Surfacing by Margaret Atwood Essay

The structure of a novel enables it to embody, integrate and communicate its content by revealing its role in the creation and perception of it. A complex structure such as that of Robert Drewe’s work The Drowner, published in 1996, refers to the interrelation or arrangement of parts in a complex entity1. Drewe’s novel is a multi-faceted epic love story presenting a fable of European ambitions in an alien landscape, and a magnificently sustained metaphor of water as the life and death force2. The main concerns of the novel include concerns about love, life, death and human frailty. These concerns are explored through the complex structure of the novel. That is, through its symbolic title, prologues, and division into sections. The

David's mother got worse and she began to think of new ways to torture David. David was one of a few brothers, but only he was targeted. The other brothers pretended he wasn't even there. There was only one person in the family that still loved David was his father. David’s father would fight for David and would protect him from the mother. But, he would always lose. Whenever David's father went to work, David would get beat. Dave became the scapegoat for his mother's mistakes. David became a slave of the house and did all the chores. If he did not finish his chores with an unreasonable time, he did not receive dinner. David was starved for three days at a time. Once, David got stabbed by his mother for not completing her dishes. Whenever David came back from school his mother forced him to throw up to see if he got any food at school. This happened every

Women were regard as a second class of people. They had neither legal right nor respect from their male counterparts. When the narrator's husband, John, a

The role of women in society was displayed quite clearly by the entrance of John’s sister. The woman writes, “There comes John’s sister. Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me! I must not let her find me writing. She is a perfectionist and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession. I verily believe she thinks it is the writing which makes me sick!” John’s sister is representative of the typical woman. A woman who is pleased with her life, and wishes for no more. John’s wife, however, is rebelling on her place in society by writing. This is why she includes the statement; “…I verily believe she thinks it is the writing which makes me sick!”

The description of their relationship draws on the language of navigation and discovery. She is seen as “undiscovered country” p.32 and David is a “battered vessel”. The narrator suggests there is no map for love

While not a complete victory for Anna, the battle for her inheritance was not a complete loss either. She capably fought her father and even the entire city council of Hall. This was no easy task because she couldn’t represent herself in court. It was one of the first times where the moral code of Germany was overturned. She contested her father and went against the respect you’re supposed to have. Her story was not a complete positive statement of female dominance, because that certainly was not the case, an ugly thirty-year court battle doesn’t indicate disempowerment either, even though her battle didn’t personally benefit her to the fullest, it was a large step for women.

The author talks about how women made the men legitimized the male ego by making the man feel powerful to his wife, and if a wife did not go along with these ideals she would just have to deal with it. Why some southern women let the role of the husband get to this point Anne Scott a well renowned author and history professor at Duke University said, “Husbands were frequently referred to in words used for God: Lord and Master.” Which helped women to have a growing sense of self awareness. Anne Scott also wrote saying that many women supported slavery and others believing it to be cruel and unjust saying it was possible to draw a subconscious feeling of their own unequal status. There were two sisters Sarah and Angelina Grimke from South Carolina, that wanted to break free from a southern women’s role and change the way they saw slavery and how women were

She writes how the housewives also served as " helpmates" to the men. If for any reason the men were injured and could not perform in the Revolutionary War, these women were expected to "step into their husbands' shoes" and "fulfill their obligations as helpmates" when needed to (11). That brought out the physical strength, courage, mental toughness in the women as they were "performing male duties, exhibiting masculine traits" (11). Through all this the "gender lines remained intact" and women were still considered smaller than the

At the age of 5 years old, not only did he began to take showers with his father, but when they went to the beach club, his mother bathed him in the shower in the presence of other naked women. By the age of 6 years old, David noticed the power men had over women, “when a male entered the women’s side of the bathhouse, all the women shrieked”. (Gale Biography). At the age of 7 and 8 years old, he experienced a series of head accidents. First, he was hit by a car and suffered head injuries. A few months later he ran into a wall and again suffered head injuries. Then he was hit in the head with a pipe and received a four inch gash in the forehead. Believing his natural mother died while giving birth to him was the source of intense guilt, and anger inside David. His size and appearance did not help matters. He was larger than most kids his age and not particularly attractive, which he was teased by his classmates. His parents were not social people, and David followed in that path, developing a reputation for being a loner. At the age of 14 years old David became very depressed after his adoptive mother Pearl, died from breast cancer. He viewed his mother’s death as a monster plot designed to destroy him. (Gale Biography). He began to fail in school and began an infatuation with petty larceny and pyromania. He sets fires,

The novel advocates female rights to a certain degree. This is shown when Marlena disobeys August when he gave her a command. I believe back in the 1930s women had to subject to their husbands but, Marlena seems to be to one in control – “ “What do you think you’re doing? You are not giving that to him, Now sit down!” / She walks straight to the gaunt man, picks up his hand, and plants the sandwich in it. Then she marches off to scattered applause and whistles from the working men’s side of the tent”

In the story “Jury of her Peers,” the women are thought of as inferior. The men treat the women like they are not able to do the same things as the men. “But would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?” (Glaspell 266) The women have “feminine intuition.” They know the pain from isolation that Minnie was going through and know what clues to look for. “Again, for one brief moment, the two women’s eyes found one another.” (Glaspell 280) The men underestimate that the women can think on this level.

Anna believes the duty of women to men is to be submissive to the husband without causing quarrel that would cause despair between them. However, she also believes that a man should be protective and loving towards his wife (p.49). Anna believes that this was a man’s duty to his wife, in return for being submissive to him.

Throughout the years, sexism has had a tremendous impact on women. Women in the 1920’s, and even before, were known as a man's possession, because they were considered the “weaker” sex. People, mostly men, had an idea of how women should be and how they should act, they were not allowed to work, be free, and in some cases not to talk or even look at other men, without being called a cruel name. In the book, Of Mice of Men, a character who is known as Curley's wife is the only woman on their farm and is secluded from everybody, with the exception of her husband, Curley. She was one of the many ladies who were mistreated all around the world during this time. Curly has taken ownership of her life and does not give her the option of doing what she wants or needs. Sexism has been an issue throughout every woman's life, including our character in the story, who has been struggling to get attention from someone who is willing to give it. It is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim of sexism, which would have shaped her into the woman she would have become.

Throughout the novel, David, the protagonist is abused and tortured several times by his very own father, Joseph Strorm and his recently discovered Uncle, Gordon. David’s father is a strict believer in his religion and is unyielding on the subject of mutations and blasphemy’s. If anyone neglects to follow his beliefs and rules, he has serious consequences for them, like with David, once Joseph found out that David knows a blasphemy, he immediately subjected to abusing him for answers. David’s father continues to beat him until he receives the information he demands. David has been abused more than once by his father and this is evident when David says, “I knew well enough what that meant, but I knew well too, that with my father in his present mood, it would happened whether I told or not. I set my jaw,

Though David represents a seemingly common boy at the time, he has several qualities that make him stand out. However, these character traits are never simply told to us. Instead, the implied author uses David’s actions, decisions, and beliefs to