ng. Whether it is just grabbing a bite to eat, or actually focusing a whole scene around eating, Atwood tends to work this theme into her stories. “By writing about women and food, Atwood exposes one of the most subtle and subconscious ways in which power operates (Bouson 232). Often times these eating scenes in Atwood’s stories are surrounded by conversation. The oral communication theme is prevalent in many of the short stories by Atwood. It appears that the majority of heated discussions occur over some sort of food. Women have always been socially aware of eating. It was not always acceptable for a woman to eat in public, back centuries ago; the women were looked down upon for eating. Atwood stresses this factor into almost all of her works. It is an important factor in the role that the women of today’s society now play a part of instead of watching. A third element to characterize Margaret Atwood by is her style of writing. Atwood is consistent in using both symbols and metaphors in her writing. Another technique that she often uses is to have the characters carry on a normal conversation, without any explanation in the middle. What the reader knows is what is said during the conversation. The symbols and metaphors that Atwood uses are consistent throughout her writing. As Bouson states, “Atwood has developed further the literary convention of language as surfaces and depths, as a palimpsest which hides what it means, and she has toyed with the deceptive devices of rhetoric and figures of speech, especially metaphors, as essential to language (230).Atwood’s “Rape Fantasies” is a good example of all the techniques mentioned above that is concurrent with her normal subject matter, themes, and style. “Rape Fantasies” starts out with a group of women sitting around their lunchroom playing bridge as usual, while eating their lunch. One of the ladies mentions a mag...
