Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood, a contemporary Canadian author, has been classified as one of this century’s' most feminist, and near dystopian novelists. Her works illustrate how feminism has caused the downfall of contemporary society. Margaret Atwood, a prominent feminist author of the twentieth century, is driven by her sense of social reform and her realistic view of a disturbed society to produce works such as The Handmaids Tale.

Atwood was born on November 18, 1943 in Ottawa, Ontario. In her earlier years as a child, she lived in the Canadian wilderness where her father was an entomologist. He studied and observed insects. Atwood is the second of three children of Margaret Dorothy Kilam and Dr. Carl Edmund Atwood (Brimrose 3). Her parents were both strong and independent minded parents who wanted their children to be the same (3). The Atwoods were a mile, by water, to the nearest village. There was no radio, television, movie theater, or children, other than her brother who was two years older. She attributes her outsiders’ eye to this unconventional childhood (Bedell 2). When Atwood finally go to venture into the city, all social groups seemed to her equally bizarre, all artefacts and habits peculiar

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The discriminatory acts towards females, at Radcliffe, were beginning to take a toll on Atwood. Atwood centered her reading on Grimms Fairy Tales and George Orwells Animal Farm, both of which created a dark prototype of victim and victimizer (Rice 37).

Not only did men abuse the bodies of women; they desecrated religion as well. It wasn’t until Atwood met Jay MacPherson when her future began to look brighter. I was scuttling along in my usual furtive way; suspecting no ill, when a large thumb descended from the sky and pressed down on the top of my head. Since the majority of her childhood was spent in the Canadian wilderness, finding her way through anything, canoeing, and hunting, Atwood developed a great deal of self-confidence (Brimrose 3) This self regard is recognized profoundly in her writing.

A childhood divided between summers in the woodlands of Quebec, and winters in many different Canadian cities, is what Atwood credits her lust for reading, thus a love for writing, to (Brimrose 2). Gilead, the new society, has taken reproduction out of the females’ control. Atwood ruled the roost (Brimrose 4). Her education was more important to herself as well as her parents. There is no irony! Offreds' name literally mean Of-Fred. Religion is spreading the word not using the word against those who have faith. Ironically Atwood shows this through her writing.

Margaret Atwoods' feministic views on a society being slain apart, is a direct reflection on her contemporary novel, The Handmaids Tale. Emily Dickinson lived in a cupboard, Charlotte Bronte died in childbirth.

Approximate Word count = 1859
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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