Interrelationship Between

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Interrelationship Between Victimizer and
Victim

• in The Robber Bride

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Outline

• Introduction -- Monica Huang
• Rozs Obsessions--Dorothy, Lisa, Allison
• SurvivalGrace, Sue
• Contemporary Feminism -- Rossana
• Conclusion Marc

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Introduction

• Thesis--Through tracing back her memory of the
  relationship with Mitch and the encounters with
  Zenia, Roz overcomes her obsession and
  weaknesses, obtains self-awareness, confirms her
  identity, and finally survives with her friends'
  help and comfort from the twins.
• Brief summary of Roz's story

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Rozs Obsessions (1) Roz?Mitch

1. Before marriage
2. Deeply attracted by Mitch, mostly by his
   appearance, e.g. p347 (Mitch shook Rozs), p348
   (The problem was), p340 (She has to)
3. After marriage
4. MarriagePoker game, e.g. p335 (In Mitchs
   cosmology), p336 (One more), p337 (In
   desperation), p338 (Its the same), p424 (He
   will explain)
5. After marriage (Zenia)

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Rozs Obsessions (1) Roz?Mitch (2)

1. Zenia stole Mitchs soul, e.g. p428 (Zenia has
   stolen), p421 (Mitch will fizzle), p425 (You
   dont understand), p427 (He isnt lying), p432
   (Zenia went wrong)
2. After Mitchs death
3. She thinks she has some responsibilities as to
   Mitchs death, e.g. p434 (Because if Mitch),
   p431 (Maybe Roz married)
4. Why cant Roz leave Mitch, e.g. p338, p398 (Also
   she was)
5. White curtains to have a new start Mitchs car
   and books. (81, 97)

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Rozs Obsessions (2) Roz?Zenia

1. The appearance of Zenia
2. Zenia sets a trap on Roz, e.g. p416 (Yes,
   says), p418 (where has he), p424 (Shes made
   off)
3. After Zenias death
4. Zenia still haunted Roz in another way, e.g.
   p325 (Rozs state-of)
5. The reasons why Roz chose to believe in Zenia,
   e.g. p399 (She knows now), p400 (There had
   been), p357 (But this is), p408 (She talked
   about), p403 (Zenia laughs and), p411 (Zenia
   makes Roz)

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Rozs Obsessions (3) Roz?self

• Unconfident in her appearance
• Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most
  beautiful of us all?
•         --Depends, says the mirror. Beauty is
  only skin deep., e.g. p348 (She was a), p345 (
  But the sex), p401 (Roz doesnt feel), p 428
  (Thats it), p339 (The May sunlight), p340
  (After Mitch is)
• Self- identity
• e.g. p329 (Thats what I), p345 ( All of
  them), p411 (Shes not what), p413 (She doesnt
  want)

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Rozs Obsessions (4) Self-Image

• a. p341 (She extends her), p412 (Roz opens her
  heart)

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Survival A. Self-awareness

• Self-identity wool gathering p.439
• Good will
•      i.     Clown faces p.444
•    ii.     Optimistic shrink p.432
•   iii.     Mental rebuilding p.438

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Survival B.Reality

• Zenia a liar
• Memory P. 430
• Mans fantasy for woman P. 442

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Survival C. Care

1. Family members twins p. 443
2. Friends Tony and Charis p. 436 

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IV. Contemporary Feminism

• Roz
• Her influence on WiseWomanWorld
• Status and Location of her work
• The magazine
• i.     WiseWomanWorld ? Roz ( achievements)
• ii.     Woman ? Zenia ( appearance, man, sex)
• The dress from overall to dress for success
• The twins Paula Erin insisting on using
  she in fairy tales

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Conclusion Victim vs. Victimizer

• a.      Roz (victim) Mitch (victimizer) ?
  valuing her money, his sex-stereotyping, treating
  her as a housewife, a mother, not a woman
• b.      Roz(victim) Zenia (victimizer) ? using
  her goodwill and weaknesses(inferiority complex
  doesnt look good, doesnt know what men really
  want, being sexless or not attractive, and etc ),
  taking over magazine business in some way
• c.      Roz(victim) self (victimizer) ? pride,
  inferiority complex(jealousy, insecurity),
  self-identity, being eager to become Zenia

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Conclusion Victim vs. Victimizer (2)

• a.    D.  Mitch(victim) Zenia (victimizer) ?
  using his sex-stereotyping, using Rozs
  weaknesses to win Mitch, Mitch falling for her
  who has the experienced of coping with all kinds
  of men, dumping Mitch(then Mitchs suicidal)

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Conclusion Victim vs. Victimizer (3)

• E e.    The image of Zenia serves as everyones
  mirror(fictionalized) in which everyone sees his
  or her weaknesses or shadows(treachery, betrayal,
  cheating, and lies). Zenia, as a given woman, not
  only victimizes others, both women and men,
  through seeing through their weaknesses, but also
  victimizes herself because she sacrifices both
  her body(prostitute) and mind(lier) to satisfy
  her endless obsessed complex of robbing things
  she wants from others and deserting them as she
  likes.

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B.    Questions for Discussion

• a.      In your understanding , what sort of
  female image does Atwood intend to create in this
  novel? Does the idea in this story that changing
  each roles gender into she solve the mens
  problem(women are subordinate to men in this
  given patriarchal society)?
• b.      Do female (fashion) magazines help women
  nowadays shape the female image for themselves or
  for men, or not for men or for both?
• c.      In a fact that female magazines today
  outnumbering male magazines on book-selves in our
  bookstores, how would you interpret this kind of
  phenomenon and what kind of messages would you
  perceive in the fututre?