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THE POLITICS OF RELATIONSHIPS: AN EXAMINATION OF MARGARET ATWOOD'S THE EDIBLE WOMAN, SURFACING, AND SURVIVAL

by Esther Robertson B.A., McGill University, 1965

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS

i n the Department of English

We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard

THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA August, 19 74

In p r e s e n t i n g t h i s t h e s i s

in p a r t i a l

f u l f i l m e n t o f the requirements

an advanced degree at the U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia, the L i b r a r y s h a l l make i t

freely available for

I agree

thesis

f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be granted by the Head o f my Department It

i s understood t h a t copying o r

of this thesis for financial written

Depa rtment The U n i v e r s i t y o f B r i t i s h Vancouver 8, Canada

Columbia

or

publication

g a i n s h a l l not be allowed w i t h o u t my

permission.

that

r e f e r e n c e and study.

I f u r t h e r agree t h a t permission f o r e x t e n s i v e copying o f t h i s

by h i s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s .

for

ii Abstract In h e r p o e t r y ities

and n o v e l s , M a r g a r e t Atwood

explores p o l i t i c a l

real-

i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s " between women and men, a n d t o a s i g n i -

ficant

degree her i n s i g h t s

i n t o p o w e r - p a t t e r n s a r e s h a p e d by an a -

w a r e n e s s o f t h e ways i n w h i c h p e o p l e a r e t r a i n e d from c h i l d h o o d

to hold

one s e t o f a t t i t u d e s

by t h e i r

society

t o w a r d women and a n o t h e r

t o w a r d men. Her p o r t r a i t s o f women and men, and o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s between them, d e m o n s t r a t e how t h i s d o u b l e consequences f o r both

standard

has d e s t r u c t i v e

s e x e s , among them t h e s u p p r e s s i o n ,

eventual atrophy of f e e l i n g , r e s u l t i n g i n r e l a t i o n s h i p s not

by l o v e

b u t by s u b t l e

insensitivity

In

d e n i a l and governed

power-games w h i c h a r e c h a r a c t e r i z e d

and r u t h l e s s n e s s

and i n w h i c h men h o l d

t h e advantage.

S u r v i v a l , Atwood o f f e r s a "map" o f C a n a d i a n L i t e r a t u r e ,

p h a s i z e s t h e humber o f v i c t i m s

t o be f o u n d

therein

and em-

and t h e e x t e n t

to which s u r v i v a l i s a p r e o c c u p a t i o n w i t h Canadian w r i t e r s . consistency ism,

i s apparent here,

she d o e s n o t e x p l o r e

e n c o u r a g e s women t o p l a y politics

f o r , although

s h e t o u c h e s upon

t h e ways i n w h i c h s e x - r o l e

An i n sex-

conditioning

v i c t i m r o l e s . Atwood's own a n a l y s i s o f

i n woman-man r e l a t i o n s h i p s

i n the novels

inconsistent

with t h i s omission

i n Survival;

book t o d e a l

with

o f sexism

indicates

by

the r e a l i t i e s

t h a t Atwood's a n a l y s i s

o f sexism

and p o e t r y i s

the f a i l u r e

i n that

i n Canadian l i t e r a t u r e i s incomplete.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction The Edible Woman; Relationships Among Women; Marian and the Enemy Marian's Relationships with Men

>-\;r Marian and Her "Self

1 18 32

Surfacing; The Unnamed Protagonist and Joe

37

David / Anna

42

Man vs Woman

47

iJpman to Woman

55

The Protagonist vs Herself

62

Survival. A Selected Bibliography

.67

iv

INTRODUCTION The

fact that Margaret Atwood i s a woman, writing i n Western

society i n the second half of the twentieth century, has been considered i n t h i s thesis as being of

