《综合英语 Comprehensive English》课程教学资源（Close Reading）01_Canadians（What do They Want?）

Canadians:What do They Want? Margaret Atwood xxxsj.cn

Canadians: What do They Want? Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood ·Born Nov.18,1939 。Canadian Atwood is among the most- honored authors of fiction in recent history Booker Prize,Arthur C. Clarke Award,and Governor General's Award xxxsj.cn

Margaret Atwood • Born Nov. 18, 1939 • Canadian • Atwood is among the most- honored authors of fiction in recent history . – Booker Prize, Arthur C. Clarke Award, and Governor General's Award

The Circle Game (1966,poetry) Survival (1972, non-fiction) Margaret Atwood The Edible Woman (1969,novel) Surfacing Concerned with Canada's (1973,novel) cultural identity;Feminist Lady Oracle concerns (1977,novel) Literature:"a map,a geography Dancing Girls of the mind,"suggesting that a (1977,short) country's literature tells its Life Before Man citizens something about the (1979,novel) characteristics of the country Dancing Girls and Other Stories itself. (1982,short stories)Bodily Early in her career she became Harm concerned by the tendency of (1982,novel Canadians to ignore their own The Handmaid's literature and sought to explain Tale (1985,novel) Bluebeard's Egg through her work the nature of (1987,short Canada. stories) Selected Poems: 1965-1975(1987, poetry) GΠ

Margaret Atwood • Concerned with Canada’s cultural identity; Feminist concerns • Literature: “a map, a geography of the mind, " suggesting that a country's literature tells its citizens something about the characteristics of the country itself. • Early in her career she became concerned by the tendency of Canadians to ignore their own literature and sought to explain through her work the nature of Canada. The Circle Game (1966, poetry) Survival (1972, non-fiction) The Edible Woman (1969, novel) Surfacing (1973, novel) Lady Oracle (1977, novel) Dancing Girls (1977, short) Life Before Man (1979, novel) Dancing Girls and Other Stories (1982, short stories) Bodily Harm (1982, novel) The Handmaid's Tale (1985, novel) Bluebeard's Egg (1987, short stories) Selected Poems: 1965-1975 (1987, poetry)

Selected Poems ll: 1976-1986 Margaret Atwood (1987,poetry.… Us) Cat's Eye (1989,novel) Wilderness Tips (1991,short ·42 books;10 novels stories) The Robber Bride Postmodern,self- (1993,novel) Good Bones and reflexive mode Simple Murders (1994,short stories) mixing poetry and Alias Grace (1996,novel)A fiction,mixing a lot of Quiet Game(1997, The Blind Assassins(2000) genres (Gothic, detective story,fairy tales,family romance, comedy,allegory,etc.) xxxsj.cn

Margaret Atwood • 42 books; 10 novels • Postmodern, self￾reflexive mode • mixing poetry and fiction, mixing a lot of genres (Gothic, detective story, fairy tales, family romance, comedy, allegory, etc.) Selected Poems II: 1976-1986 (1987, poetry... US) Cat's Eye (1989, novel) Wilderness Tips (1991, short stories) The Robber Bride (1993, novel) Good Bones and Simple Murders (1994, short stories) Alias Grace (1996, novel) A Quiet Game(1997, The Blind Assassins (2000)

Canadian inferiority Canadians,concerned with national identity and prone to doubting whether they can produce art comparable to that of England or the United States,have been accused in the past of thinking that anything well-written must come from somewhere else.When Margaret Atwood was a young woman in the 1950s,this sense of Canadian inferiority was very prevalent.Some suggest this may have been because they saw themselves as a perennial second best, being citizens of a former colony of Great Britain-the motherland of the English language-and overshadowed as well by the larger and more self-reliant United States.Whatever the reasons,Canadians acquired what the famous Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye called "frostbite at the roots of the imagination"and were reading only what other nations produced as opposed to developing a literature of their own. xxxsj.cn

Canadian inferiority • Canadians, concerned with national identity and prone to doubting whether they can produce art comparable to that of England or the United States, have been accused in the past of thinking that anything well-written must come from somewhere else. When Margaret Atwood was a young woman in the 1950s, this sense of Canadian inferiority was very prevalent. Some suggest this may have been because they saw themselves as a perennial second best, being citizens of a former colony of Great Britain-the motherland of the English language-and overshadowed as well by the larger and more self-reliant United States. Whatever the reasons, Canadians acquired what the famous Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye called "frostbite at the roots of the imagination" and were reading only what other nations produced as opposed to developing a literature of their own

Margaret Atwood defines the relationship between Canadians and Americans in her article "Canadians:What do They Want?" Although Canadians are addressed in the writing,it is mainly focused towards Americans.Atwood's main idea is that American citizens are not only unaware of the "members of the family"to the north but of the different relations shared. xxxsj.cn

• Margaret Atwood defines the relationship between Canadians and Americans in her article “Canadians: What do They Want?” Although Canadians are addressed in the writing, it is mainly focused towards Americans. Atwood’s main idea is that American citizens are not only unaware of the “members of the family” to the north but of the different relations shared

It tells of Americans attitude toward the Canadians as a lesser person and their need to be liked by others. The Canadians are looked at as inferior because after WW Il,American business owners went into Canada and took over most of their businesses.Some Canadians hate Americans for this because they have taken their own identity away from Canada. xxxsj.cn

• It tells of Americans attitude toward the Canadians as a lesser person and their need to be liked by others. • The Canadians are looked at as inferior because after WW II, American business owners went into Canada and took over most of their businesses. Some Canadians hate Americans for this because they have taken their own identity away from Canada

Vocabulary Turn them into English 军靴 战利品 作难以兑现的承诺 收入；进款 有效 挑剔的 (俚语)厕所 逃兵役的人 勉强凑集；艰难筹措 沙文主义 自以为是的 输不起的人 xxxsj.cn

Vocabulary Turn them into English 军靴 战利品 作难以兑现的承诺 收入；进款 有效 挑剔的 （俚语）厕所 逃兵役的人 勉强凑集；艰难筹措 沙文主义 自以为是的 输不起的人

Para.1 Why does the author suggest we start liking men from the feet?What does "feet"possibly represent? "Feet"are of the lowest part of one's body. Atwood by mentioning "feet"first is suggesting that woman can start loving one man from the most unimportant part of him, thus gradually accumulating her affection toward the man. xxxsj.cn

Para.1 • Why does the author suggest we start liking men from the feet? What does “feet” possibly represent? • “Feet” are of the lowest part of one’s body. Atwood by mentioning “feet” first is suggesting that woman can start loving one man from the most unimportant part of him, thus gradually accumulating her affection toward the man

On the other hand,"feet",as the part touching the ground most closely and longest, may symbolize the man's quality of being down to the earth.Loving a man who always stays grounded and devoted can certainly bring much security to a woman.Such a suggestion of Atwood is,as a matter of fact, rather practical. Unfortunately,"feet"may also relate to something not so good,hence disputes arise, as said in later passages of Atwood. xxxsj.cn

• On the other hand, “feet” , as the part touching the ground most closely and longest, may symbolize the man’s quality of being down to the earth. Loving a man who always stays grounded and devoted can certainly bring much security to a woman. Such a suggestion of Atwood is, as a matter of fact, rather practical. • Unfortunately, “feet” may also relate to something not so good, hence disputes arise, as said in later passages of Atwood