“Cat’s eye” by Margaret Atwood Essay

This transportation from Cats Eye by Margargont A iiod, illustrates the alikeness between Elaine and Cordelia by comparing the girls and the out of date ladies in the streetcar. Detailed descriptions of the characters contribute to highlighting different themes like experience, disguising ones dependable identity element and the notion of time. These be highlighted through various literary features such(prenominal) as metaphor and imagery.The passing play shows a relationship between ii girls, Cordelia and the cashier. They seem to be friends in the passage as it is mentioned by the bank clerk that they think they are friends. The phrase we think resounds the fabricators uncertainty roughly her friendship with Cordelia. Yet, there are many references to them being almost twin-like and identical in the way they dress and act. Were impervious, we scintillate, we are thirteen- the use and repetition of the inclusive pronoun we encourage highlights their alikeness. Even tho ugh they are friends, the reader is able to sense the narrators low quality to Cordelia through her tone of voice. It is shown through her comments such as I am almost as good or that Cordelia is opaque and glinting that the narrator admires or wants to be like Cordelia.The detailed descriptions of the appearance of the old ladies on the streetcar highlights the theme of superficiality. The descriptions show that the narrators bias on people stems from their outer(a) appearances, as shown in her observations such as some are respectably dressed and others are poorer and foreign lookinging. Further, her comment that Cordelia can tell gimcrack cloth at a glance once again reinforces Cordelias favourable position and her attitude towards superficiality. These attitudes of young girls like the narrator and Cordelia convey how prejudices are deeply embedded in our society.Metaphors like costumes and stage props, were used to describe peoples willingness to mask their true identity c ostumes are normally worn by actors who are impersonating someone else. Description of the old ladies defend further highlights the theme of conceal a true identity of one. The ladies on the streetcar dye their whisker straw-blonde or baby-blue and their lipstick mouths are too big around their mouths, their blusher blotchy, and their eyes drawn screw-jiggy around their real eyes. Their costume-likeclothes and thick make-up like actors on a stage allow them to disguise themselves from others.They reflect some members of the society who do not wish to reveal who they real are because they are afraid of what other people would think about them. These descriptive language and colour imagery invite readers to engage the narrators experiences intellectual colours to distract peoples attention to their outer appearance. Anything other than white is suggestive. Also, the two girls wearing mens work socks inside their boots and wearing their coats with collars turned up to look like t hose of movie stars shows their desire for glamour and outer beauty which do societys expectation of girls.The notion of time is another significant factor in the passage, as can be seen through its structure. The first patch recounts the narrators childishness and the second is set in her adulthood, when she herself has become like the old ladies, having that eye problemsnow too. However, both the present and the past are written in the present tense, indicating that the memories of the narrator when she was thirteen still take an important part in her life. It is in addition mentioned at the start of the passage that time is not a line. This suggests that experiences that we had are not just past, but stays within us to trope up what we are now.This passage from Cats Eye by Margaret Atwood explores the themes of friendship, self identity and notion of time through various literary techniques. Friendship, in meeting of minds with the notion of time, is valued as a very big pa rt of life of the narrator not only the friendship, but also ones memories of childishness are important in a persons life as well. The passage also reflects prejudices in our society and how deeply they are rooted in us through illustrating people who wish to disguise their true identity. By allowing us to explore the narrators experiences, the author allows us to think about the determine of relationships and how we can solve the problems of prejudice.