The Penelopiad covers several adult themes, including violence against women and violence in general. Discussing this as a class beforehand will help readers prepare for what's coming. As this is a retelling of Homer's Odyssey, it will be helpful to contextualize what Atwood has written with the original text and how she changes the narrative. Because rape is fairly prevalent in the novel, specifically talking about this sensitive subject beforehand, both through a historical and contemporary lens, can alleviate the triggering nature of this topic to some degree. Provide students a safe space to talk about violence against women, feminism, and progress.
The thought questions in this...
