The Penelopiad Lesson Plan

In Chapter 4, Penelope talks loosely and frivolously about rape. Why do you think Atwood portrays such a serious and evil act with nonchalance?

First of all, Atwood is likely making light of rape to accurately portray the times. In most societies throughout written history, women have been treated as the property of men. Back in Ancient Greece, rape wasn't anything close to illegal. It was a given that men could rape women. Furthermore, highlighting this historical ideology poses a comparison between then and now. However, thinking about that, students might recognize that only in the last century have women really started to gain rights and autonomy. Even today, with...