Survival- the state of continuing to live or exist, often in spite of difficulty or danger. So, ‘survival’ is defined in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Following this definition, one have to admit that this state isn’t a very positive one for the people who are in this situation.
In Margaret Atwood’s 'Survival: A thematic guide to Canadian Literature' it is argued that the “single unifying and informing symbol”(31) of Canada is Survival. This idea comes from Canada’s history, where the inhabitants ever had to fight for survival. First, there was wilderness which threatened the life of the first settlers. Later, cultural surviving, which went from the threatened French Canada to the English Canada, was the main point for the inhabitants. So, you can say that the Canadians ever had to fight for survival. Therefore, survival is main subject in Canadian Literature. Atwood leads the reader from this theory to another one which deals with the so-called basic victim positions (which, in her opinion, results from survival as Canada’s symbol). She maintains that ninety per cent of Canadian Literature deals with the problem of being a victim. So, I’d like to mention the four basic victim positions she outlines in her study:
1.) The person denies that he/she is a victim.(36)
2.) The person acknowledges the fact that he/she is a victim, but explains this as an act of Fate, the Will of God, the dictates of Biology, the necessity decreed by History, or Economics, or the Unconscious, or any other large general powerful idea.(37)
3.) The person acknowledges the fact that he/she is a victim but refuses to accept the assumption that the role is inevitable.(37)
4.) The person is a creative non-victim.(38)
Table of Contents
1. Victimization: A comparative analysis of Power Politics by Margaret Atwood and The Collected Works of Billy the Kid by Michael Ondaatje
1.1 Survival and the basic victim positions
1.2 Power Politics and the victim subject
1.3 The Collected Works of Billy the Kid as an example of victimization
1.4 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores the application of Margaret Atwood’s victimization theory, as outlined in her study Survival: A thematic guide to Canadian Literature, to the literary works Power Politics by Margaret Atwood and The Collected Works of Billy the Kid by Michael Ondaatje.
- Analysis of the concept of "survival" as a central symbol in Canadian literature.
- Examination of the four basic victim positions defined by Atwood.
- Investigation of the female protagonist's struggle for emotional survival in Power Politics.
- Evaluation of William Bonney's (Billy the Kid) position as a victim of society and environment.
- Comparison of the protagonists' ability or inability to escape their respective victim roles.
Excerpt from the Book
Power Politics and the victim subject
Power Politics seems to me to be a very good example of Margaret Atwood’s victimization theory. These poems were first published in 1971 and so, they fit the temporal basis from which Atwood took the examples for her studies: “from the thirties to the early seventies”(34).
These poems are about a relationship between a man and a woman. This woman is the I-narrator and let the reader take part in her thoughts and feelings. The normal struggle of the sexes escalates to a power struggle – the so-called Power Politics.
In think, in these poems a woman is described who fights for survival – not for the ‘bare’, but her emotional survival: “Surviving is the only war we can afford”(38). She doesn’t feel very well in her relationship to her husband and she knows that there is no chance of having a good life if there won’t change anything.
In my opinion, the woman is a typical example for Atwood’s victim theory. Basically, she typifies position three of the Basic Victim Positions. I come to this assumption because this woman knows and accepts that she is a victim. For example, she says: “Nothing remembers you but the bruises on my thighs and the inside of my skull”(13). I think, here she admits her role as a victim in an indirect way. She tells the reader that her husband(?) injured her - both physically and mentally. She also calls him an “Imperialist”(15), which means to me that he wants to have, or has already, power (above her?). If somebody has power above another human, this human is a victim in any way. So, here she admits for the second time that she is a victim.
Summary of Chapters
1. Victimization: A comparative analysis of Power Politics by Margaret Atwood and The Collected Works of Billy the Kid by Michael Ondaatje: The introduction sets the theoretical foundation by defining survival as a key Canadian symbol and outlining Atwood's four victim positions.
1.1 Survival and the basic victim positions: This section elaborates on the historical and cultural roots of survival in Canada and details the specific victim roles identified by Atwood.
1.2 Power Politics and the victim subject: This chapter analyzes the female I-narrator in Power Politics, arguing that she vacillates between various victim positions in her struggle for emotional survival.
1.3 The Collected Works of Billy the Kid as an example of victimization: This chapter examines William Bonney as a character who remains rigidly fixed in the second victim position, blaming societal and environmental factors for his reality.
1.4 Conclusion: The final section synthesizes the comparative findings, noting that while the protagonist of Power Politics sees a potential way out of her victimhood, Billy the Kid remains trapped by his lack of awareness regarding the true cause of his situation.
Keywords
Victimization, Survival, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Power Politics, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, Canadian Literature, Victim Positions, Emotional Survival, Power Struggle, William Bonney, Identity, Societal Expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this paper?
The paper provides a comparative literary analysis of how the concept of "victimization," as theorized by Margaret Atwood, manifests in the poetry of Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The core themes include the struggle for survival, power dynamics within relationships, the impact of societal expectations on individual identity, and the psychological burden of perceived victimhood.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The primary goal is to determine if the characters in the selected poems align with Atwood’s "four basic victim positions" and to assess their individual capacity to overcome these roles.
Which scientific or analytical method is used?
The author applies a comparative literary analysis, utilizing Margaret Atwood’s study "Survival: A thematic guide to Canadian Literature" as the primary theoretical framework to interpret the texts.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main body of the work covers the theoretical definitions of victimhood, the analysis of emotional survival in Power Politics, and the examination of environmental and societal constraints in The Collected Works of Billy the Kid.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include Victimization, Survival, Power Politics, Canadian Literature, and Victim Positions.
How does the protagonist in Power Politics differ from Billy the Kid in her response to victimhood?
The female protagonist in Power Politics demonstrates a dynamic struggle and awareness that offers a potential path out of her situation, whereas Billy the Kid is described as rigid, blaming external factors and failing to see the true causes of his position.
Why does the author classify Billy the Kid as an example of the second victim position?
Billy is placed in the second position because he acknowledges his status as a victim but attributes his behavior and circumstances to external forces like "Fate" or the harsh environment of the Wild West, thereby abdicating personal responsibility.
- Quote paper
- Lysann Hofmann (Author), 2002, Victimization: A Comparative Analysis of "Power Politics" by Margaret Atwood and "The Collected Works of Billy the Kid" by Michael Ondaatje, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/23057
