Peneopiad

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood - Wide Reading Assignment Question.1 - Write a brief overview of the plot (250 words) The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood is a story narrated by Odysseus’ wife Penelope, expressing the events that she had to endure mainly while her husband was away on his ‘odyssey’. The story is narrated by Penelope who is in 21st century Hades; so each chapter in the book jumps from present day to the century of which the previous events occurred. The story is not exclusively based on the events that happened while Odysseus was fighting in the Trojan War and at sea; it tells the story of Penelope’s own ‘odyssey’, the one she endured on her own for twenty-odd years. The book explains to the reader the troubles she endured, with loneliness, the suitors who were constantly fighting for her and the kingdom, the maids, her son Telemachus, and the never ending shroud she was weaving for her father-in-law. The book also includes a brief introduction as to how they met and an overview on the main characters. The story includes chapters that are narrated by the twelve maids, who are the young women that Penelope relied on as sources of information and of course for housework, cooking etcetera. The story begins in Ithaca where Penelope was born; it is here that she gets married to Odysseus before moving to Ithaca to start a new life. As the book goes on, the narrator of each chapter alternates between Penelope in Ithaca, to Penelope in present day Hades, to the twelve maids. Each of these narrators tell a section of the journey Penelope had whilst Odysseus was away. The final chapter narrated by Penelope describes what happened when Odysseus returned, the positives of that and the negatives. Question.2 - When + where was it set' How where the main action occurs using maps The settings in Margaret Atwood’s Penelopiad are located all over the Mediterranean, mainly in Ithaca and Hades; the two places of which Penelope tells most of her story. The first chapter is set in modern day Hades, as well as others in the story. Numerous other chapters are set in ancient Ithaca and Sparta in the palaces of both King Icarius of Sparta and King Laertes of Ithaca. Odysseus’ ‘odyssey’ was spread all across the Mediterranean, beginning on the shores of Troy and sprawling out in all directions. Route of Odysseus – although not specified in book the map is useful Question.3 - Whose voices tell the story' Why might it be significant that the story is told from multiple perspectives' Does this provide a richer picture of the events than a single narrative voice' There are two main characters that tell the story; these are Penelope and the maids. The chapters narrated by Penelope are split up; some set in modern day Hades, and some ancient Ithaca or Sparta. The maids have their own chapters, which are each written in a different text type, all of which have a title indicating what tone the chapter will be. The way that Atwood has chosen and written this story with numerous narrators is significant because it provides the reader with an opportunity to gain and imagine a stronger image of the events being told. The use of numerous voices rather than one does provide a richer picture of the events that occurred throughout the story by creating different perspectives and by using different text types. By incorporating different tones and text types throughout the novel, the reader is able to gain further understandings of the events that are occurring. This is significant because it enables the audience to recognize and appreciate Penelope’s side of the ‘Odyssey’, after so many appropriations of the famous book only speak of and elaborate on Odysseus. Question.4 - Which text types are used' Why do you think that Atwood chose these text types' The styles of which the story is written in alternates between chapters. The chapters narrated by Penelope are always written in prose, whilst all the chorus chapters narrated by the Maids are written in a different text type each time. The style of which Atwood has written the chapters narrated by Penelope present her as a character that is aiming to break down a metaphorical ‘wall’ and speak directly to the audience with understanding, passionate, cynical, honest and casual tone. The chapters that are narrated by the Maids are written in rhyme, lament, a song, an idyll, a sea shanty, a ballad, a drama, an anthropology lecture, and a court trial ‘videotaped by the maids’. It is probable that Atwood chose these particular text types because they immediately relate back to ancient Greek society and literature. The use of a chorus in traditional Greek drama was essentially a moral compass and was used frequently, which is most likely the reason as to why Atwood incorporated this text type into the novel. It can be assumed that Atwood chose to use rhyme because the maids are portrayed as playful characters, a sea shanty because