Jennifer Cognard-Black, Professor of English and Women, Gender, & Sexuality studies, has released a new Audible Original lecture series: "Margaret Atwood: A Modern Myth-Maker."
In 1985, Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel "The Handmaid’s Tale" was published, joining the ranks of novels like "1984" and "Brave New World" in a growing canon of speculative tales that imagine a bleak future for the Western world. Like those stories, Atwood’s novel extrapolates an oppressive future, particularly for women, from troubling events and trends in the real world. But unlike most other speculative novels, over the course of the last 40 years, "The Handmaid’s Tale" has become more than a cautionary tale—it has become a modern mythology.
In the six lectures of "Margaret Atwood: A Modern Myth-Maker", Cognard-Black provides a thorough exploration of Atwood’s most celebrated novel to examine the many ways this book has transcended its dystopian roots to become something more than a tale of “What if?” Over the course of these lectures, she examines the social, political, cultural and spiritual impact of the novel—and of Atwood herself as a modern Oracle—diving deep into the text to unravel its themes and inspirations. Along the way, it becomes clear how Atwood’s work fits into our larger conceptions of archetypes, myths, and the hero’s journey.
Just as "The Handmaid’s Tale" has transcended its Cold-War-era origins to become something more, it has also extended its reach beyond the printed page, inspiring adaptations in film, opera, ballet, online fan fiction, and, most famously, a critically acclaimed Hulu series that has alerted millions of viewers to the dangers of autocracy in the 21st century, which has spawned international Handmaids protests in recent years. Through these lectures, Cognard-Black demonstrates why Atwood’s most-famous novel continues to resonate with each new generation that encounters it and suggests what "The Handmaid's Tale" can tell us about the value of myth in our current moment.
