The Edible Woman

The Edible Woman, a 1969 novel that helped to establish Margaret Atwood as a prose writer of major significance, is the story of a young woman whose sane, structured, consumer-oriented world suddenly slips strangely out of focus. Following her engagement, Marian feels her body and her self are becoming separated. As Marian begins endowing food with human qualities that cause her to identify with it, she finds herself unable to eat, repelled by metaphorical cannibalism. Atwood explores gender stereotypes through characters who strictly adhere to them, such as Peter or Lucy, and those who defy their constraints, such as Ainsley or Trevor. The narrative point of view shifts from first to third person, accentuating Marion's slow detachment from reality.