The Penelopiad [2005]
By Margaret Atwood
Rating : 4/5 🎃🔮
Genres : Greek, Mythology, Alternate History, Historical Fiction.
I think Margaret Atwood's writing this short book(of just over 100 pages recounting such an important classic tale) has accomplished two things. And even though the book is small, I felt she has conveyed what she wanted to .. without deviating from her central theme. One,according to her introduction in the book, is she wanted to present an alternate case/myth to the single authoritative voice on the greek tale - Odyssey by Homer. Second, through keeping the focus directed towards the "wronged" women in the Odyssey - namely Penelope and the twelve maids who were hanged in haste by the boisterous and assuming Odysseus, she championed the causes of victimized women from the tale.
The story starts with the birth of Penelope to the then king of Sparta Icarus and a naiad mother and details some notable childhood events from her life. Her father had tried to get her drowned in response to some wild prophesy and she was rescued by a bunch of ducks. This kind of like sets a tone to the story of her life .. a woman who *almost* suffers destruction in the hands of a man.
Penelope has grown up comparing herself to her cousin sister, the most famous and notorious Helen of Sparta. She doesn't forget the fact that her later husband Odysseus first tried to win over the hand of Helen. He also only managed to win Penelope through cheating and deceit. They become fast friends but some where at the back of her mind, she doesn't fully trust him. Or so the narrative of Atwood conveys to us. What actually transpired between the couple .. only they must have known right? He leaves to fight in the war of Troy, spends 10 years fighting, finally defeats the enemy through trickery and then spends another 10 years finding/fighting his way home. The latter 10 years he is obviously not loyal to her .. as she herself gets to know through various accounts and he also accepts after they are reconciled. During these 20 years, Penelope has no friend or well wisher by her side other than her 12 maids who become her eyes and ears when hundreds of suitors come banging at her doors asking her to marry them now that there may be no chance of her husband returning. The maids are raped and they still play the part she asks them to .. but when Odysseus returns, he knows none of that .. he wouldn't have allowed for Penelope to interfere and so along with all the rascal suitors, he also hangs the twelve maids. The poor women who not only got defiled by the suitors but also wrongly punished.
The later pages of the book give us something very novel .. we have Penelope and the maids and Helen herself discuss things over as they spend their time in Hades after dying. We also see a 21st century Court where the maids are the victims and they blame Odysseus for wrongful killing. Its not hilarious .. but very strange and also strikes the truth of the injustice at the heart ❤. The genius of Atwood comes out not in retelling a well known tale .. but showing what was overlooked.
In a way Penelope is also a wrongful victim because there were/are many slanderous rumors floating about her adultery with some or all of the suitors. Atwood tries to set that record also straight through Penelope not readily accepting Odysseus as her husband upon return. She needed veritable proof from his side. And while she has remained loyal and faithful to him till the very end, he has not been the same .. either through choice or through its lack. 🔮
Comments
Post a Comment