Atwood and Feminism in “Miss July Grows Older”

by Claire Sbardella

pastedImageIn in her poem “Miss July Grows Older,” Margaret Atwood explores the process of aging and its impact on sexual attraction. Throughout this poem she comes to the realization that although she regrets the loss of her youthful charms, her life now is more fulfilling and well rounded. As one of this poem’s themes, Atwood professes a very jaded perspective on sex and dating, an effect only compounded by her cheeky and sarcastic tone. For her, sex is a pastime for the youth, something to outgrow “like a shrunk dress” as one matures. However, Atwood’s criticism less about sex and more about the men she does it with. In today’s culture, women are less stigmatized for engaging in sex, but the pleasure they gain from it tends to be far less than that derived by men. Atwood’s poem mirrors this dissatisfaction.

“A man writes me, requesting true-life stories / about bad sex…. / I never had any” (31-32, 39). Rather, men’s lack of consideration concerns Miss July. From the lack of the romantic “the absence of flowers” to power abuse “the death threats” to mundane annoyances “the eating habits at breakfast,” men fail to fulfill her expectations. This is mirrored in the article by Rebecca Traister, “The Game is Rigged” which she published in in a subsection of the NY Magazine website, “The Cut.” In this article, Traister discusses how consensual sex can still be joyless and disappointing for the women participating. Feminist discourse, the article argues, should not just cover the bounds of consent, but also focus on how women’s pleasure becomes overshadowed by the social expectation that they perform solely for the male (Traister 2015). The letter the man writes to Miss July, asking for these personal stories, illustrates a similar thoughtlessness to the men who fail to consider women during intercourse. The place where he found her name is “an old calendar, / the photo that’s mostly bum and daisies” (34). The man has written to someone he knows nothing about, to ask an invasive question. The calendar picture no longer represents her.

pastedImage 2However, Miss July sees the coquettishness of her old days as something distant. In the first half of the poem she seems very ambivalent about her shift into middle age, “you think your mouth is the size is was. / You pretend not to care” (10-11). She remembers her days as an ingénue, when her “skin had the golden slick of fresh-spread margarine” and she dressed to impress men (36). However, with that change comes a greater appreciation of nature, of slowing down and savoring life “Now there are more of me…. / what you get is no longer / what you see” (68-69). This multiplicity suggests that she now sees herself as more than just a pretty flirt. Her looks now belie her personality, and her self-assurance has increased despite, or perhaps because of, her poor relationships with men.

Atwood’s poem mirrors some real-world problems that deal with communication during sex and the power imbalance between men and women. She focuses on the situations around sex and the disillusionment it gave her. The article focuses on how the power imbalance leads to the fact that a man’s pleasure dictates when the situation ends, and not the woman’s satisfaction. Feminism has made great strides in creating a more equal dynamic between men and women. However, much must be done before both sexes can stand on equal footing with each other.