Margaret Atwood, one of the most influential contemporary authors, has made her mark through novels, essays, poetry, and literary criticism, offering insight into topics like gender, society, power, and humanity. Her words carry weight not only for their literary merit but also for their profound exploration of human experience. Below is a curated list of Margaret Atwood quotes, spanning themes of feminism, resilience, the power of language, and more.

Margaret Atwood on Society and Power

Atwood often explores societal structures, authority, and control. In her acclaimed novel The Handmaid’s Tale, she imagines a dystopian world where individual freedoms are stripped away, leaving her characters grappling with loss, identity, and survival. Through quotes like these, Atwood critiques the dynamics of power that exist both within and outside her fictional worlds:

1. “Better never means better for everyone… It always means worse, for some.”
   – The Handmaid’s Tale
   This line speaks to the nature of societal structures and the sacrifices often made to maintain order, highlighting how certain groups can be marginalized or oppressed for the benefit of others.
2. “A word after a word after a word is power.”
   – This quote, though short, encapsulates Atwood’s belief in the profound influence of language. It underscores the writer’s role in shaping discourse, effecting change, and encouraging critical thought.
3. “Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.”
   – The Handmaid’s Tale
   Atwood uses this quote to reveal the effort people put into looking away from uncomfortable truths. It’s a powerful observation on complicity and the sometimes willful blindness that allows injustices to persist in society.

Margaret Atwood on Feminism and Gender

As a self-identified feminist, Atwood has been vocal about the struggles, strengths, and perspectives of women. Her work often delves into the nuances of gender roles and the expectations placed on women in society:

4. “We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom.”
   – The Handmaid’s Tale
   This quote emphasizes the silencing of women and marginalized voices. Atwood suggests that the invisibility imposed on certain groups can paradoxically grant them a kind of freedom to live by their own terms, free from societal judgment.
5. “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”
   – This iconic quote succinctly captures the disparities in fear and vulnerability between genders, touching upon how cultural dynamics reinforce these imbalances.
6. “A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.”
   – The Handmaid’s Tale
   With this metaphor, Atwood underscores the limitations that society often places on women’s choices, suggesting that even apparent freedoms can be confined by invisible boundaries.

Margaret Atwood on Resilience and Survival

Atwood’s characters often endure extreme circumstances that test their limits. Her reflections on resilience and the strength required to survive in hostile environments resonate deeply with readers:

7. “I’m not interested in the conventionally heroic, the conventionally brave, the conventionally competent. I want to show that survival is possible, even when all seems lost.”
   – In her writing, Atwood examines the courage found in unexpected moments and from unlikely sources, portraying resilience as an essential human trait.
8. “When we think of the past it’s the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that.”
   – The Handmaid’s Tale
   This line speaks to the human desire for nostalgia and the tendency to romanticize the past, often forgetting the struggles that came with it. It suggests resilience involves both remembering and moving beyond difficulties.
9. “You have to believe that, at some level, you can win.”
   – In this simple yet profound statement, Atwood encourages resilience. Believing in a possible victory—no matter how small—can be a lifeline during challenging times.

Margaret Atwood on Creativity and Writing

Atwood’s reflections on writing are insightful for aspiring writers and anyone who appreciates the craft. She often speaks about the power of storytelling and the responsibility of writers to capture complex truths:

10. “In the end, we’ll all become stories.”
    – Atwood believes that storytelling is intrinsic to the human experience. This quote emphasizes that everyone’s life, no matter how seemingly mundane, becomes part of the broader human narrative.
11. “A story is a letter that the author writes to himself, to tell himself things that he would be unable to discover otherwise.”
    – Through this metaphor, Atwood reveals how writing can be a journey of self-discovery, where authors unearth thoughts and emotions that may otherwise remain hidden.
12. “The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read. Not by any other person, and not even by yourself at some later date.”
    – Here, Atwood encourages writers to abandon self-censorship and to write without fear of judgment, allowing for authenticity and honesty in their work.

Margaret Atwood on Life and Philosophy

Atwood’s reflections on life often carry a quiet wisdom, offering a balanced perspective on humanity’s trials and tribulations. Her insights go beyond the literary and reach into the philosophical:

13. “Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub, you’d be boiled to death before you knew it.”
    – The Handmaid’s Tale
    Atwood uses this metaphor to suggest how slowly unfolding crises often go unnoticed until they become overwhelming. It’s a caution about paying attention to gradual shifts before they escalate.
14. “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”
    – This quote is a reminder that in life, as in writing, progress is often better than perfection. Atwood’s approach encourages people to take action rather than be paralyzed by the pursuit of flawlessness.
15. “War is what happens when language fails.”
    – This line serves as both a caution and a call to maintain dialogue and communication, suggesting that understanding and peace are lost when people stop listening to each other.