1st analysis:
In Greek Mythology, Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman of the world. She was married to Menelaus upon her father's choice, and was born to Zeus, who rapped Leda—her mother— disguised as a swan. She was the daughter of Zeus, and thus had blood from the gods.
Paris— a Greek hero— was offered gifts from three goddesses: Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. He chose the gift from Aphrodite, which was—of course— Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman of the world. He went to Sparta and kidnapped her, and brought her back to Troy. When Menelaus realized that, he sailed to Troy and began the Trojan War.
Helen is a motif for men's emphasis on physical beauty. Her beauty caused the Trojan War, and she never made personal choices in her love relationships: her father chose her husband, and Paris later kidnapped her. The fact that Atwood chose Helen as the speaker in Helen of Troy Does Counter Dancing is a means to give Helen a new voice, and she discusses her power over men due to their emphasis on beauty.
Helen depicts at several instances men's emphasis on beauty and how she is a victim of that: "They gaze at me [...] / Seeing the row of heads / and upturned eyes, imploring / but ready to snap at my ankles," "it's the smiling that tires me most. / This, and the pretence / that I can't hear them [...]. / The speech here is all warty gutturals, / obvious as a slab of ham." In these extracts, men gaze at her while she does counter dancing; they love her body and would readily snap at her ankles if they had the chance. She states that she does not like the facts that they produce weird sounds from the throat— which creates the image of a caveman looking at a woman and drooling over her—and that they talk of her as if she were not hearing them.
Still, she is aware that— because of her beauty— she has a power over men: "I do give value. / Like preachers, I sell vision." Here, she says that she sells her body—or the vision of her body— in order to earn her living. At the beginning of the poem, she seems to say that doing counter dancing—or using your body as a means to exploit men and benefit from it—is preferable to having a job that, at least, provides self-respect. In fact, she says that— if other women had the chance— they would tell her "[she] should be ashamed of [herself] [...] / Get some self-respect / and a day job." She knows others think she lacks self-respect but she still believes her choice is right, as she says, "I've a choice / of how [I will be exploited], and I'll take the money." Here, she says that whatever she does, she will be exploited, and she prefers earning good money rather than the "minimum wage."
When I first read the poem, I did not like it— even though it was a feminist claim that men emphasize too much physical beauty— because I understood that she actually encouraged women to manipulate men by using their body. This is what Helen does: she does counter dancing and uses her body to attract men to her, and thus earn money. When— at the end— she says, "You think I'm not a goddess / Try me. / This is a torch song. / Touch me and you'll burn," she clearly shows that even though she offers the sight of her body, she will not let any men touch her; this is similar to showing a dog a cookie and bringing it out of reach as soon as it jumps. This is mere manipulation—playing with someone's feelings.
Nevertheless, even though she manipulates men's feelings, it is very important to note that if men did not focus so much on beauty, they would not be subject to her manipulations. In fact, as soon as they will stop putting so much emphasis on physical attributes, they will be able to resist her manipulations; Helen will use men's emphasis on beauty until they do not emphasize beauty anymore. In a sense, she is not responsible for the manipulations; they are.
2nd analysis:
Paris— a Greek hero— was offered gifts from three goddesses: Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. He chose the gift from Aphrodite, which was—of course— Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman of the world. He went to Sparta and kidnapped her, and brought her back to Troy. When Menelaus realized that, he sailed to Troy and began the Trojan War.
Helen is a motif for men's emphasis on physical beauty. Her beauty caused the Trojan War, and she never made personal choices in her love relationships: her father chose her husband, and Paris later kidnapped her. The fact that Atwood chose Helen as the speaker in Helen of Troy Does Counter Dancing is a means to give Helen a new voice, and she discusses her power over men due to their emphasis on beauty.
Helen depicts at several instances men's emphasis on beauty and how she is a victim of that: "They gaze at me [...] / Seeing the row of heads / and upturned eyes, imploring / but ready to snap at my ankles," "it's the smiling that tires me most. / This, and the pretence / that I can't hear them [...]. / The speech here is all warty gutturals, / obvious as a slab of ham." In these extracts, men gaze at her while she does counter dancing; they love her body and would readily snap at her ankles if they had the chance. She states that she does not like the facts that they produce weird sounds from the throat— which creates the image of a caveman looking at a woman and drooling over her—and that they talk of her as if she were not hearing them.
