''Surfacing'' is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by Canadian author

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...

. Published by McClelland and Stewart in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

, it was her second novel. ''Surfacing'' has been described by commentators as a companion novel to Atwood's collection of poems, '' Power Politics'', which was written the previous year and deals with complementary issues. The novel, grappling with notions of national and gendered identity, anticipated rising concerns about conservation and preservation and the emergence of

Canadian nationalism Canadian nationalism seeks to promote the unity, independence, and well-being of Canada and the Canadian people. Canadian nationalism has been a significant political force since the 19th century and has typically manifested itself as seeking t ...

. It was adapted into a movie in 1981.

Plot introduction

The book tells the story of a woman who returns to her hometown in Canada to find her missing father. Accompanied by her lover, Joe, and a married couple, Anna and David, the unnamed

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

meets her past in her childhood house, recalling events and feelings, while trying to find clues to her father's mysterious disappearance. Little by little, the past overtakes her and drives her into the realm of wildness and madness.

Themes

Separation

Separation is a major theme of ''Surfacing''. This is established in the first chapter, when the narrator is shown to be politically dispossessed as an English-speaker in Quebec, at a time in which Quebec was aspiring to become an independent French-speaking nation. The narrator also feels disconnected from the people around her, equating human interaction with that of animals. For example, while overhearing David and Anna have sex, the narrator thinks "of an animal at the moment the trap closes". The mouthpiece for feelings of nationalism is extremist David, who claims Canada would be better without the "fascist pig Yanks" and suggests they be driven from the country by attack beavers.

Feminism

Feminism, a theme in many of Atwood's novels, is explored through the perspective of the female narrative, exposing the ways women are marginalized in their professional and private lives.

Allusions to other works

''Surfacing'' echoes the structure of

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian a ...

's ''

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...

'', as the narrator travels by car back to her childhood home. The novel has also been compared to Sylvia Plath's ''

The Bell Jar ''The Bell Jar'' is the only novel written by the American writer and poet Sylvia Plath. Originally published under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" in 1963, the novel is semi-autobiographical with the names of places and people changed. The book ...

''. Atwood's unnamed narrator and Plath's Esther Greenwood are both driven to psychological breakdowns due to their unwillingness to adhere to the social expectations imposed on women.

Reception and reviews

In her essay ''Margaret Atwood: Beyond Victimhood'', Marge Piercy was skeptical of the narrator's abrupt declaration of love for Joe at the end of the novel, saying it did not stop the narrator from being a victim: by choosing a man who opts to be a loser, "how does ''she'' stop being a loser?"Howells, Coral Ann. ''The Cambridge Companion to Margaret Atwood (Cambridge Companions to Literature)'' : 46-50

References

External links

Diving into Atwood's ''Surfacing''
by Ingrid Norton
Margaret Atwood
at the Literary Encyclopedia

an article by

Jill Dawson Jill Dawson (born 8 April 1962) is an English poet and novelist who grew up in Durham, England, Durham, England. She began publishing her poems in pamphlets and small magazines. Her first book, ''Trick of the Light'', was published in 1996. She ...

On: Margaret Atwood's 'Surfacing'
by Richard Cheadle

at "Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature" {{DEFAULTSORT:Surfacing (Novel) 1972 Canadian novels Novels by Margaret Atwood New Canadian Library Feminist novels Novels set in Quebec Fiction with unreliable narrators Canadian novels adapted into films Novels about nationalism McClelland & Stewart books