Comparative study of the Penelopiad and the Odyssey Anonymous 11th Grade

A 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Thus Atwood appropriates The Odyssey by subverting traditional values and reinforcing contemporary perspectives, reflecting the changed, cultural context.

The portrayal of gender within The Odyssey is appropriated in The Penelopiad through the shift of voice from the dominant, male...