Plot, Character, and Setting in Atwood's "Lusus Naturae"
This essay analyzes Margaret Atwood's short story "Lusus Naturae," focusing on four key literary elements: plot, character, foreshadowing, and setting. The unnamed protagonist undergoes a mysterious, monstrous transformation that isolates her from her rural community while her family struggles to protect their reputation. The essay examines how Atwood constructs a sympathetic yet otherworldly narrator, uses foreshadowing to build toward an inevitable confrontation, and employs a folklore-laden rural setting to heighten the horror. Comparisons to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein illuminate the story's thematic concern with monstrosity, isolation, and the persistence of humanity even within the grotesque.
- Introduction: Overview of themes and analytical approach
- Plot Overview: Protagonist's transformation and community confrontation
- Character Analysis: Narrator, priest, family, and sister examined
- Foreshadowing and Tension: Hints toward revelation and mob confrontation
- Setting and Atmosphere: Rural folklore setting amplifies horror and isolation
- Conclusion: Elements unify around humanity within the grotesque
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What makes this paper effective
- The essay maintains a clear organizational structure, dedicating focused attention to each of the four literary elements (plot, character, foreshadowing, setting) before synthesizing them in the conclusion.
- The direct textual quotation from Atwood's story grounds the character analysis in evidence, and the Frankenstein comparison adds meaningful intertextual depth without overstretching the argument.
- The conclusion ties the literary analysis back to a broader humanistic claim — that the protagonist's struggle resonates universally — giving the essay thematic weight beyond mere description.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates literary element analysis: isolating individual narrative components (plot, character, foreshadowing, setting) and showing how each contributes independently and collectively to the story's overall effect. This is a foundational technique in literary studies, requiring the writer to move from description to interpretation at each step.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens with a brief introduction establishing the story's themes and analytical focus. Four body paragraphs then address plot, character, foreshadowing, and setting in sequence — each standing largely as its own unit. The conclusion synthesizes the four elements and extends the argument to a humanistic theme about empathy and self-perception. The structure is straightforward and well-suited to an undergraduate close-reading assignment.
Introduction
Margaret Atwood's short story "Lusus Naturae" presents a haunting narrative that explores themes of transformation, fear, social norms, and love, framed within the chilling confines of a young woman's monstrous metamorphosis. Atwood places the reader within the perspective of an unnamed protagonist, blurring the lines between humanity and monstrosity. This essay examines the plot of this tale, the characters that inhabit its world, the foreshadowing Atwood employs to heighten tension, and the setting that gives the story its distinctive color.
Plot Overview
The narrative follows a first-person account of a young woman dealing with a mysterious, possibly supernatural ailment that transforms her into something less than human over time. The illness affects not only her but her entire family's standing in their rural community. She is initially kept hidden, but her condition — and her family's attempts to protect their reputation — lead to a staged death and her continuing to live in the house after everyone else has moved away. The climax arrives when the protagonist's true nature is revealed to the community, leading to an impending confrontation.
Character Analysis
The protagonist is a character struggling with a terrible affliction. Despite her monstrous transformation, she remains self-aware and sympathetic, and she maintains a sense of humor throughout. She is contrasted with the priest, who "told me God had chosen me as a special girl, a sort of bride, you might say. He said I was called on to make sacrifices" (Atwood). The priest is simply searching for a kind way to comfort her. She, however, is not looking for comfort so much as acceptance. She is deeply aware of the burden she represents for her family.
Her parents are also well-drawn, showing a blend of fear, concern, and love for their afflicted daughter. Her grandmother, who embodies old superstitions, provides a contrasting perspective on the protagonist's condition. The character of the sister represents societal norms and the sacrifices the family is compelled to make because of the protagonist's condition — a quietly devastating portrait of how abnormality ripples outward through those closest to it.
Conclusion
The story's complex and sympathetic characters, its plot, its use of foreshadowing, and its atmospheric setting work in harmony to draw the reader into a world full of questions and loss. The protagonist's experience lies far beyond the norm, yet her struggle with isolation, family, social expectations, and her own identity is likely to resonate with almost anyone. This story serves as a reminder that the essence of humanity persists even within the grotesque, revealing an inherent capacity to evoke empathy and understanding in the face of otherness. Atwood's "Lusus Naturae" thus illuminates the inner workings of the human experience — the dark corners and self-perceptions we all share but rarely reveal, even to ourselves.
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. "Lusus Naturae." Prospect Magazine, https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/books-and-literature/fiction/46725/fiction-lusus-naturae-by-margaret-atwood.
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