Life-likeness in Elaine Risley

Daiana Jones

River Plate Adventist University

Introduction

Nineteenth century realism literature shares similarities concerning the building up of the
characters in its stories. Bennett and Royle (2004) suggest that one of such similarities is that of
writers from the nineteenth century often constructing their personages in a way that such characters
generate the impression of being real people or living beings. In addition, they have identified three
attributes that allow these life-like characters to appear as such. In the first place, they have
credible names and behave as a person is expected to in real life. In the second place, Forster
(1976, in Bennet and Royle, 2004) states that characters are complex, unpredictable and do not look
one-dimensional. In the third place, life-likeness also implies certain unity or single identity
whithin the complex and contradictory self (Bennet and Royle, 2004). Even though the novel Cats
Eye by Margaret Atwood is not a nineteenth century production, some of the attributes mentioned
before might be identified in its main character, Elaine Risley. This personage seems to be portrayed
as being life-like: she is not only depicted as an intricate and profound personage with conflicting
traits but also as a unified whole that acts as real individuals do. Therefore, this paper will look at
each of the three aspects shared by nineteenth century realism characters proposed by Bennett and
Royle (2004) and analyse which of these attributes are found in the build up of Elaine.
Margaret Atwood Cats Eye was published in 1988 and unfolds in mid-20 th century Canada.
The novels main character, Elaine Risley, is a middle aged painter who returns to her hometown,
Toronto, in order to hold a retrospective exhibition of her works. During her time there, Elaine
reflects on her childhood and teenage years and reminisces about the cruel treatment she received
from her three friends, especially by Cordelia. The book is written as an account of Elaine personal
history, alternating events from her past and present until they both collide in the end. As part of the
narrative, the character details her love life, her unconventional family and her immersion in the
artistic world. Cats Eye also traces the effects of Elaines past on her life as an adult and as an artist
and shows how such experiences influenced her understanding of her own relationships and
surroundings (Dewis, 2011).

Methodology

As mentioned before, this paper will analyse Cats Eyes Elaine in order to determine which
attributes of the 1800s realism might be found in her. Said analysis will be organised in three
sections. Each of them will look at one aspect of life-like characters as presented by Bennet and
Royle (2004) and will analyse the features in Elaine that may or may not correlate to said
postulates. The first section in particular will also contain biographical information about Margaret
Atwood extracted from an article by Ingersoll (1991) in order to support Bennet and Royles
statements.

Discussion

The first attribute by which realistic characterization is identified in a personage is that of

