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by Margaret Atwood is a novel that tells the journey a woman takes from her teenage years until the present through her own thoughts and recollections. The protagonist, Joan Foster, is plagued by the memories and results of her mother's mental and emotional abus ....

Middle of Essay
.... anger towards her mother because of the serious emotional and mental abuse that she was put through. As a teenager, Joan was morbidly obese which is what encouraged her mother's mistreatment and condescending attitude. A good example of this can be found when Joan's mother says to her (Pg. 87): "Is this all your good for? Sitting around and eating? Look at yourself, it's disgusting!" This shows us just how much her mother is focused on physical appearance. The way Joan feels about herself and her mother is clearly shown through her thoughts and reflections. Joan has little self-confidence or self esteem. (Pg. 124): "It seemed like everything ....