' central

her work and i t s reception. Canada i n 1974 with a long p a t r i a r c h a l t r a d i t i o n , and

importance to

i s s t i l l a patriarchy,

the most recent upsurge

of feminist r e b e l l i o n has yet to make r e a l changes i n the struct u r a l underpinnings of that society; modern capitalism as

we

know i t , for example, would no longer e x i s t i f women v/ere e n t i r e l y l i b e r a t e d , depending as i t does upon the unpaid or low-paid labour of women. What t h i s means i s that Atwood, a member of an oppressed group, writing books about contemporary Canadian s o c i ety, cannot i n my opinion be read without reference

to the

yses of the Women's Liberation Movement and the feminist of other periods; hence the bibliography of these. I t may

writings

includes a large number

be argued that to read Atwood with an eye

p o l i t i c a l considerations

anal-

to

i s to do her a d i s s e r v i c e , to f a i l i n

s e n s i t i v i t y to her a r t . But as Survival c l e a r l y i n d i c a t e s , Atwood herself regards such p o l i t i c a l r e a l i t i e s as the economic and c u l t u r a l domination of Canada by the United States as of d i r e c t relevance to Canadian a r t and a r t i s t s . Art does not e x i s t in a vacuum; i t both r e f l e c t s and perp tuates values; e

and j u s t

as a black Southerner would be unable to give f u l l c r e d i t for artistryttoa racist

aithor, so i t becomes impossible f o r a mod-

ern feminist to be oblivious to sexism in a r t . On the subject of the r a d i c a l l y altered feminist consciousness, Margret Andersen says : Indeed i t i s sometimes quite p a i n f u l to be a

V

feminist. When you cannot see Hamlet anymore without giving much of your attention to Ophelia and to the c a v a l i e r way i n which she i s treated by both her father and her lover;...when Camus suddenly i s no longer flawless i n your eyes because of his f a i l u r e to see woman other than i n her r e l a t i o n s h i p to man, then, indeed, something quite grave has happened...I used to admire Henri Peyre for his work, I s t i l l do, but i t i s an admiration mixed with d i s i l l u s i o n and regret. This i s not to claim that Atwood i s sexist; only that to read a: author of e i t h e r sex without an awareness of whether t h e i r work implies an acceptance and therefore a perpetuation

of s e x i s t at

titudes i s , ultimately, to contribute to a system that oppresse half i t s members.

In "Radical Feminism" Bonnie Kreps distinguishes between . . . (.1) the l a r g e l y economically oriented (usually Marxist) segment which sees l i b e r ation for women as part of a s o c i a l i s t revol u t i o n ; ( 2 ) l i b e r a l groups l i k e the National Organization of?; Women.. .working for some kind of integration of women into the main f a b r i c of society; and (3) r a d i c a l feminism, which chooses to concentrate e x c l u s i v e l y on the oppression of women as women and not as workers, students, e t c . . . I t s ba s i c aim could f a i r l y be stated as, "There s h a l l be no chara c t e r i s t i c s , behaviour, or roles ascribed t o any human being on the basis of sex."...we must f i g h t the myth of the so-called 'female' character;...the corrupt notion we now c a l l 'love', which i s based on control of another rather than on love for the growth of another; we must f i g h t the i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n of the oppression of women - e s p e c i a l l y the i n s t i t u t i o n of marriage...Radical feminism i s c a l l e d ' r a d i c a l ' because i t i s struggling to bring

Margret Andersen, Comp., Mother was not a person:(Montreal: Content Publishing Limited and Black Rose Books, 1972), p.88-9

about r e a l l y society.2 The

third

based ible

Of

analysis,

my comments

rising

the p o l i t i c s

i n my a p p r o a c h

underestimated,

but

so-called

i n marriage,

like

emotions

and r e a s o n , to feeling;

i s the b e l i e f , that

at least

unacceptable

attri-

where r a t i o n a l

intel-

than

and p e r s o n a l

relation-

i s p e r m i t t e d and e x p r e s s e d .

