The Further Understanding of Feminism in M.Atwood's the Penelopiad

The Further Understanding of

Feminism in M.Atwood's

The Penelopiad

A Thesis presented to Department of Literature

University of Santo Tomas

College of Nursing

In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements of:

LIT101

World Literatures

Jessa G. Lumba

March, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page 1

Chapters

1. The Problem and its Background

A. Introduction 3

B. Statement of the Problem 3

C. Significance of the Study 4

D. Scope and Limitation 4

E. Definition of Term..............................................................................4

2. Review of Related Literature 5

3. Summary of the Story 7

4. Discussion............................................................................................9

5. Summary, Conclusion, Recommendation.....................

6. Bibliography

7. Biography of the Author

8. Curriculum Vitae

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

A. Introduction

"Cleverness is a quality a man likes to have in his wife as long as she is some distance away from him. Up close, he'll take kindness any day of the week, if there's nothing more alluring to be had."- Penelopiad

A woman is part of the society that gives light to every home. Being a mother, wife, daughter or a friend makes up of her role in the society but more than that. What could possibly here point of views in the society? What are the possible ideas that she was thinking? How can a woman's perspective can change something to the modern society? As Penelope reminisce her life from the moment she married Odysseus until the aftermath of his husband's return. Is there something in her life she regretted? As she retells her life, can the modern society cope up with her stories?

B. Statement of the Problems

The study would want to answer the following questions in line with Atwood's Penelopiad

1. How can the modern women of today be related to the 21st century Penelope?

2. How can Feminism be an important theme in the novel?

3. Why did Atwood chose to write the story of Penelope?

C. Significance of the Study

This study will be significant to those who are interested with the Greek Mythology although the novel is focused on the part of Penelope. They could learn in different aspects of mythology as well. Since it is the perspective of Penelope, it could also give information about Oddyseus and their life. This is also could help the other researcher to have an idea for their further studies related to feminism since the focus of this study is about feminism. Lastly this could be a good novel for the women who want to have an idea of what is her role in the society.

D. Scope And Limitations Of The Studies

Margaret Eleneor Atwood, born in Ottawa; Ontario Canada, in the 18th of November 1939 is an novelist, poet and critic. Her book entitled The Penelopiad was published in 2005. The novel is about Penelope and the 21st century Hades. As she reminisced her life before from the start tills the end. The Penelopiad is also connected to the other novel of Atwood entitled, The Handmaid's Tale.

E. Definition of Terms

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Foreign Review of Related Literature

A. FEMINISM

From Penelope to Winnie Mandela - Women Who Waited

Betine Van Zyl Smit

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The paper examines the depiction of Penelope, the faithful wife in Homer's Odyssey, in some modern novels from different parts of the world. A brief analysis of Ovid's hint at a more complex woman in the Heroides is followed by discussion of the versions of Jean Giono, Inge Merkel, Penelope Lively, Margaret Atwood and Njabulo Ndebele's The Cry of Winnie Mandela. Whereas the epic focuses on the eponymous hero, these works, which all draw on the Odyssey, move Penelope to the foreground and the adventure story becomes the backdrop for a different kind of adventure that is played out in the marital home. It is notable that the modern novels concentrate on the psychology of the woman and on the marriage relationship and make the epic couple a paradigm for marriage in the modern world.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12138-009-0047-0

Penelope and Her Impact on Greek Art and Culture

Penelope was the wife of Odysseus who waited over twenty years for him to return home to her. She was the daughter of Icarius of Sparta, brother of Tyndareus. Thus, she was the cousin of Helen and Clytemnestra. She bore only one son, Telemachus, to Odysseus.

Her name is Πηυελόπεια -- Penelope -- 'spindle loosener' from Indo-European '(s)pen(-d)-', 'to pull, spin'; 'el- 'to destroy'; and op- 'to work, perform, bring about'. This name was given her because of the trick she pulled on the suitors. She probably had a different name before that.

What Penelope did was to show that when a man and a woman are faithful to one another, then things will