him or her having a credible name and behaving in a way that convinces readers of its reality. In
other words, life-like characters show that they could be part of real life. This feature is present
in Elaine Risley since she has a plausible name and also behaves as people from the real world do.
For instance, after falling in the ravine and getting her feet wet and cold, she gets sick for a few
days (pp. 90-92). In this case, the fever Elaine suffers from after this incident, is the likely
consequence that any living person would have to go through if he or she stayed wet in the cold
winter for long. Also, there is another event in the story that might be regarded as another sign of
Elaines resemblance to real women. When reaching puberty, Elaine undergoes the normal
changes that women go through during that period. When starting Grade Ten, Elaine says: (...) I
have grown. Specifically, Ive grown breasts. I have periods now, like normal girls; I too am among
the knowing (...) (p.108).
Later in the story, when Elaine starts having the common marital problems marriages have,
another sign of her life-likeness can be recognized. During her argument with Jon, her husband,
over Elaines past love affair, Elaine releases her anger at Jons current romance by saying that she
is too busy paying the rent to have a love affair like he does. After some interaction, Jon prepares to
leave and Elaine utters: Going to see Monica? I say, with as much venom as I can dredge up
(p.182).
Another peculiarity of a life-like character that also convinces the audience of its
plausibility is the one of resembling a specific real person (Bennet and Royle, 2004). As regards
Elaine Risley, it might be said that some facts of her childhood correspond to some of Margaret
Atwoods own biography. For example, Atwood has mentioned in several interviews that, during
some summers, her family accompanied her father, who was an entomologist, like Mr. Risley, to the
north of Canada to do some research. The author of Cats Eye has also described how her father
would shake trees and she and her brother would help him collecting the fallen insects (Ingersoll,
1991). These facts could drive the reader into thinking that a person like Elaine could exist or could
have existed, since Elaines actions resemble that of a real person and some of her childhood
experiences are very similar to those of Margaret Atwood.
The second feature that makes up a realistic nineteenth century character is that of having
certain traits that make the personage seem complex and unpredictable. Bennet and Royle (2004)
add that such complexity is given by the dualism of the mind or self, meaning the inside of a
person, and the body or outside of a person. Throughout Cats Eye narrative, a similar dualism may
be identified in Elaine Risley. In her case, it might be said that the twofoldness is presented by her
two personas: her childhood and her adult persona. The first one could be said to be shaped by the
traumatic experiences Elaine went through after befriending Cordelia. The second one seems to be
defined by the inner struggle Elaine goes through when trying to reconcile with her past, pursue a
career as a paintor and deal with her marital relationships all at the same time. By taking into
consideration Elaines own analysis of her life, it could be said that these personas are in conflict
with each other leading the protagonist into a complicated relationship with her friend and
tormentor and making Elaine behave erratically.
This complexity in Elaines character and the unpredictability that results from her traumatic
and ambivalent friendship with Cordelia might be observed in several passages of Cats Eye. At
first, the protagonist sees herself as different from the other girls since she is used to living with a
brother and does not know the rules of feminism, but believes that Cordelia will help her fit in that
world of girls. However, the improvement of Elaines behaviour imposed by her three girlfriends,
turns the protagonist into an insecure individual who damages her body in order to release the
anxiety. As a result of her submission to Cordelias commands, Elaine feels constantly uneasy and
one day, reacts unexpectedly by throwing up in the snow (p.66) Afterwards, Elaine again acts
erratically by thinking of throwing herself in front of the Princesss car (pp. 77).
After some time, Elaine realizes that her girlfriends treat her with cruelty when Cordelia
throws Elaines hat into the ravine and orders the protagonist to bring it back. At that point Elaine
thinks to herself: There was never anything about me that needed to be improved. It was always a
game, and I have been fooled. I have been stupid. My anger is as much at myself as at them (p.93).
It might be argued that from that moment on, Elaine is able to physically free herself from her
tormentors but not emotionally since her self-steem is already shattered.
A few years later, after having forgotten these sad experiences and befriending Cordelia
again, Elaine seems to switch places with whom was once her tormentor. For example, after having
criticed the Smeaths for some time, Elaine says to herself: Cordelia wants to point out Lump-lump
Family cars, but Im tired of this. I have a denser, more malevolent little triumph to finger: energy
has passed between us, and I am stronger (p.112). From then on, Elaine recalls using her mean
mouth mostly with Cordelia and even making fun of her. For instance, the protagonist analyses her
own contradictory behaviour and says: This is not a joke. I wonder, for an instant, how I can be so