- p a i n , s a d n e s s , f e a r , anger e t c .

and t h e r e f o r e d e n i e d

our capacity

i s d i m i n i s h e d . And w i t h o u t

and s u p p r e s s e d ;

contemporary

for feeling

the a b i l i t y

t o experience

t h a t human b e i n g s

find

can lead

peace o r f u l f i l l m e n t

psychia-

positive

l o v e and j o y , none o f t h e d i r e c t i o n s happiness,

intuition.

and s u p p r e s s i o n o f f e e l i n g other

according tbecerta'in

A r t h u r Janov,

take t o

t o those g o a l s .

2 Canadian

Women's E d u c a t i o n a l P r e s s , Women U n i t e I

H e r i t a g e P r e s s , 1972),

p.

life

supposedly male

and a d m i r a b l e

the family,

n e g a t i v e emotions

a t t h e same t i m e ,

trists

i n The E d -

d e n i e d and downgraded i n p a t -

thedenigration

s h i p s , where some f e e l i n g

are s o c i a l l y

t o Atwood

a s more w o r t h w h i l e

i n society

e v i d e n t , even

The

of relationships

I have

a r e o f p r o f o u n d l y n s d g n i f i c a n t t o human

t o be s u p e r i o r

i s regarded

Everywhere

i s t h e o n e on w h i c h

and S u r v i v a l .

s o c i e t y , where l o g i c

are held

ligence

feminism,

1

are tragically

butes,

changes i n o u r

f r o m A t w o o d s work a n d f r o m my own e x p e r i e n c e ,

and emotions

riarchal

is

about

importance

both

feelings but

radical

Woman, S u r f a c i n g ,

primary

fundamental

74-5.

(Toronto:

Vll

I n The on

P r i m a l Scream A r t h u r

people

by

the

Janov d i s c u s s e s the

suppression of

feeling

damage

inflicted

and d e s c r i b e s n e u r o s i s

a

...symbolic behaviour i n defense a g a i n s t e x c e s s i v e psychobiologic pain. Neurosis i s s e l f - p e r p e t u a t i n g because symbolic s a t i s f a c t i o n s cannot f u l f i l l r e a l n e e d s . I n o r d e r f o r r e a l n e e d s t o be s a t i s f i e d , t h e y must be f e l t and e x p e r i e n c e d . U n f o r t u n a t e l y , p a i n has c a u s e d t h o s e n e e d s t o be b u r i e d . When-they a r e b u r i e d , the o r g a n i s m goes i n t o a c o n t i n u o u s s t a t e of emergency a l e r t . T h a t a l e r t s t a t e i s t e n s i o n . . . T h i s emergency a l e r t i s n e c e s s a r y t o e n s u r e t h e i n f a n t ' s s u r v i v a l ; i f he were t o g i v e up hope o f e v e r h a v i n g h i s n e e d s f u l f i l l e d , he m i g h t d i e . The organism c o n t i n u e s t o l i v e a t any c o s t , and t h a t c o s t i s u s u a l l y n e u r o s i s - s h u t t i n g down unmet b o d i l y n e e d s and f e e l i n g s b e c a u s e t h e p a i n i s t o o g r e a t t o w i t h stand. 3 U n f u l f i l l e d n e e d s s u p e r s e d e any o t h e r a c t i v i t y i n t h e human u n t i l t h e y a r e met. When n e e d s a r e met, t h e c h i l d c a n f e e l . He c a n e x p e r i e n c e h i s b o d y and h i s e n v i r o n m e n t . When n e e d s a r e n o t met, t h e c h i l d experiences only t e n s i o n , which i s f e e l i n g d i s c o n nected from c o n s c i o u s n e s s . Without t h a t n e c e s s a r y c o n n e c t i o n , the n e u r o t i c does not f e e l . N e u r o s i s i s the pathology of f e e l i n g . N e u r o s i s does not b e g i n a t the i n s t a n t a c h i l d supp r e s s e s h i s f i r s t f e e l i n g , b u t we m i g h t s a y t h a t t h e n e u r o t i c p r o c e s s d o e s . The c h i l d s h u t s down i n s t a g e s . E a c h s u p p r e s s i o n and d e n i a l o f n e e d t u r n t h e c h i l d o f f a b i t more. B u t one d a y t h e r e o c c u r s a c r i t i c a l s h i f t i n which the c h i l d i s p r i m a r i l y turned o f f , i n w h i c h he i s more un r e a l t h a n r e a l , and a t t h a t c r i t i c a l p o i n t we may j u d g e him t o be n e u r o t i c . From t h a t t i m e on, he w i l l o p e r a t e on a s y s t e m o f d u a l s e l v e s ; t h e u n r e a l and r e a l s e l v e s . 4 Janov s t a t e s : neurotic

