“This is the fifth book I’ve done; the first was the Department of Manpower employment manual, young people with lobotomized grins, rapturous in their padded slots: Computer Programmer, Welder, Executive Secretary, Lab Technician.” (Atwood 50)
At this point in the novel the protagonist is describing to the reader her profession as a corporate artist, a profession whose pursuit she attributes to ex-husband’s advice. She reveals that she originally aspired to be what she calls a “real artist,” a distinction that suggests a compromise the protagonist was compelled to make.
What I find particularly interesting in this passage is the protagonist’s apparent discomfort with the labels, in this case referred to “padded slots,” of the young people she mentions. The concept of organization and labels is one we encountered in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and Atwood seems to similarly comment on society’s need to arbitrarily classify individuals. In the same way that Conrad described “the Manager” or “The Russian” as exclusive and definitive terms, Atwood presents the idea of labels as a means of confining the individual. The reader can easily identify the conspicuous reference to some sort of solitary confinement in the words “padded slots,” which implies the protagonist’s negative view of the classifications.
An equally interesting aspect of this passage is the hypocrisy that it reveals in the protagonist’s point of view. The use of the word lobotomy, for example, carries with it a negative connotation of an emotionally inert individual. However, the protagonist earlier in the novel describes how “To be deaf and dumb would be easier” (7), suggesting that the inability to fully interact with those around her would be a welcome change.
- Can the inconsistent outlook of Atwood’s protagonist be paralleled to Marlow’s evolving outlook in Heart of Darkness?
- In a statement directly prior to the passage provided the protagonist admits she find comfort in the job title of “corporate artist.” How do you think she can reconcile her view of labels as means of confinement with the mental security they seem to provide?
I think the outlook of Atwood's protagonist is similar to Marlow's evolving outlook in Heart of Darkness. The narrator's outlook about her acceptance of her position in the society is formed in the past under the influence of her ex-husband. Her protagonist about social classes appear to develop later therefore I think that Atwood's outlook has actually showed some progress.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the idea of labels in these novels is that they are used to define the person as a whole, and belonging to any group that would fall under these classifications carries with it certain stigmas. We see that all of David's responses are just stock footage implanted by society, and that's how many people live; by responding to situations through social programming. I think Atwood and Conrad convey the message that people should live purposely and not simply through programmed responses.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator's conflicting views of labels and their use demonstrates her emotional immaturity at this point in the novel. The narrator frequently alludes to her contempt of the restrictions of society and civilization, this example about labels being one of those times,but at this point she is unable to completely break away from them. She "finds comfort" in being an illustrator because at this point she is trained to think that way. The narrator is obviously dealing with traumatic events throughout the book, but she still represses them at this point showing her inability to deal with both her desire to connect with the wild (and therefore break away from civilization) and to deal with the hidden memories she is holding.
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