“Don't ever ask for the true story”: versions of reality and life stories in Atwood’s short fiction

Abstract

My research focuses on Margaret Atwood’s short fiction and intends to explore how Atwood uses this particular genre in order to challenge ideological discourses. It highlights the use of this genre in order to convey or subvert ideas and considers its place in literature. It then explores the function of storytelling in Atwood’s short stories. Finally, it examines the representation of gender, Canadian identity and global issues in these stories. Storytelling has a key role in my thesis, as Atwood draws attention to the subjectivity of any narrative in order to emphasise the ideological aspect of these narratives. Therefore, this article considers the politics of storytelling in Atwood’s short stories and uses two stories to illustrate how Atwood’s writing is self-reflexive: “Giving Birth” and “Significant Moments in the Life of my Mother”. Much of Atwood’s work is concerned with the fact that any writing, even those claiming to truth such ...