Essay Questions

What is Margaret Atwood’s ideological campaign in “The animals in that country?”

Atwood’s intent is to advocate for animal rights. Atwood effects her campaign by contrasting animals in two dissimilar countries. In one country, “the animals/have the faces of people.” The animals are humanized; thus, they are conferred their rights. Comparatively, in the second country, “the animals/have the faces of/ animals.” The animals in the second country are privy rights. Accordingly, their “ deaths are not elegant.” The inelegant deaths make the reader compassionate towards the degraded animals. Humanization of animals endorses the conservation role that God consigned the humans.

Summarize Atwood’s ideology in “Crow Song.”

Atwood’s ideology is to uncover the dynamics that exterminate people’s hopefulness using the crow. The crow sings, “You have too many leaders/you have too many wars/ all of them pompous and small/You resist only when you feel /like dressing up/you forget the sane corpses.” The crow’s song infers that mediocre leadership and the deficiency of peace contributors of restricted Hope.

Which binary does Atwood apply in “Hesitations outside the Door?”

“Hesitations outside the Door” references the Wrong lies versus Right lies. The speaker stresses that the ‘wrong lies’ are inept whereas the ‘right lies’ may “open the door.” The binary qualifies the speaker to authenticate his/her dishonesty.