Interrelationship Between “ Victimizer ” and “ Victim ”

1. Interrelationship Between “Victimizer” and “Victim” in The Robber Bride

2. Outline • Introduction -- Monica Huang • Roz’s Obsessions--Dorothy, Lisa, Allison • Survival—Grace, Sue • Contemporary Feminism -- Rossana • Conclusion – Marc

3. 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

4. Roz’s Obsessions (1): Roz→Mitch • Before marriage • Deeply attracted by Mitch, mostly by his appearance, e.g.: p347 (Mitch shook Roz’s…), p348 (The problem was…), p340 (She has to…) • After marriage • Marriage=Poker game, e.g.: p335 (In Mitch’s cosmology…), p336 (One more…), p337 (In desperation…), p338 (It’s the same…), p424 (He will explain…) • After marriage (Zenia)

5. Roz’s Obsessions (1): Roz→Mitch (2) • Zenia stole Mitch’s soul, e.g.: p428 (Zenia has stolen…), p421 (Mitch will fizzle…), p425 (“You don’t understand…), p427 (He isn’t lying…), p432 (Zenia went wrong…) • After Mitch’s death • She thinks she has some responsibilities as to Mitch’s death, e.g.: p434 (Because if Mitch…), p431 (Maybe Roz married…) • Why can’t Roz leave Mitch, e.g.: p338, p398 (Also she was…) • White curtains to have a new start; Mitch’s car and books. (81, 97)

6. Roz’s Obsessions (2): Roz→Zenia • The appearance of Zenia • Zenia sets a trap on Roz, e.g.: p416 (“Yes”, says…), p418 (where has he…), p424 (She’s made off…) • After Zenia’s “death” • Zenia still haunted Roz in another way, e.g.: p325 (Roz’s state-of…) • 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…)

7. Roz’s 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 doesn’t feel…), p 428 (That’s it…), p339 (The May sunlight…), p340 (After Mitch is…) • Self- identity • e.g.: p329 (That’s what I…), p345 ( All of them…), p411 (She’s not what…), p413 (She doesn’t want…)

8. Roz’s Obsessions (4): Self-Image • a. p341 (She extends her…), p412 (Roz opens her heart…)

9. 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

10. Survival: B.Reality • Zenia: a liar • Memory P. 430 • Man’s fantasy for woman P. 442

11. Survival: C. Care • Family members: twins p. 443 • Friends: Tony and Charis p. 436 

12. 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

13. 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: doesn’t look good, doesn’t 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

14. Conclusion: Victim vs. Victimizer (2) a.D.  Mitch(victim) – Zenia (victimizer) using his sex-stereotyping, using Roz’s weaknesses to win Mitch, Mitch falling for her who has the experienced of coping with all kinds of men, dumping Mitch(then Mitch’s suicidal)

15. Conclusion: Victim vs. Victimizer (3) E e.    The image of Zenia serves as everyone’s 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.

16. 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 men’s 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?