Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride

Ellen McWilliams (University of Exeter)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error
The Robber Bride

(1993) shows striking similarities to Atwood’s earlier novels,

Lady Oracle

(1976) and

Cat’s Eye

(1988), the most notable being its preoccupation with the construction of female identity and the radical potential of self-invention. The main characters engage in an ongoing process of role-playing, and identity is presented as unfixed and changeable. The femme fatale of the novel, Zenia, is most interesting in this regard as the self-created myths about Zenia’s origins and personal history come to hold the other characters–Roz, Charis, and Tony–in thrall to her storytelling powers.

The beautiful and powerful villainess of The Robber Bride, Zenia embodies but also exploits the patriarchal fantasies more usually associated with male stereotypes. Late in the novel

1207 words

Citation: McWilliams, Ellen. "The Robber Bride". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7603, accessed 08 December 2024.]

7603 The Robber Bride 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.