A Low Art

by Margarette Atwood
 Would you like to be betrayed,
abandoned, and forgotten by the one
you love for other younger and divine
lovers?
 Do you consider the story of
Penelope and Odysseus to be
a romantic one?
After twenty years of war and adventure, Odysseus (also
known as Ulysses) is ready to return home. For the first
ten years he fought in the Trojan War, and for the second
ten he did his best (more or less) to resist the charms of
a series of highly enchanting women and to defeat
frightening giants. But now he’s made it back at last,
standing before the gates of his kingdom. Athena, his
protector, has guided him back to his home island of
Ithaca ,but his problems aren’t over yet.

In fact, while he may be back, he’s disguised as a beggar

with a ragged beard and torn clothes, no longer lord of
his own kingdom. He needs to find his way to the palace
where his enemies have taken his place as the new
lords.
Eumaeus, his old counselor, and Telemachus, his son,
who at first didn’t recognize him, help Odysseus find his
way to the palace. Their plan is to amuse the suitors with a
fight between beggars .The winner gains the privilege of
being the only beggar allowed inside the palace. Needless
to say, Odysseus, a tremendous athlete and fighter, wins
in the end Inside the palace Odysseus must confront his
own nightmare: his enemies are everywhere, consuming
his possessions and disrespecting him and his family—
mocking his son and, even more unbearable, harassing his
wife, whom he has not seen, smelled, or looked at for
twenty years.

She doesn’t look a day older, her beauty no less striking,

than the day he left for the war. She doesn’t recognize him
under his disguise, though both Argo (his dog) and
Eurycles (his nurse) do. Still, this is by design since it’s not
yet the right time to reveal his identity to Penelope.
 Penelope
As portrayed in Homer's Odyssey, Penelope - wife of
Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy - has
become a symbol of wifely duty and devotion, enduring
twenty years of waiting when her husband goes to fight in
the Trojan War.

As she fends off the attentions of a hundred greedy

suitors, travelling minstrels regale her with news of
Odysseus' epic adventures around the Mediterranean -
slaying monsters and grappling with amorous goddesses.
When Odysseus finally comes home, he kills her suitors
and then, in an act that served as little more than a
footnote in Homer's original story, inexplicably hangs
Penelope's twelve maids.

Now, Penelope and her chorus of wronged maids tell their

side of the story in a new stage version by Margaret
Atwood, adapted from her own wry, witty and wise novel.
 SUMMARY:
Majority of the Greece's population knows the mythical
narration of Odysseus' fancy and heroic adventures through
Homer's "The Odyssey" ---- the version that made everyone
believes that Penelope was the bad person.

However, "A Low Art", through Penelope's perspective

discussed how Odysseus, her husband, made a fool out of her by
the versions of narrations about their relationship. Penelope
narrates how great Odysseus in making fools for making people
believe with his versions of events. Penelope's agony and pain was
shown by "A Low Art" with her version of story--- keeping a blind
eye to achieve her happy ending. And her little story making is
somehow to clear her side.
Analysis

Penelope feels that the official version of events flattened her character into a means of
controlling other women (making her an ideal of blind faithfulness and constancy toward her
husband, to a standard to which other women were then held), showing how narrative can be
oppressive.

As Penelope continues, suggesting she remained silent because she wanted “happy
endings,” Atwood shows how the normal narrative structure itself can be distortive and
suppressive. As Penelope describes the rumors about her, Atwood continues to show this
more damaging side of narrative.

As Penelope describes storytelling as a “low art,” the reader may think of the various other
arts—like fiber work, which is so central to this story— that have been described as “low,” and
how these “low” art forms are often associated with women and femininity.
 "THE ART OF STORY TELLING"
In telling a story, if the majority believed you, therefore your
statement is true while, if minority is on your side, you are telling lies.
However, "A Low Art" proved that a story can either be true or not
based on how the majority will acknowledge it.
"A Low Art" is a tale that made me see how a story can be
altered through the change of point of view. Majority of the people that
read Homer's Odyssey believed that Penelope betrayed her husband.
In contrary with that, these people will change their mind if they will
read "A Low Art".
.
In conclusion, "A Low Art" teaches all the females, to take a stand for
something they know is right. Women are encourage to tell their own
version of story because silence can sometimes worsens the situation.
The infidelity in the Story of
Odysseus and Penelope
1. The most obvious example is the actions
of the suitors. Just because Odysseus
does not come back, these suitors try to
gain the affection of Penelope.
2. Moreover, they take advantage of
Odysseus's goods. This is even worse,
because Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca.
In other words, he is their king. So, this
lack of loyalty is betrayal.
1. The most egregious instance of
Odysseus's unfaithfulness is his time
with Calypso, the nymph. He stayed with
her for seven years after a ship wreck,
as a love slave.
2. Odysseus sleeping with Circe
 hello!

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