PASSIVITY AND TRAUMA OF THE VULNERABLE IN MARGARET ATWOOD’S BODILY HARM

Abstract

Margaret Atwood’s Bodily Harm is a novel that highlights upon the passivity revealed by the vulnerable who undergo sufferings in the hands of powerful victimizers. She has laid bare the brutality of their sufferings through the life of Rennie, Lora and the other victims of the island that Rennie visits. This study attempts to analyse the reason for the passivity exhibited by the protagonist and the victims and explores the various kinds of trauma undergone by the vulnerable. Rennie, the protagonist discovers the true worth of her life by identifying herself with the victims of the islands. The optimistic note of the novel is conveyed through Rennie’s decision to voice out the sufferings of the poor and the helpless. This study also emphasizes the need to rise above the mere physical existence and to be sensitive to understand and empathize with the poor and the vulnerable.