Rich in metaphor, deliciously comic, and glittering with insight, the story chronicles the fantastic and dramatic ego disintegration of Marian McAlprin, who seems at first to be a perfectly conventional young woman, with friends, a successful and attractive man in her life, and a reasonably good job working for a market research company. The manner of her collapse and the startling ending make for often hilarious reading. Questions for Contemplation or Book Group Discussion 1. Two parties take place in the book, the office party and the engagement party. Discuss what these parties do for the structure and development of the novel.
Sexual identity lies at the heart of much of the story.
Contrast him with Peter. The novel is narrated in first person in parts one and three, third person in part two. Give examples of Atwood's clever use of food images throughout the book. First Marian drops meat from her diet, then, eggs, vegetables, even pumpkin seeds. Margaret Atwood is a writer who often plays with fairy tale images in her work.