Exploitation of Nature and Women in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing

Abstract

The most important problem that man faces today is the degradation of land and environment and its consequences on human existence. Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing deals with the power and the domination that directly oppresses both the feminine and the natural world. The narrator depicts the protagonist of the novel as a representative for all those who are exploited and abused because of their powerlessness. The novelist has made an attempt to create an emphatic relationship between the wounded self of an unnamed protagonist and the damaged landscape of the island, Quebec. The protagonist had a relationship with her lover and got conceived. The lover himself compels her to abort the baby and when she aborts she feels herself as murderous. This shows her emotional and artistic death. The journey to Quebec is not only for searching her father but also for the self-exploration of her identity. The protagonist links her life with the natural things as her life has been totally changed. She revolts against exploitation. She feels so confident about her own power and refuses to be a victim. At last she gains absolute freedom. Throughout the journey, the protagonist realises her self – discovery and assertion of her individual identity. She pacifically tries to transform the dominant nature of men by restoring harmony between women and men.