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Margaret Atwood Voice Essay

758 Words4 Pages

The monologue ‘Voice’ written by Margaret Atwood can be interpreted as a poignant exploration of the effects of losing your own sense of identity within a society that forces people to be yourself, however this is only to a certain extent as the piece also delves into power and control and the search for empowerment and agency. Atwood’s adept storytelling and thematic coverage allows strong usage of language devices, including her rich employment of symbolism, extended metaphors, personification and visual imagery. The ‘Voice’ demonstrates the effects of a sense of identity and self-expression in a contrasting manner. The monologue explores the juggle of hope and the power of writing as a tool to express emotions and share experiences. The …show more content…

The monologue explores the tension Atwood withholds as a writer and having authority and control over her voice. Power and control contribute throughout to drive the piece to ultimately craft a compelling composition. Through this, the passage of time reveals itself with the cascading events of the gain and the loss. This can be exemplified through the simile “my voice, ballooning out in front of me like the translucent greenish membrane of a frog in a full frill.” This exhibits Atwood’s lack of control of her own voice as one that’s unauthoritative. The word balloon allows the audience to visualise it physically coming out of her mouth, allowing a sense of relatability to be translated from the text to the audience. However, there is also a factor of self-doubt and the lack of control she feels because of those critical voices and societal expectations bestowed on her. This can be followed up with “It’s begun to happen, the shrivelling”. Only I have noticed it so far. There’s the barest pucker in my voice, the barest wrinkle.” Atwood’s fear is shown through this trail of rich visual imagery which presents her fear due to pressure from society in a passionate sense. The audience in turn can then empathise with the persona to gain an understanding of the loss of power and control she experiences. Ultimately, ‘Voice’ portrays the use of power and

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