Odysseus is at sea while Penelope is telling certain sections of the story, a lament obviously to express their grief over the way they were brought up and the lives they lived; how they were just “born to the wrong parents. Poor parents, slave parents, peasant parents, and serf parents; parents who sold us, parents from whom we were stolen.” The use of a song or a ‘popular tune’ was used in this case as what appears to be a fast, up-beat song expressing their desire for being a princess. The utilization of an idyll in chapter ten is appropriate because it is describing the birth of Telemachus. A ballad was used as a sentimental piece by the maids, and is appropriate as it is expressing the laborious lives they live. The drama was also used appropriately as it demonstrates the perils that Penelope was undergoing during the time of Odysseus’ absence. It could be said that Atwood incorporated the Anthropology lecture to highlight the modern day aspect of the novel, this as well as the trial of Odysseus ‘videotaped by the maids’. Question.5 - List and describe the main characters (you are to respond to this question with reference to each of the characters whose perspective is represented in the story.) consider whether these characters are stock characters or whether they are individuals. Do these characters develop or change' Provide quotes to support. There are a group of main characters in the Penelopiad; they are Penelope, the Maids, Telemachus, Odysseus, Helen and Eurycleia. Penelope is obviously the main character in the book. Atwood has portrayed her as a strong woman, intelligent, loving and beautiful (though not as beautiful as Helen). Throughout the story that is being told by the Penelope in ancient Ithaca, she develops and adapts to the situations that are occurring around her. For instance, the birth of her son Telemachus, and the constant annoyance and trouble being caused by the ever increasing amount of suitors that showed up at the palace. Penelope can be perceived as an extremely honest woman as the novel can be acknowledged as ‘Penelope’s guilty conscience’. In Hades, Penelope has spent thousands of years to develop and figure out what she really thinks of the world. She has developed in a sense that she has realised how she has wronged the twelve maids, and is now attempting to clear her conscience and tell her side of the story. A quote that helps support Penelope’s change of heart is “It was my fault! (That the maids were murdered)” The maids, although not addressed individually, all essentially have the same qualities. The maids add a different dimension to the novel as Atwood intertwines their voices into the story. The Maids first explain themselves (more or less than in the other chapters) in their chorus: Kiddie Mourn. This chapter fundamentally describes how the maids begin their lives, and outlines the fact that they are just objects worth money, not human beings. Apart from having been dealt such a harsh life, the maids are seemingly always happy and giggling whilst doing their jobs around the palace. Penelope takes these girls ‘under her wing’ when they are young and raises them as her own, and by doing this creating a strong friendship between them. These characters do change throughout the story, as when they are alive and living in ancient Ithaca with Penelope, they like her and enjoy her company; they spend time with her and don’t act like they are her slaves. But in Hades, in the afterlife, the Maids no longer talk to Penelope and ignore her completely; so much that she is forced to yell from a distance if she has anything to say to them. A more miserable quote that describes what the Maids ended up feeling toward Penelope is from their rope-jumping line, “we are the maids/ the ones you killed/ the ones you failed... we danced on air/ the ones you failed/ the ones you killed.” Telemachus is the only character in the story that can be considered as ‘stock’. He is the son of Penelope and Odysseus and only had time to briefly form a relationship with his father. He is portrayed as the typical teenager, doing what he wants, aiming to impress his father (although he is at sea), not listening to his mother, and sailing away on a voyage to find his father without notifying his already distressed mother. From reading the small descriptions on Telemachus said by Penelope the audience can gather enough information about him to decide that he is a very trustworthy individual. This is can be noticed towards the end of the book, where Odysseus returns disguised as a homeless man. Odysseus reveals himself to Telemachus as his father and he is doesn’t question his motives at all, but simply trusts him and accepts him as his father, the one he hasn’t seen in over a decade. Odysseus, although not having a huge part in the book, does actually have a very large part of the story that the Penelopiad was appropriated from. Atwood has kept the genuine ‘Odysseus’ personality and has not