I'm not interested in essays for sale!

September 12, 2007 6:27 PM

DesperationFilter: I need the name of an essay by Margaret Atwood.

Here's what I remember:

- an essay about the treatment of females in literature (mostly classic lit/the canon)

- makes reference to Eve (possibly even in the title)

- not very lengthy


I read it in a high school Writer's Craft course a few years back, and (sadly) the folder of material from the class is buried in boxes at my parents' house.

I've just spent forty minutes googling for it, and I've found nothing.

Please, please name that essay!

posted by gursky to media & arts (5 comments total)

Are you thinking of "The Curse of Eve" that is in her book Curious Pursuits?
posted by jessamyn at 6:30 PM on September 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

This is a quote from it

Women, both as characters and as people, must be allowed their
imperfections. If I create a female character, I would like to be able
to show her having the emotions all human beings have--hate, envy,
spite, lust, anger and fear, as well as love, compassion, tolerance and
joy--without having her pronounced a monster, a slur or a bad example.
I would also like her to be cunning, intelligent and sly, if necessary
for the plot, without having her branded as a bitch goddess or a
glaring instance of the deviousness of women.

posted by jessamyn at 6:31 PM on September 12, 2007

I only spent 3 minutes Googling, and I came up with "The Curse of Eve" too.
posted by mudpuppie at 6:32 PM on September 12, 2007

thank you, jessamyn. i was losing my head trying to think of the name!

i don't know HOW i didn't find it, but google kept coming up with essays about Atwood, rather than by her.

phew.
posted by gursky at 7:07 PM on September 12, 2007

I just Googled "Margaret Atwood" and Eve and started reading the essays that were about her to find that title. Then I Googled the title to find more about the essay, for future reference.
posted by jessamyn at 7:24 PM on September 12, 2007