's Eye", "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Surfacing", of Margaret Atwood, considered one of the most influential female Canadian writers of the last four decades.
8,170 words (approx. 32.7 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 175.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Margaret Atwood is not merely a writer but also the author of a more formative treatise on Canadian literature, "Survival", which serves as a context for interpreting and understanding the work of Canadian authors, in which she claims that Canada has a distinct national literature, distinguished from American and British standards. The author relates that Atwood argues that the central organizing metaphor or "symbol" for Canadian literature is survival, not merely that act of living through difficult times but rather an entire mind-set, which pervades the people and literature of the nation. The paper states that Atwood, writing from her own experience, lived as a child in the deep bush and observed the difference between what the characters of "Cat's Eye" call the wild and the tame of the world and the characters of "Surfacing" call the natives and the Americans.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Atwood's Career History
Survival: The Theory
Nature and Meaning in "Surfacing"
Survival and Nature in "Cat's Eye"
The Influence of Atwood's Life
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The challenge of surviving society and seeking legitimacy is perhaps the greatest challenge in "Cat's Eye", and yet the society of Toronto against which Elaine struggles is rather tame in comparison with the difficult situations of some of Atwood's other heroines, such as Offred. In "Handmaid's Tale", the great difficulties which patriarchy creates for women who wish to communicate with one another are made less subtle and more blatant. Offred spends months communicating with Ofglen before they begin to be able to communicate more than a few words at a time. She is likewise unable to truly communicate with Serena or with the Marthas. Here the Aunts inform and abuse their fellow women, and paranoia and backstabbing are the norm."
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Margaret Atwood, 2005.
A paper describing the life and works of Canadian author Margaret Atwood.
1,092 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
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."
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The Poetry of Margaret Atwood, 2006.
An analysis of two of Margaret Atwood's poems, "Night Poem" (1978) and "Not The Moon".
1,351 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes these two poems by Margaret Atwood explaining that, in the nine years between the time that these poems were written, Atwood's focus in her poetry shifted from the observance of nature and contemplation of its place in the lives of people to acceptance of the natural mysteries and their refusal to be categorized in human terms.
From the Paper
"In "Night Poem" she uses a free verse form with no consistent meter throughout. The poem is thirty lines long, with four verses, each one expressing one complete thought. She begins with the words said by parents to their children through the ages: "There is nothing to be afraid of". The entire first verse is this thought, with the last two lines drawing us into the mind of the child from the mind of the parent. She replaces the father and the mother of the daytime with the "father and mother" of the night, Thunder and Rain."
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Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale", 2004.
This paper discusses, using details of the story, the women's rebellion in Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale".
2,135 words (approx. 8.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 66.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, in Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale", women find small ways to rebel against the overbearing society in which they live as a symbol of their desire to escape. The author points out that these small rebellions bring a certain feeling of power, which is essential for mental well being; the large rebellions have catastrophic ends, making the small rebellions the only way to gain any power. The paper relates that society controls many aspects of their lives, and even tries to take away the opportunity to die by removing mirrors and any other object with which the Handmaids could kill themselves ; therefore, killing oneself in this society is a rebellion in its own way..
From the Paper
"Jezebels is a secret club for Commanders and high ranking officials. The club consists of prostitutes that wear costumes from "old times," such as bunny outfits and nurse attire. The presence of this brothel conflicts with the core ideas of Gilead, that sex was too easy and the prevalence of sexual promiscuity was causing men to loose feeling in their lives. Jezebels also serves another rebellious purpose, sneaking Offred out of the house. The commander gives Offred a tight dress with feathers around the thighs and sequins covering the top, a dress very different then the "tent of a dress" she is required to wear."
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Margaret Atwood and Pierre Berton, 1006.
A comparison of two of Canada's most celebrated authors, Margaret Atwood and Pierre Berton.
1,062 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
In comparing these two authors, this paper explains that, while the works of both authors affect children, the age groups affected are different. More specifically, the paper explains that Atwood's stories are directed more at younger ages whereas Berton's books and volumes of history are more for older children and teenagers.
