Apologia

I had never considered delving into the world of Canadian Literature before, to be perfectly honest. However, there is one particular area of literature which sparks my interest, and I looked for a Canadian author who is best known for this area. "Does feminist mean large unpleasant person who'll shout at you or someone who believes women are human beings. To me it's the latter, so I sign up.” A quote by Margaret Atwood, and most definitely the defining reason why I chose to read her works. Feminism is one of the many themes to which Atwood bases her brilliant novels around, and she skillfully creates the strong female protagonist character with an uncanny talent.

Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood was not as I expected it to be. I spent the majority of the book wishing for a climax, or a thrilling point in the story to which the action would speed up and I would be enthralled by a chase, or by murder, or by something. However, I was never to land upon such an occurrence. The plot has all of the elements to a good thriller, the mysterious opening of the rope coiled on the unsuspecting and fragile Rennie's bed, the drama of the vile ex boyfriend, the vacation to a shabby hotel on some unknown island of the Caribbean, weird characters with secrets, and what I think was some sort of political time of hardship for the people of St Antoine and Ste Agathe. It sets the stage perfectly for something to happen, but I was later to discover the truth behind the novel. Atwood wrote in one of her interviews, "I wish to write a novel that is anti-thrilling," and she did just that. How different, this anti-thriller was, for it was unique and completely stunning. "The novel was sophisticated, [and] superbly orchestrated"(Saturday Review), for every part of the book was laid out in a mixed up series of events, leading you from the past to the present, and keeping you on the edge of understanding and questioning. Bodily Harm was very "skillfully written"(London Free Press), and Atwood does an incredible job of reflecting the same mutual feelings that every woman has in this one character, outstanding. The way Atwood makes her story special is by putting the average character through hardships only the strongest of women can face, and that average quality helps the readers to connect, and sympathize. This is the classic story of female struggles, with herself and with the others around her, embodied in a normal woman who represents them all. She did a fabulous job of creating Rennie, she is not fantastic or unrealistic, and she is not super human in strength, she is like every one. Every woman in the world has been like Rennie at some point, and this story is the struggle to mentally over come doubt and fear. She even reaches the point in the novel where she clearly states that women don't need men to survive through there suffering, for when Daniel, the doctor lover, wouldn't go to bed with her, she thinks "(I) no longer expected Daniel to save (my) life... maybe that was the right way to do it, to never expect anything."(Atwood, Margaret)
The ability to make Rennie into an astounding female protagonist is what makes this novel one of the best in Canadian literature. This was not a novel of self-esteem motivation, or cheesy quotations aiming to inspire women in desperate situations, it was a brilliantly written master piece involving so much more than a classic female heroine. "Margaret Atwood seems to be able to do just about everything [in this novel,] people, places, problems, a perfect ear, an exactly the right voice"(New York Times). Atwood combines political issues, (which are well understood and portray the exact mentality of a small town in dire straights), love, lust, history and location.
Another point that makes this novel so intriguing is Atwood's ability to describe any location, her words are "infused with intelligence and insight"(Vancouver Sun). She historically develops a believable hometown for Rennie, correct in every account of a small, Christian community, and I could definitely relate to that small town life. The novel is an important asset to Canadian literature because of Rennie's hometown, Griswold, and every Canadian reader's ability to relate to the small town life, and connect with average goings-on without the place actually existing. Though the town may seem boring and dull, most Canadians recognize the point in which life in a small town becomes unbearable, but still feel the strong connection to the community as a base, as home.
She also has an incredible ability to describe setting and plot, using words that almost seem like poetry, the way they weave together to create a perfect image. This description of a restaurant the main character is seated in is a great representation of her writing, humor and relevant information, "The decor is non-descript, resembling nothing so much as an English provincial hotel, with flowered wallpaper and a few prints of hunting and shooting. The ceiling fans add a pleasant touch. We began with the local bread, and butter of perhaps a questionable freshness"(Atwood, 35). Reflected
"Bodily Harm" involves so many different sub-stories that it makes for a unique collection view points. Every new paragraph introduces a different point in time, allowing you to better understand the female protagonist's situation, past and present. She is able to keep the story flowing amazingly while developing the character, without having to pause and spend pages describing the initial story.

Margaret Atwood is one of the top Canadian Authors to ever exist, receiving the Governor Generals' award in 1966, and "33 prizes and awards in total"(Holcombe, Garan) for various pieces of work. Her talent for writing is radically displayed in the novel "Bodily Harm," sealing her gift for creating the Female Protagonist. Her feminist styles have made a mark on Canadian Literature, but never limiting Atwood to that genre alone. This novel was beautifully written, providing a different style of suspense and reading that one should experience at least once in their life time. Though it was tediously slow in some areas, the full affect of the novel hits hard after the last page, sitting with you long after you are finished. I believe this novel is one of the greats in Canadian literature simply because of the author, Margaret Atwood, and the perfect embodiment of all of her talent's in this one, powerful novel. As an asset to Canadian Literature, Atwood has perfected a popular type of writing, Feminist Criticism, and with that perfection comes the glory of recognition. When people think of feminist writers with extraordinary gifts, they will always think Margaret Atwood, followed by, "hey, she's Canadian."