This premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Guide PDFs and quizzes, 10953 literature essays, The portrayal of gender within The Odyssey is appropriated in The Penelopiad through the shift of voice from the dominant, male.

Thus Atwood appropriates The Odyssey by subverting traditional values and reinforcing contemporary perspectives, reflecting the changed, cultural context. Both texts use the role of the storyteller to show the idea that an individual holds power to shape “truth”, and yet how truths are affected by their contexts. Atwood also challenges the hegemony of ideological orthodoxy, giving the individual power to form their own beliefs, extending the postmodern value of a liberating, fluid subjectivity. She reflects the change in perspective within her contemporary context by undermining the dominant, male voices in The Odyssey and instead gives voice to the marginalised, female characters. Atwood reimagines the story of Odysseus’ return, however, she uses a different voice and setting to subvert the notions displayed in The Odyssey, challenging values that are the cultural legacy of archaic society. The Penelopiad Comparative study of the Penelopiad and the Odyssey Anonymous 11th GradeĪ comparative study of Homer’s Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad reveals that texts are reflective of their context, whereby they reinforce the suited cultural values of its time, composer, and audience. Join Now Log in Home Literature Essays The Odyssey Comparative study of the Penelopiad and the Odyssey

The penelopiad and the odyssey