particularly changed his character from what people know him as. She does go into detail about the physicality of his body though, describing his short stumpy legs, long torso, and a prominent scar on his leg; all of these features assist in recognising him before and after his ‘Odyssey’. It appears that Odysseus’ character does not change a whole lot over the period of time that the book is set in. One of the main elements about him that Penelope would elaborate on was how he loved to talk to her, to tell her stories. When he arrives home, finally, he lies with her and tells her all the stories of his voyage, and she tells him all of hers. In the book, other characters made jokes about Odysseus. For example, “don’t gamble with Odysseus, the friend of Hermes,” they said. “You’ll never win.” This was like saying he was a cheat and a thief. They also made jokes about his short legs, saying “I wonder how fast he can run.” “Not very fast, on those short legs of his.” Like in the larger majority of all the appropriations of the Iliad or the Odyssey, Helen is portrayed as a heinous b*tch that is only out for herself. Atwood creates (or elaborates on) a character that is self righteous, arrogant character who is well aware of her beautiful face that ‘launch a thousand ships’. Helen is constantly talking down to all the other characters, especially Penelope, calling her ‘duck’ as a pet name that almost sounds as if she is intentionally being demeaning. Helen could be considered as an individual in this book, as she is sincerely the only character that is so completely self absorbed that she sucks up all the dislike a reader could possible accumulate for a book and almost makes them want to stop reading. This could be how many readers felt about Helen in this book, but I personally don’t mind her; she is definitely not my favourite character though. It is obvious that Atwood wanted to make her appear as a character than no one would like, especially Penelope, as she called one of the chapters ‘Helen ruins my Life’. Eurycleia is another mildly arrogant character; she is Odysseus’ former nurse and has known him all his life. She presents herself in the book as a no-it-all, and almost bosses Penelope around; even though she’s the queen. Eurycleia and Penelope do form a friendship of some kind, as she is the only other woman that Penelope really has to talk to why Odysseus is away. She assists in raising Telemachus and makes sure the maids are all doing their job properly. Eurycleia made sure that Penelope settled into the palace happily, she ‘made a point of taking me under her wing’. Penelope’s first impression of Eurycleia is that she “is widely respected – according to her – because she was so intensely reliable”. As this is the first thing the audience reads about Eurycleia, it is automatically what they perceive her as. This first impression does not fail though, as Eurycleia’s character does not change throughout the book. Question.6 - What do we learn about homers society and its values' What do we learn about Atwood’s values as an educated woman living in a western world in the 21st century' By writing The Penelopiad in a certain way, Atwood has been able to successfully portray the values of Homer’s society and those of an educated woman living in a western world in the 21st century by not ‘buttering’ them up, but by clearly stating and describing particular values. In the numerous chapters set in Homer’s society, The Penelopiad draws attention to many of the values that were apparent in that era. For example, in chapter six ‘My Marriage’, Penelope’s character is describing the rights and rituals of marriage. She explains the method of getting married, and discusses the list of arrangements that were to be made. She says “My marriage was arrange. That’s the way things were done then: when there were weddings, there were arrangements. I don’t mean such things as bridal outfits... (Etc)... the arrangements I mean were more devious than that.” Penelope also explains the actions that might have been taken in this said era that may surprise or disgust certain people, actions such as rapes and seductions, love affairs or one night stands, “with gods who said they were shepherds or shepherds who said they were gods.” Atwood’s values as an educated woman living in a western world in the 21st century are also clearly portrayed and implemented by Penelope’s character. It is clear in the book that there is an obvious difference between Penelope’s personality when she is in ancient Ithaca to when she is in modern day Hades. Atwood’s values are clearly represented through Penelope in both situations. As Margaret Atwood has been said to have a ‘feminist’ interpretation over her writing, it is obvious that she has made her more-or-less feminist values obvious in the way that Penelope thinks and acts as a character. The reader can learn that yes, things have changed vigorously over time, but the values of a woman certainly