Atwood's Theme Of Unheard Power example essay topic
341 words
In Margaret Atwood's Torture, the notion of unheard control reigns painfully true. Appreciating that men possess a certain degree of power over women, the reader is left only to accept Atwood's brutal depictions of assault as true. However, it is not Atwood's imagery that makes this a strong poem. What gives this poem its depth is Atwood's use of repetition. By repeating words and phrases associated with the notion of silence, Atwood's theme of unheard power is greatly impressed upon the reader. Atwood begins here by talking of "politics, free will and the need for passion (3-4) " that men of power are concerned with. However, the author then explains to her reader that what the men she refers to are concerned with are in fact those events taking place within the silences of political conversation. The reason being is that these silences are what guarantee men's power.
For instance, no one is able to hear the assaulted woman on account of her being a made a "mute symbol (11)". As a result, there is no one to oppose the men that outwardly promise free will and passion and yet inwardly posses this silent power over women. An interesting thing to note here is how these women are being controlled. They are being "flayed, flattened, untangled...
(29-30)", but also, their voices are being "cauterized by too much pain (29)". How convenient this is for the controlling males. After all, since the only ones that can hear this power are the women who are unable to speak out, men of power have almost nothing to fear. It is for reasons like these that control like this is so dangerous. Since the abuse and manipulation are silent there is nobody to object the powers that be.
However, it is people like Margaret Atwood that realize "it doesn't matter where this happens (12)", but the fact that it does is reason enough to try to stop it.
