Traces of shame: Margaret Atwood's portrayal of childhood bullying and its consequences in Cat's Eye

This article focuses on patterns of bullying and abuse in Atwood's portrayal of the 'friendship' between Elaine, Cordelia, Carol and Grace in this novel. It begins with a consideration of Elaine's background resulting in her susceptibility to this bullying, before moving on to discuss the various forms the psychological abuse takes. The author also discusses the novel's indebtedness to Shakespeare's King Lear and the resulting linguistuc echoes which permeate the text