Life Before Man (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Margaret Atwood
- First Published: 1979
- Type of Work: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: From October 29, 1976, to August 18, 1978, with flashbacks to earlier times
- Setting: Toronto
- Principal Characters: Elizabeth Schoenhof, Nate Schoenhof, Lesje, Chris, Martha, William, Janet, Nacy, Auntie Muriel
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Values, 1970’s, Self-discovery, Sex or sexuality, Suicide, Social issues, Art or artists, Marriage, Alienation, Manners or customs, Emotions, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Pregnancy, Adultery, Canada or Canadians, Depression, mental, Ethics, Loneliness, Men’s liberation movement, Museums
- Locales: Ontario, Canada, Toronto, Canada
The Novel
Life Before Man is a nineteenth century novel of manners translated into twentieth century life, a detailed description of sexual manners and mores among several modern couples. Where the earlier form would have been essentially satiric, however, Margaret Atwood’s novel is savage and sad.
The novel is divided into five parts; each part contains from eleven to fourteen short chapters of three to four pages, headed by a character and a date and centering on one of the three main characters. The opening chapter in part 1, for example, is titled...
[The entire page is 2691 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
