Feminism can be seen in many of Margaret Atwood’s most famous novels. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood gives light on the struggles of women during the feminist movement, and how equality is essential for a successful world. In The Robber Bride, Atwood shows the different roles women play in both the second-wave feminist time period and the post feminism time period. Both of these stories may lead the reader to believe that Margaret Atwood is in fact a feminist; however, Shirley Neuman explains how Atwood did not consider herself one, and what she thought about feminism.
The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a world called Gilead, where new women have been brought in and subjected to “breeding” in order for the population to continue growing since the original women have become sterile. The rights of women are stripped away, forcing them to a life of housework, having babies, and taking care of their families while the men go out and work. It is engraved in them that this is what women are supposed to do and how they are supposed to live. Atwood directly relates this to the real world by keeping records of events throughout the feminist time period on women’s and human rights. She makes it a point to the reader to realize that this world of Gilead is not made up, but rather an extension of the real world and its problems. She explores how fragile the newly found rights of women in 1984 are, and that they can be taken away so quickly. The thoughts of the men in The Handmaid’s Tale directly correlate with how men thought of women and the women’s rights movements during the 1980s. Many influential people said were quoted saying things like “feminists encourage women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbian” (Neuman 860). Atwood not only showed the world this depiction within her writing but was also able to show the different roles women played throughout the feminist time periods.
The Robber Bride shows the lives of three women who embody different roles of those who lived in the second-wave feminist time period. A strong and powerful business woman, a spiritual and ecofeminist, and an academic are all portrayed in these women. They show what Atwood believed to be the key ideologies during the time, which were unity, sisterhood, and loyalty amongst women. However, her other character, Zenia, plays the role of a women during the post feminism time period. She represents individualism, sexuality, and diversity. All the traits that Zenia has, the women in the second-wave time period want to acquire. Atwood shows the transition between time periods and how difficult it was for women to change their mindsets. Fiona Tolan, author of “Sucking the Blood Out of Second Wave Feminism,” says, “Post feminist women are strong, independent, and with no need of, or attraction to, organized feminism” (Tolan 46). Atwood shows this thinking through her use of Zenia in The Robber Bride, and how women before her find it difficult to comprehend. To the reader, Atwood may seem like a feminist, however she hardly thinks of herself as one. Shirley Neuman discusses in her article, “Just a Backlash: Margaret Atwood, Feminism, and The Handmaid’s Tale,” how Margaret Atwood really thought of herself and feminism.
Atwood did not consider herself a feminist and dislike being called one. She resented when critics labeled her as one and feared that they would only look at her most recent work, and not the earlier work. By 1976, she started to come to terms with the idea of feminism declaring that she was “probably a feminist” (Neuman 858). Neuman writes of an interview that Atwood had with feminist theorist Elizabeth Meese. She discusses Atwood’s definition of feminism and what it means to her. Around the time of The Handmaid’s Tale’s release, Atwood said, “my definition of feminism is a belief in the rights of women as equal human beings” (Neuman 858). She made the point in saying that if in fact the world was taken over by the radical anti-male feminist, she would most likely resist. The point being, Atwood’s take on feminism and the feminism shown in her stories differs greatly, something that the reader would not expect.
Do you believe Atwood’s writing reflects a more radical style of feminism or the ideology that she holds, a simple belief in equality amongst all human beings?
Works Cited
Neuman, Shirley. "'Just a Backlash': Margaret Atwood, Feminism, and "The Handmaid's Tale."." University of Toronto Quarterly. 75.3 (2006): 857-868. Print.
Tolan, Fiona. "Sucking the Blood Out of Second Wave Feminism: Postfeminist Vampirism in Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride." Gothic Studies. 9.2 (2007): 45-57. Print.
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