Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride Analysis
The Creation of the Character Zenia
Tony, Roz and Charis have known each other since college in the 70’s. And, now, in the early 90's, all three of them remain friends. Although on the outside these three women are completely different - Tony is a somewhat lackluster historian; Roz is a boisterous business woman; and Charis is a chicken-feeding, organic-eating spiritual sales woman - they are brought together, and stay together because of three important things they have in common.
First is their childhood; all three women are classified as “war children” and struggled through various family issues with their fathers away at war.
Second is their kind hearts; all three women cannot help but open their arms and their doors to a stranger, which, inevitably leads to disaster in each instance.
And, third, is Zenia.
The Robber Bride
Zenia is the central character from afar in this book and readers come to hate her because of what she has done to Tony, Roz and Charis in the past. It is through Zenia that these three women come together, and inevitably fall apart, after Zenia paves her path of destruction. The confusion comes from the fact that Zenia, who died five years prior to the start of the book, is now miraculously alive and well, and back in town, much to the trepidation of Roz, Charis and Tony.
With her small waist, exotic looks, large breasts, luscious dark hair, fashionable outfits and mesmerizing ability to lie, Zenia is the epitome of beauty. However, it is her charm that puts all three women in a trance so hard to sever that Zenia ends up breaking not just their bank accounts, but also their hearts, their spirits, and their marriages.
However, the real clincher of The Robber Bride is that, for Tony, Charis and Roz, Zenia represents more than just ‘the other woman'; she represents a little part of each of them that constantly struggles to be set free.
The Truth about Zenia
The Robber Bride looks into the world of female relationships in regards to sex, money and power, and, similar to Atwood’s classic novel, Cat’s Eye, the cruelty of women.
Readers never know the truth about Zenia.
To Tony, she is a White Russian child prostitute struggling with her own identity and the cultural conflicts brought forth by the war. To Charis, she is a wounded cancer victim from Romania. To Roz, she is an investigative journalist with a world of experience and a Jewish background.
Readers are never told which story is true, if any, or which snippets of her life are completely fictional. It is up to the readers to decide what they make of the character of Zenia. Perhaps she was the freelance journalist she once said; perhaps she was a White Russian child prostitute in her past life; perhaps she was nothing but a manipulative heroin addict with an uncanny talent to control both men and women.
Whatever the case, Zenia’s identity is left in the eye of the reader.
Another Atwood Masterpiece
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