In her work "Bluebeard's Egg," Margaret Atwood observes that people often undergo transformations in perception and legacy, especially following their deaths. This suggests that the way individuals are remembered can evolve over time, influencing their reputation and impact. The idea points to the complexities of human identity and memory, raising questions about how narratives surrounding a person can shift based on the contexts in which they are recalled.
Atwood’s quote highlights the fluidity of memory and how it can reshape our understanding of a person's life and actions. After death, individuals may be idealized or demonized, as those who remain reinterpret their stories. This underscores the importance of legacy and the subjective nature of remembrance, indicating that people's true selves may emerge more clearly once they are no longer alive.