Character Interpretations in Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad
Explore character interpretations in Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad, focusing on Penelope, Eurycleia, maids, and Helen. Delve into their complex personalities and relationships, shedding light on their roles beyond the traditional epics. Discover a reimagined perspective on these iconic figures in a unique narrative twist.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
The Penelopiad Book by Margaret Atwood Presentation by Hannah <3
Overview Penelope reflects on her life from the afterlife Scenes in underworld, internal monologue, and scenes during the Odyssey Focus is entirely on home life during and after war Gives backstory for a lot of characters including herself Characters interpreted in a more human way No one is as noble or heroic as they were in the epics The emotions and motivations of Penelope and other women I m going to focus on character interpretations There are a lot of other ways to look at the Penelopiad I ll start with the more minor characters and end w/ Penelope because I m a yapper
Character Interpretations Eurycleia overbearing mother-in-law, obsessed with her mediocre son Mother figure and son figure respectively Maids young victims of rape and murder Poems and songs from their point of view Combination of grief and anger Helen narcissistic seductress Affair with Paris and escape to Troy interpreted as consensual Chapter 11 is called Helen Ruins My Life Personally blamed for entire war Cousin Helen, Helen the lovely, Helen the septic bitch, root cause of all my misfortunes. Pg 131
Penelope the faithful yet manipulative people-pleaser Married as a teenager, her life didn t belong to her Manufactured scenes to support Odysseus s ego Lonely during Odysseus s wanderings Moved to husband s estate weird Isolated, only outside contact were 12 maids Cousin to Helen, near-constant comparisons Penelope was the smart one, Helen was the pretty one Both venerated in poetry, but only Helen was wanted in real life Oh boy do I feel that
