The shroud itself became a story almost instantly. 'Penelope's web', it was called; people used to say that of any task that remained mysteriously unfinished. I did not appreciate the term web. If the shroud was a web, then I was a spider. But I had not been attempting to catch men like flies: on the contrary, I'd merely been trying to avoid entanglement myself.
In "The Penelopiad" by Margaret Atwood, the protagonist reflects on the concept of her shroud, which quickly turned into a metaphorical representation of an unfinished task. It is referred to as 'Penelope's web,' a term that signifies work left incomplete, echoing the story of her weaving and unweaving. This analogy implies a sense of frustration, as she feels trapped within a narrative that doesn’t accurately reflect her intentions.
She resents the comparison of her efforts to a spider's web, suggesting that she is not preying on anyone but rather trying to navigate her own life without becoming ensnared in others’ expectations or demands. The shroud symbolizes her struggle against being caught up in societal roles, elevating a simple act into a complex commentary on duty and autonomy.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
