Quotes from book
Surfacing
Surfacing is a novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Published by McClelland and Stewart in 1972, it was her second novel. Surfacing has been described by commentators as a companion novel to Atwood's collection of poems, Power Politics, which was written the previous year and deals with complementary issues.The novel, grappling with notions of national and gendered identity, anticipated rising concerns about conservation and preservation and the emergence of Canadian nationalism. It was adapted into a movie in 1981.
“Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by the results.”
Source: Surfacing
“Madness is only an amplification of what you already are.”
Source: Surfacing
Surfacing (1972) p. 107
The premise for this quote is now known to be a linguistic myth stemming from the early 20th century work of Franz Boas. This quote by Atwood has been cited as an example of the perpetuation of this myth https://books.google.ca/books/about/White_Lies_about_the_Inuit.html?id=i-osjdNH3g8C.
Variant: The Eskimos had 52 names for snow because it was important to them; there ought to be as many for love.
“I would rather dance as a ballerina, though faultily, than as a flawless clown.”
Lady Oracle (1976)
Source: Surfacing
“The animals have no need for speech, why talk when you are a word.”
Source: Surfacing