From the Paper
"'Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on November 18, 1939. Because her father was a forest entomologist, Atwood spent most of her childhood living in the Canadian wilderness. During the eight months of each year that her father did insect research in the forest, the Atwood family lived in a cabin with a wood stove and several kerosene lanterns. There were many wild animals such as bears in the area. While this lifestyle was exciting, she did not have most modern conveniences and technology. To entertain herself, Atwood read books. They became her only means for entertainment and escape. One of her favorite books as a child was Grimm's Fairy Tales. During this childhood of reading, Atwood also began to write. By the age of six, Atwood was writing poems, morality plays, comic books, and an unfinished novel about an ant. Ten years later, Atwood decided that she only wanted to write. She wanted "to live a double life; to go places she haven't been. Two years after this life-altering decision, Atwood entered Victoria College at the University of Toronto."
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'Alias Grace' by Margaret Atwood, 2005.
A discussion regarding Grace Marks femme fatale and surviving injustice and inequity in the late 19th century.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, $ 44.95
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Abstract
In reference to the novel, 'Alias Grace' this essay explores examples of historic inequities for women in Victorian society and how one women Grace Marks may have survived by utilizing the penal system as an unlikely refuge. According to the paper, on the surface, the novel 'Alias Grace' is a unique present-day exploration of a Victorian murder mystery. The novel is the story of Grace Marks who was convicted of murdering her employer and his housekeeper.
From the Paper
"Alias Grace is Margaret Atwood's fictionalized biography of the infamous murderer Grace Marks, who, in 1843 was convicted of a double murder in Kingston and served her sentence at Kingston penitentiary and the Lunatic Asylum in Toronto. On the surface, the novel, Alias Grace is a unique present-day retelling of a true crime story complete with dramatized news headlines, sex, violence, a bias judicial system and duplicitous Victorian morals. On a deeper level, this novel tells the story of how one woman may have exploited the very society that oppressed her in order to survive systemic bias and gender inequities. "
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"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, 1993.
An analysis of the role of religion as a tool for the social control of women.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"The role of religion in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is to support the social structure, which is based on a division between the sexes and on specific roles within those sexes, particularly as they relate to procreation. That religion serves no spiritual purpose in relation to a deity is obvious from the Soul Scrolls which enable the worshipper to select from five machine-generated prayers (Atwood 217). Yet religious symbols permeate the book, from the nun-like outfits of the women (Atwood 10-11) to the reading of appropriate Scripture before The Ceremony (Atwood 114-115) and the typical greetings (Atwood 25). The Aunts use a variety of biblical quotations, often improperly quoted, to urge the Handmaids to revel in their roles as vessels. The enemies of the State are other religious groups.
Supporting the concept that religion is primarily for social..."
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Margaret Atwood "Rape Fantasies", 1993.
Analyzes short story & its perspectives on the meaning of rape.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 4 sources, $ 39.95
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From the Paper
" Margaret Atwood's "Rape Fantasies" is an interesting mixture of stream-of-consciousness speculation and fiction, a short story with elements of non-fiction, a story and an essay combined. What makes the piece work as it does is the tone the author takes, a tone that maintains a sense of humor while having an underling sense of the importance of the issue. In the final analysis, the last line of the piece is what gives it its real poignancy and its strength, while everything that has gone before serves both to bolster the importance of the subject while poking some fun at the degree to which the media seems to have suddenly "discovered" it, as if prior to that it was not a problem at all.
The irony of the piece is inherent in its title. The use of the word "fantasies" coupled with the word "rape" leads to some misunderstanding in the story itself as the women playing cards.."
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Margaret Atwood "The Handmaid's Tale", 1994.
Analyzes anti-utopian novel of social criticism, focusing on roles of women & family in fictional future.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 6 sources, $ 71.95
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From the Paper
"Margaret Atwood raises a number of feminist issues in her novel The Handmaid's Tale, a book embodying a vision of a dystopian society, or a utopian society that does not work and does not serve the interests of the majority of its population. The novel is narrated by its protagonist, a young woman known as Offred who has been kidnapped by her government and separated from her husband and child. She is forced into slavery as a Handmaid, or surrogate mother, for a powerful couple that cannot have children of their own. This story is set in a future where such arrangements have become commonplace. Offred encounters not only the enormity of the demand placed on her to be a surrogate mother but a number of other indignities as her society imposes a code upon her, forcing her to dress and behave in a certain way in order not to be punished. Atwood develops here a vision of.."
