"You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur."
The Robber Bride is a 1993 novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, about three women- Roz, Charis and Tony- who are all united by one thing: Zenia, the woman who exploited their weaknesses and took their men as plunder. After reuniting at Zenia's funeral they meet monthly to retrace the wounds left by this lager than life seductress. That is until one of their sisterly lunches is interrupted by none other than Zenia herself, seemingly back from the grave...
Like many of Atwood's works The Robber Bride deals with gender, here presented as a battle of the sexes that is contradictorily fought mostly between women.
Provides examples of:
- The Alcoholic: After her mother's death, Tony's father becomes a tragic example of this.
- Ambiguous Situation: Both the characters and the reader never quite know what Zenia wants, when she's lying or even who she is. And by the end of the novel they still haven't found out.
- Bittersweet Ending: Zenia is dead, for real this time, and though all the women have gone through horrible tragedies they are able to find their own version happiness, Roz and Charis by strengthening their relationships with their children and Tony by reconciling with her husband.
- Gay Best Friend: Downplayed with Boyce, Roz's co-worker who serves as a helpful neutral party in the books heterosexual battle of the sexes.
- Fairytale Motif: The title references a Grimm's fairytale about a "robber bridegroom" who lures young maidens to their deaths, which is here gender inverted with Zenia and her three male "victims".
- Femme Fatale: Zenia is definitely this, though since she is only depicted as through the eyes of her female competitors she the mystery and sex appeal that goes with this trope are negative qualities she uses unfairly.
- Granola Girl: Charis becomes a downplayed version of this in her later years, though from what we find out about her past this seems to be the healthiest fate she could end up with.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Zenia becomes so mysterious that she seems almost inhuman, particularly when the three protagonists narratives of their final confrontations with her differ in such uncanny ways. Charis is also implied to have some sort of genuine psychic ability, considering that she predicts Zenia's real death.
- Meaningful Name: Several. Zenia ironically means hospitality in Greek, reflecting her homewrecker tendencies, while Charis means kindness and grace, fitting since she is the most openly kindhearted of the group. Antonia also goes by Tony, reflecting her life as a woman in a male-dominated academic field.
- Mrs. Robinson: Roz worries Zenia might be this to her son Larry. Until Larry turns out to be gay.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Tony's obsession with the brutality of war is occasionally seen as this by her friends.
- Nouveau Riche: Roz's family starts out renting out rooms on the bad side of town and ends up in Toronto's high society. Though it turns out they did it through less than moral means
- The Pollyanna: Despite everything she's gone through, Charis is still determined to see only the good parts of every situation. Tony imagines that if she were to take Charis on a tour of all the world's worst tragedies and ask what she sees, Charis would still find some flowers to point out.
- Rape as Backstory: Tragically with Charis.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Zenia gives each of the three protagonists a brutal one at the end of the book, though unlike most versions of this trope we understand these women's actions and Zenia's cruelty feels unearned. Charis's is especially brutal since she is the most gentle and genuinely kindhearted character in the book.
- Straight Gay: Larry has no traits hinting at his sexuality until he comes out at the end of the book.
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Unintentional Period Piece: Though the flashbacks take place through several decades, the "modern-day" segments of the book are dated as being set in the late 80s/early 90s by the recurring setting of the Toxique Bar, a rock'n'roll joint complete with heavy eyeliner and leather mini-shirts.