stay the same. The Penelope that is shown in ancient Ithaca represents the values of family, marriage, and religion, yet sustains that specific value of being a strong woman. Unlike the Penelope seen in ancient Ithaca, the modern day Penelope has no care what so ever for religion, as she sees that ‘everyone meets the same end’. Apart from that, the modern day Penelope shows many more values that are seen every day in the present. Values such as a more feminist approach to life, like talking to men as if they are equal or even lower than she is, and feeling the need to clear her conscience and be honest with people are both evident in those chapters. Question.7- Choose three of the stories main themes/concepts such as the role of women, loyalty or the voices of those who have previously been suppressed. Explain how each of the themes s conveyed and why it is important to the story as a whole. The theme of loyalty that is used in The Penelopiad is mainly used by Penelope and the Maids. Penelope, for instance, stays completely loyal to Odysseus in his absence- which is over twenty years. It’s seemingly obvious that it would be difficult for anyone to stay loyal to a loved one for such a long time, especially when there are fears of them being deceased or lost. The act of being loyal towards a husband would have been especially hard for Penelope as there were numerous young, good looking suitors who were willing to court her. Even with this, Penelope managed to stay loyal to Odysseus. Penelope was also considered as disloyal, mainly towards the Maids. On Odysseus return, he created a mass slaughter of all the suitors, and as soon as he found out that they were raping his maids without his permission, he thought it would be appropriate to slaughter them as well; by hanging them from the mast of his ship. Eurycleia was chosen to pick out the maids that were to be killed, and coincidentally selects the youngest, prettiest maids that were closest to Penelope. In Hades, the Maids still blame Penelope for their deaths and refuse to talk to her as she was unfaithful to them as friends. The Maids stayed loyal to Penelope in a different way. Penelope, being their ‘owner’ or ‘master’, has the authority to tell the Maids what to do. But as the relationship between Penelope and the Maids was different from any other relationship between someone of higher ranking and slaves; Penelope was able to use the Maids as spies around the suitors. The Maids could have easily used this to their advantage and spread distasteful rumours about Penelope and her family, but they didn’t. They did as they were told and reported back to Penelope for further planning and discussion. When the Maids were injured, Penelope made sure they were cared for, just as the Maids would care for Penelope. The theme of perspective is also evident in this story. This book can be seen as a means of changing the way people perceive Penelope and Odysseus. In The Odyssey, Penelope was described as loyal and the ideal wife, but it also claimed that she fraternised with the suitors and bore one of their children. The Penelopiad was a way for Penelope to tell her side of the story, to clear all the lies and to say what really happened as she is obviously disgruntled with the myths Homer had published. On the other hand, The Odyssey claimed Odysseus was a brave, strong warrior that battled monsters, killed Cyclops’ and seduced goddesses, whilst in The Penelopiad, the apparent ‘true story’, Penelope states that Odysseus didn’t do any of this, he simply got into a scuffle with a one-eyed bar tender, and the goddesses he spoke of were merely prostitutes. This particular theme is important to the overall story as it sets a contrast between the two books, and also provides different perspectives and ideas. The voices of those who have previously been suppressed (as a theme) are also very important to the overall effectiveness of the book. This theme is conveyed through both Penelope and the Maids while they’re in Hades. By combining narrators from both past and present, Atwood has enable the audience to be able to understand the events that happened in the past, while having another narrator in the present explaining them again, but with comparisons to modern day themes and events. Question.8 - In your opinion, why has this story been frequently appropriated over the ages' In my opinion, this story has been so frequently appropriated because there are so many ways that the story can be twisted, and the more it is appropriated the more the story can be understood. The Penelopiad for example was completely turned around and twisted from its origins in The Odyssey, and by doing so has developed more of understanding of the story. By reading many appropriations of this story, I personally have gained a further knowledge of the story and I am able to relate different events back to each other; and I am sure that there are numerous other people that feel the same way.