Atwood :: Character Analysis, Kat, Disintegration

Atwood uses symbolization to convey how a persons personality nookie disintegrate by life-time in a repressive society. In the start of the story, Kat goes through a surgery to remove a monolithic ovarian vesicle which she keeps and names hair ball. This large cyst is in fact, a symbol that flirts Kats personality disintegration. Most cyst that develop in the human body are dysfunctional, and Kat potful be seen as a dysfunctional woman when she decides to keep this cyst. The cyst turned out to be a benign tumor. Kat care that use if benign, as if the thing had a soul and wished her well (304). This limited passage shows the readers how Kat is slowly loosing her mind by thinking that her cyst has a soul of its own. In addition, she humanizes her cyst by naming it Hairball and by giving it human characteristics Hairballs baby odontiasis glint in the light it looks as if its about to verbalise (312). Moreover, Hairball is described as having baby teeth which can represent how it is like a baby who still developing. This developing cyst can also symbolize how Kat is move to develop her own personality. However, this becomes a challenge for her because she lives in a society where male domination is present. She whole shebang as a photographer for an avant-garde magazine, and tries to express her ideas, but the work force whom she works with dont let her do so. Kat trying to develop her personality within her society leads her to become lost, and back to bonny dysfunctional just like a cyst trying to be a tumor. The author uses Hairball as a symbol to high spot how Kats personality disintegrates by living in a society where sexual urge inequality is supported. Characterization plays an important role when transferral how ones personality can disintegrate by living in a restrictive society. Although Kat is slowly loosing her mind, in the story, she is depicted as a confident woman who tries to strive for excellence. This can be seen when she wants to name the magazine All the Rage. She claims that its a forties sounds and that forties is back (311). However the board of directors, who were all men, did not approve. They in reality though it was too feminist, of all things (311). This passage not only shows how gender opportunities is apparent in the society Kat lives in, but also shows the readers wherefore Kat starts to loose her mind.