mean to my best friend. For this is what she is (p.118). Further on, Elaine continues to be depicted
as contradictory since she avoids going out with Cordelia although she does not know the reason for
it and even decides not to help her friend escape The Dorothy Lyndwick Rest Home. (pp.123; 176-
77)
Cordelias influence seems to continue to affect Elaines adult life, reiforcing her complex
character and fueling her unpredictable behaviours. For example, ever since Elaine started to fulfill
Cordelias demands, she developed the need to look good in front of other people and on reaching
adulthood, such need is still latent. However, Elaine no longer sees this necessity as a means to
improve herself. Instead, she considers it part of societys behaviour and a result of peoples
judgements, which she prefers to avoid. This can be seen when Elaine first begins to wonder what
Cordelia might look like at the time of the retrospective. At that moment she thinks:If I were to
meet Cordelia again, what would I tell her about myself? The truth, or whatever would make me
look good? Probably the latter. I still have that need (p.3) Then, when she decides to take a look at
the gallery where her exhibition will be held, she expresses that Galleries are frightening places,
places of evaluation, of judgment. I have to work up to them (p.8).
In addition, Elaines memories and thoughts about of Cordelia seem to appear constantly in
the protagonists mind and to act as a trigger for many of her unexpected actions. For instance, at
the beginning of the novel, Elaine formulates this thought: I wasnt expecting to see her. But now
that Im back here I can hardly walk down a street without a glimpse of her, turning a corner,
entering a door (p.3) Later on, when the adult Elaine helps a vagabond with some money, she looks
into the womans eyes and she thinks: Her eyes are not brown but green. Cordelias (p.73). The
connection Elaine finds between Cordelias and the womans eyes evidences for her troubled mind,
which cannot forget her complex relationship with her tormentor and give rise to another
unexpected event. After leaving the woman behind, Elaine judges herself as the young Cordelia
might have. Elaine thinks: Im a fool, to confuse this with goodness. I am not good. I know too
much to be good. I know myself. I know myself to be vengeful, greedy, secretive and sly (p.73) As
the story progresses, other signs of Cordelias permanent presence in the protagonists mind appear,
which might also account for the protagonists shocking and impetuous actions. For instance, Elaine
appears to hear Cordelias voice after she has started having marital issues with her first husband.
Elaine narrates how after feeling left alone in her cold house by her husband, she hears a voice
saying: Do it. Come on. Do it and urging her to cut her wrist with a knife (p.183). Elaine later
describes this voice as one belonging to a nine year old child and which might be said to echo the
orders Cordelia would give to Elaine in the past (p.74). Soon after Elaine recovers from this
incident, the protagonist comes to the unexpected conclusion that she needs to leave Toronto so as
to avoid being killed by the city (p.184). These events account for the seemingly impulsive
reactions that have build up inside Elaine as a result of her troubled self.
The third feature attributed to life-like characters from literary works of the nineteenth
century realism is that of unity. Bennet and Royle (2004, p.62) suggest that the complexity and
tensions present in such type of characters cohere in a single identity. As regards Elaine Risley in
Cats Eye, although she tried to find her true self or single identity among her incomplete memories
and complex character, she comes to realize that her personality does not conclude in a unified self.
Instead, she seems to find out that her identity is fractured in multiple personalities that are all
aspects of her troubled self. This might be seen at the moment of her exhibition, where the reader
can find out who are the people that influenced Elaine and that made up her identity. Apart from
this, the fact that she was able to find the marble, remember her past, and see how the emotions of
displacement, inadequacy, weakness and wrongness are actually Cordelias own feelings, shows
how Elaine is able to come to terms with her past, and gain a better understanding of the
multiplicity in her identity.

Conclusion

To conclude, it might be said that only two of the three features that characterize nineteenth century
realism personages are present in Elaine Risley. Cats Eye main character resembles a life-like
personage in that she has a plausible name, behaves as real people do and might be seen as
complex or contradictory and unpredictable. However, Elaines contradictions and unpredictability
do not seem to arise from the dualism of the mind and body of the personage, but from the two
personas that are developed in the narration. Also, these personas does not seem to cohere in a
unified self. Therefore, the thesis statement presented in this paper was proved to be partly wrong.

References:

- Atwood, M. (1988). Cat's eye. New York: Doubleday.

- Bennett, A. & Royle, N. (2004). An introduction to literature, criticism, and theory. Harlow,
England: Pearson Longman.
- Dewis, G. (2011). Cat's Eye. Insight Text Guide, (First), 2. Retrieved from
https://www.insightpublications.com.au/pdf_preview/TG-Cat's-Eye-10-pages.pdf
- Ingersoll, E. (1991). Margaret Atwood's "Cat's Eye": Re-Viewing Women in a Postmodern
World. ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature, 22(4). Retrieved from
http://ariel.ucalgary.ca/ariel/index.php/ariel/article/view/2404