{"id":15007,"date":"2025-08-05T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T07:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icertpublication.com\/?page_id=15007"},"modified":"2026-03-02T06:23:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T00:53:48","slug":"disposable-women-class-and-gender-oppression-through-twelve-maids-in-atwoods-the-penelopiad","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/edu-mania\/edumania-an-international-multidisciplinary-journal-vol-03-issue-3\/disposable-women-class-and-gender-oppression-through-twelve-maids-in-atwoods-the-penelopiad\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDisposable Women\u201d: Class and Gender Oppression through Twelve Maids in Atwood\u2019s The Penelopiad"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Edumania-An International Multidisciplinary Journal<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Vol-03, Issue-3 (Jul-Sep 2025)<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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An International scholarly\/ academic journal, peer-reviewed\/ refereed journal, ISSN : 2960-0006<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cDisposable Women\u201d: Class and Gender Oppression through Twelve Maids in Atwood\u2019s The Penelopiad\n<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Kumar, Ravinder<\/span>1<\/span><\/span> and Tomar, Parnit<\/span>2<\/span><\/span><\/p>

1<\/span><\/span>Professor, Dept. of English, C.C.S. University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.<\/span><\/p>

2<\/span><\/span>Asst. Professor, Dept. of English, G.V.N Degree College, Ramala, Baghpat, U.P<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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DOI: <\/span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.59231\/edumania\/9142<\/span><\/a><\/p>

Page Numbers: 116\u2013124\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Subject: English Literature \/ Feminist Theory\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Received: June 02, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Accepted: June 20, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Published: July 01, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Thematic Classification: Class Oppression, Gender Studies, Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad, Twelve Maids, Feminist Revisionist Mythmaking.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Abstract<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Margaret Atwood\u2019s The Penelopiad reimagines Homer\u2019s 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\u2014Penelope, long overshadowed by Odysseus\u2019s exploits, and the maids, brutally executed as collateral to his triumph\u2014Atwood 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\u2019s 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\u2014embodying the cost of mythic erasure and the radical potential of narrative reclamation.<\/span><\/p>

Keywords: <\/span>Deconstruction, Agency, Resistance, Hierarchy, Patriarchy, Gendered Oppression, Materialism<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Impact Statement\n<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This paper offers a critical intervention into classical mythology by foregrounding the twelve maids in Margaret Atwood\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>ThePenelopiad<\/span>\u00a0as symbolic representations of gendered and class-based disposability. By applying feminist materialist and deconstructionist frameworks, the study exposes how canonical myths like\u00a0<\/span>The Odyssey\u00a0<\/span>embed systemic violence against\u00a0marginalised\u00a0women within their ideological structure. This research contributes to the growing discourse on mythic revisionism by demonstrating how Atwood\u2019s 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\u2019s literary project but also deepens the conversation on how myth continues to shape cultural perceptions of gender, labour, and power.\u00a0The 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.\u00a0By\u00a0centring\u00a0the voices of the twelve maids\u2014once peripheral and expendable\u2014the study advocates for a more inclusive literary canon that\u00a0recognises 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.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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About Author<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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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\u2014including a B.A. (Hons.) in English from the University of Delhi and an M.A. from C.C.S University\u2014she 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cite this Article\n<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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APA 7th Edition:<\/span> Kumar, R., & Tomar, P. (2025). \u201cDisposable women\u201d: Class and gender oppression through twelve maids in Atwood\u2019s The Penelopiad. <\/span>Edumania-An International Multidisciplinary Journal, 3<\/span>(3), 116\u2013124. <\/span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.59231\/edumania\/9142<\/span><\/a><\/p>

MLA 9th Edition:<\/span> Kumar, Ravinder, and Parnit Tomar. “\u201cDisposable Women\u201d: Class and Gender Oppression through Twelve Maids in Atwood\u2019s The Penelopiad.” <\/span>Edumania-An International Multidisciplinary Journal<\/span>, vol. 3, no. 3, 2025, pp. 116-124. doi:10.59231\/edumania\/9142.<\/span><\/p>

Chicago 17th Edition:<\/span> Kumar, Ravinder, and Parnit Tomar. 2025. “\u201cDisposable Women\u201d: Class and Gender Oppression through Twelve Maids in Atwood\u2019s The Penelopiad.” <\/span>Edumania-An International Multidisciplinary Journal<\/span> 3, no. 3: 116\u2013124. <\/span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.59231\/edumania\/9142<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Statements and Declarations\n<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Peer-Review Method:<\/span> This article underwent a double-blind peer-review process by two independent external reviewers with expertise in Contemporary Literature and Feminist Criticism. This ensures the theoretical depth and scholarly quality of the literary analysis.<\/span><\/p>

Competing Interests:<\/span> The authors, Ravinder Kumar and Parnit Tomar, declare no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, that could have influenced the research or the critical interpretation of the text.<\/span><\/p>

Funding:<\/span> This research was conducted as a scholarly project at the<\/span> Dept. of English, C.C.S. University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India and Dept. of English, G.V.N Degree College, Ramala, Baghpat, U.P. No specific external grants were received for this work.<\/span><\/p>

Data Availability:<\/span> This study is a qualitative literary analysis. The textual evidence and theoretical frameworks analyzed are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.<\/span><\/p>

Licence:<\/span> \u201cDisposable Women\u201d: Class and Gender Oppression through Twelve Maids in Atwood\u2019s The Penelopiad<\/span> \u00a9 2025 by Kumar, R. & Tomar, P. is licensed under <\/span>CC BY 4.0<\/span>. This work is published by the International Council for Education Research and Training (ICERT).<\/span><\/p>

Ethics Approval:<\/span> This research follows the ethical guidelines for literary research Dept. of English, C.C.S. University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India and Dept. of English, G.V.N Degree College, Ramala, Baghpat, U.P. The study design ensures academic integrity and adheres to the ethical standards for textual analysis and intellectual commentary.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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References\n<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0<\/p>

  1. Atwood, M. (2005). <\/span>The Penelopiad<\/span>. Penguin Books.<\/span><\/p><\/li>

  2. Derrida, J. (1976). <\/span>Of grammatology<\/span> G. C. Spivak (Translated by). Johns Hopkins University Press.<\/span><\/p><\/li>

  3. Homer. The odyssey R. Fagles (Translated by), <\/span>introduction and notes by Bernard Knox<\/span>. Penguin Books. (1996).<\/span><\/p><\/li>

  4. Wicke, J. (1997). <\/span>Materialist feminism: A reader in class, difference, and women\u2019s lives<\/span>. Routledge.<\/span><\/p><\/li>

  5. Madhu, M. (2023). Gender differentiation and women empowerment with reference to the plays of Mahesh Dattani. <\/span>Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal<\/span>, <\/span>02<\/span>(04), 138\u2013151. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.59231\/sari7630<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Edumania-An International Multidisciplinary Journal Vol-03, Issue-3 (Jul-Sep 2025) An International scholarly\/ academic journal, peer-reviewed\/ refereed journal, ISSN : 2960-0006 \u201cDisposable Women\u201d: Class and Gender Oppression through Twelve Maids in Atwood\u2019s 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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":14833,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"postBodyCss":"","postBodyMargin":[],"postBodyPadding":[],"postBodyBackground":{"backgroundType":"classic","gradient":""},"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15007","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15007"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28815,"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15007\/revisions\/28815"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icert.org.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}