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What does this chapter suggest about perception and the way it changes based on the subject and the beholder?
This chapter shows us the maid’s perception of their own story, told through a historical lens where they interpret themselves to be the three followers of Artemis, a god who is viewed favourably. They assign symbolism to themselves, similar to how the Odyssey and other tales do to deeply interpret their lives as metaphors for something greater. Atwood explores how the perception of a story changes from person to person and lens to lens. We look at the story for a modern view, linking it to what it tells us about our society as we know it, but for the maids, the world may have very well meant something very different. The observer, looking at themselves, sees a very different life from the audience who are watching the maids from their point of view.