“Disposable Women”: Class and Gender Oppression through Twelve Maids in Atwood’s The Penelopiad
Kumar, Ravinder1 and Tomar, Parnit2
1Professor, Dept. of English, C.C.S. University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2Asst. Professor, Dept. of English, G.V.N Degree College, Ramala, Baghpat, U.P
Abstract
Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad reimagines Homer’s Odyssey from the perspective of Penelope and the twelve maids, shifting focus from epic heroism to gendered and class-based injustice. By giving voice to those traditionally silenced—Penelope, long overshadowed by Odysseus’s exploits, and the maids, brutally executed as collateral to his triumph—Atwood uncovers the hidden costs of patriarchal myths. This paper examines the twelve maids as emblematic of disposable womanhood, whose fate reveals the intersecting oppressions of patriarchy and class hierarchy. Drawing on feminist materialist theory alongside structuralist and deconstructionist criticism, the study argues that the maids, as enslaved female labourers, are not merely narrative detritus but structural casualties of a myth that upholds masculine dominance and social order. While Homer’s Odyssey silences and erases their suffering, Atwood disrupts this canonical silence by granting the maids a haunting, collective voice that questions the binaries of loyalty and betrayal, purity and defilement. Their execution, once mythologized as an act of righteous justice, is reinterpreted as a violent performance of gendered control. Ultimately, The Penelopiad exposes how classical myth renders certain female bodies expendable and insists, through its postmodern retelling, on remembering those historically unheard. The maids thus emerge as both victims and spectral commentators—embodying the cost of mythic erasure and the radical potential of narrative reclamation.
Keywords: Deconstruction, Agency, Resistance, Hierarchy, Patriarchy, Gendered Oppression, Materialism
Impact Statement
This paper offers a critical intervention into classical mythology by foregrounding the twelve maids in Margaret Atwood’s ThePenelopiad as symbolic representations of gendered and class-based disposability. By applying feminist materialist and deconstructionist frameworks, the study exposes how canonical myths like The Odyssey embed systemic violence against marginalised women within their ideological structure. This research contributes to the growing discourse on mythic revisionism by demonstrating how Atwood’s reimagining disrupts inherited patriarchal narratives, restores silenced voices, and redefines justice from the margins. In doing so, it not only broadens our understanding of Atwood’s literary project but also deepens the conversation on how myth continues to shape cultural perceptions of gender, labour, and power. The paper challenges scholars, educators, and readers to critically examine the ethics of storytelling by reconsidering which stories are privileged, whose voices are suppressed, and the reasons behind such exclusions. By centring the voices of the twelve maids—once peripheral and expendable—the study advocates for a more inclusive literary canon that recognises the narrative agency of the oppressed. It also provides a critical framework for analyzing how literature can be used to subvert dominant ideologies, and how contemporary retellings can serve as powerful tools of cultural reckoning and feminist resistance.
About Author
Parnit Tomar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at G.V.N. Degree College, Ramala (affiliated to CCS University, Meerut), and an emerging scholar With a strong academic foundation—including a B.A. (Hons.) in English from the University of Delhi and an M.A. from C.C.S University—she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in English Literature. Her teaching experience spans both undergraduate and non-collegiate programs, having previously served as a guest lecturer at JDMC (University of Delhi, NCWEB).Her primary research interests lie in gender studies and postcolonial narratives. She has authored multiple scholarly papers in reputed UGC Care and peer-reviewed journals, including works on Toni Morrison’s Beloved, gender roles in That Long Silence, and intersections of age and identity in Funny Boy. Her research reflects a deep engagement with themes of interpellation, liminality, class conflict, and female agency.
Dr. Ravindra Kumar is a distinguished Professor of English at CCS University, Meerut, with over two decades of teaching and research experience. A specialist in American fiction and Indian writing in English, he holds a Ph.D. focused on race relations in William Faulkner’s work. He has authored over 40 research articles in reputed national and international journals and contributed chapters to academic anthologies. Dr. Kumar has supervised 15 Ph.D. and 90 M.Phil. scholars and is currently leading a funded research project on enhancing English communication skills for employability. He has presented papers at numerous national and international conferences, including in Egypt, and has delivered expert lectures across various institutions. His editorial contributions include co-authoring Poetry Down the Ages, published by Macmillan. A recipient of a Letter of Appreciation from CCS University for his contribution to higher education, he continues to play an active role in academic leadership and curriculum development.
References
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