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"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, 1997.
Critical analysis of author's use of feminist perspective, palimpsest narrative (past vs. present) & oppressed protagonist to affect reader's appreciation of love & freedom.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"Margaret Atwood, in The Handmaid's Tale, presents her protagonist, Offred, in the context of a narrative in which past and present are intimately juxtaposed. The palimpsest reference on the first page of the novel gives the reader an indication of both this approach and the attitude of the narrator/protagonist toward past and present. This attitude is that the past, full of human love and freedom, is gone forever, and the present, lacking such love and freedom, is all that remains, full of regret and loss and fear. The free past, in the context of the palimpsest reference, is erased, and the fascist present is written over the erased past. (As we learn in the Notes, the actual recording of Offred's tale on tape---recorded over previously recorded music
---is a literal example of palimpsest.) Of course, the very fact that ffred remembers the past nullifies the suggestion that it..."
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Margaret Atwood's "Rape Fantasies", 2000.
How the character of Estelle analyzes the other characters, proves her competitiveness, and tries to identify with people and situations, which allow us to make our own opinions on her.
1,260 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 1 source, $ 42.95
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From the Paper
"The plot in Margaret Atwood's "Rape Fantasies" is rather hidden, but is revealed through the mind and conversations of Estelle. This story exhibits character traits of Estelle as she speaks to the reader about her and her colleague's rape fantasies. As Estelle voices her opinions on this anomalous topic and on her critical opinions of the other women, Darlene, Greta, and Chrissy, we develop a certain perspective of her character. Estelle reveals her own persona by expressing her thoughts and attitudes toward the rape fantasies of her colleagues and her own, and Atwood allows us to begin to understand to person Estelle is because she goes beyond first person, via a narrator who befriends the reader. Estelle is the only wholly developed character, and has many pleasant and unpleasant personality traits that give this story its voice. Throughout the story she analyzes the other characters, proves her competitiveness, and tries to identify with people and situations, which allow us to make our own opinions on the character of Estelle..."
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Margaret Atwood's "Cat's Eye", 2000.
An analysis of the novel's depiction of a woman artist's return to her childhood home including traumas, relationships, power struggles and violence.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"In Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood depicts the powerful impact of girlhood on Elaine Risley, a middle-aged female artist. Returning to Toronto, the town of her childhood, for a retrospective on her art, she is incessantly haunted by her traumatic experiences as a young girl and her tormentor called Cordelia. In fact, Atwood exerts the greatest impact on the reader in her segments that portray the treacherous alliances formed between Cordelia and the other girls, Carol and Grace. What is so disturbing about these segments is that Atwood has shattered the conventional view of the play of little girls as being innocent and innocuous. Instead, she plunges the reader into a world in which young girls can single out one person in the group to torment and control her to the extent of leaving her to die in the icy water. Without mediating the devastating..."
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"The Sin Eater" by Margaret Atwood, 2001.
An analysis of the alimentary language and symbols in the "Sin Eater" story.
1,865 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 3 sources, $ 59.95
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Abstract
This essay analyzes the "Sin Eater" story and examines nourishment symbols and their meaning. The writer examines the essays the "Ornamental Cookery" essay in order to support his conclusion.
From the Paper
"In "The Sin Eater" Margaret Atwood creates situations in which women are burdened by the rules and inequalities of their societies and they discover that they must reconstruct a brave, more self-reliant version of herself in order to survive. Through the Protagonist's journey, we find that there is a great deal of food and nourishment symbols within the context of the story, in regard to allusion to the myth as laid out by Joseph, and within the action of the story. However, it signifies another level of metalanguage that holds the fabric of the story together and that adds a nourishment element to the story."
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