"The

major reason

i s that their

parents

I have found are

that children

become

too busy s t r u g g l i n g w i t h

unmet

5

infantile

needs of t h e i r

own."

He

does not

explore

m

depth

and

3 . A r t h u r J a n o v , The P r i m a l S c r e a m : P r i m a l T h e r a p y : The C u r e f o r N e u r o s i s (New Y o r k : D e l l Pub l i s h i n g Co. I n c . , 1 9 7 0 ) , p. 23.

4

5 I b i d . , p.

24.

Ibid.,

p.

27

VllX

d e t a i l the connections between pain i n f l i c t e d upon i n f a n t s by t h e i r parents and a society which assumes that i f a woman has the necessary reproductive organs she i s not only q u a l i f i e d but also obliged (in order to prove herself as a woman) to have children; and t h i s madness p e r s i s t s despite the threats presented by overpopulation to the s u r v i v a l of the human race.. Nor does Janov attempt to assess

fcheeconnections

between

neurotic

children and other aspects of motherhood i n the patriarchy, such as the f a c t that although occupations

l i k e teaching or healing people

are rewarded i n our society bytboth money and respect, the occupation of r a i s i n g people i s unpaid, unrewarded, since i t i s taken for

granted that any i d i o t can do it.No one would dare to suggest

that love i s s u f f i c i e n t remuneration f o r a doctor, lawyer or teacher.

Moreover, r a i s i n g a c h i l d i s a f u l l - t i m e occupation i n the true

sense of the word, since c h i l d r e n can not be l e f t alone a t a l l during t h e i r infancy and only for short periods of time during t h e i r l a t e r childhood. Nor does Janov wonder i f there v/ould be fewer neurotic c h i l d r e n and unfeeling adults i f women had f u l l and unquestioned

c o n t r o l over t h e i r bodies. However, despite the f a i l u r e

to explore the connections between pain, tension, neurosis, the oppression of women, and sex-role conditioning, Janov does provide a thoroughgoing analysis of the dynamics-and e f f e c t s of t h e

r

denial and suppression of f e e l i n g s and needs, and that analysis, though i t unfortunately lacks f u l l consciousness

of sexism, has

been of use i n my discussion of Margaret Atwood. The pec u l i a r i t i e s of sex-role conditioning r e s u l t i n the paradox that although p a t r i a r c h a l society operates p r i m a r i l y f o r the b

ene-

ix.

fit

o f men, i n t h i s

a r e a i t ends up o p p r e s s i n g men more,, p e r h a p s ,

t h a n women, who a r e a l l o w e d and e v e n e x p e c t e d pressions of grief suspiciously prehensible

or tenderness

as p o s s i b l e tendency

than s o - c a l l e d

inlittle

t o be e m o t i o n a l . E x -

b o y s o r men a r e r e g a r d e d

symptoms o f e f f e m i n a c y ,

i n males

masculine

(according to p a t r i a r c h a l conditioning)

traits

like

independence

s i v e n e s s a r e i n women. Y e t women t o o a r e t a u g h t of

certain

in

contemporary

and

ageism

emotions

anger

North American

converge

who i n e a r l y in

like

t o produce

an e v e n more r e -

i sdesirable, society,

that

the suppression .

sexism,

capitalism,

i t i s necessary t o bury

t o experience happiness,

feeling

lacking i n

n