Still, she is aware that— because of her beauty— she has a power over men: "I do give value. / Like preachers, I sell vision." Here, she says that she sells her body—or the vision of her body— in order to earn her living. At the beginning of the poem, she seems to say that doing counter dancing—or using your body as a means to exploit men and benefit from it—is preferable to having a job that, at least, provides self-respect. In fact, she says that— if other women had the chance— they would tell her "[she] should be ashamed of [herself] [...] / Get some self-respect / and a day job." She knows others think she lacks self-respect but she still believes her choice is right, as she says, "I've a choice / of how [I will be exploited], and I'll take the money." Here, she says that whatever she does, she will be exploited, and she prefers earning good money rather than the "minimum wage."
When I first read the poem, I did not like it— even though it was a feminist claim that men emphasize too much physical beauty— because I understood that she actually encouraged women to manipulate men by using their body. This is what Helen does: she does counter dancing and uses her body to attract men to her, and thus earn money. When— at the end— she says, "You think I'm not a goddess / Try me. / This is a torch song. / Touch me and you'll burn," she clearly shows that even though she offers the sight of her body, she will not let any men touch her; this is similar to showing a dog a cookie and bringing it out of reach as soon as it jumps. This is mere manipulation—playing with someone's feelings.
Nevertheless, even though she manipulates men's feelings, it is very important to note that if men did not focus so much on beauty, they would not be subject to her manipulations. In fact, as soon as they will stop putting so much emphasis on physical attributes, they will be able to resist her manipulations; Helen will use men's emphasis on beauty until they do not emphasize beauty anymore. In a sense, she is not responsible for the manipulations; they are.
2nd analysis:
Clearly, it makes sense that most women feel disgust and hate towards those who sell their bodies and degrade the integrity of females everywhere. However, what if there is another side to the average, earthly woman’s hate of the “world’s oldest profession”? “Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing” is a poem about ethereal power and unmatched beauty.
It cannot be overlooked that the name in the title is a very well known myth. Helen of Troy, most beautiful woman in the world. Such an allusion provides a clue as to the mindset of the speaker of the poem. The stripper scoffs at those other homely females who tell her to “be ashamed of [herself]” and passes at the opportunity to attain “varicose veins” by working a regular day job. These veins are clearly impossible for one so lovely and are a symptom of those simple mortals. This archetype of beauty is reborn in the speaker as a woman upon a stage, looking down on her audience of “rows of heads and upturned eyes.” The scene invokes a feeling of worship and awe and the speaker doesn’t hide the fact she entertains such an audience, calling the men her “beery worshippers”. Surely, Helen of Troy should be worshipped, but the men do not see it as such. They see her persona, the everyday beauty who sell’s her body for profit because she doesn’t know any other way. What they miss is that in truth, they are paying homage to a true deity.
What they miss is this woman’s reason to strip, her inner energy, her anima. She holds herself in very high esteem whispering she “comes from the province of the gods” and that her “mother was raped by a holy swan”. The allusion to Helen’s mother, Leda give’s a certain allure to the speaker and makes her higher than everyone else. She admits that her worshippers would like to “see through [her]” but then returns that “nothing is more opaque than absolute transparency” meaning that while they look upon her naked form and think they know what’s going on, they have no idea. They do not see her “rising…in the air” in a “blazing swan-egg of light” again alluding to her divine lineage, revealing her to be a goddess, looking down upon them all, taking in the idolization. Through stripping and being transparent to them, she believes she will be forever cherished by her subjects and knows she’s above them all in a blazing light. She challenges anyone who denies her birthright as a daughter of Zeus in this lamentation she calls a “torch song” suggesting a double entendre where her audience is oblivious to the existence of this great goddess they unknowingly worship and that it is also an energy that will “burn” anyone that lays a hand on her holy body. The “burn” is another allusion to Helen having caused the Trojan war showing her danger and power, her divinity. She strips for the immortality, for the essence of her hidden anima, a reincarnate Helen of Troy.
Links : http://breakingpoetry.blogspot.in/2009/05/margaret-atwood-helen-of-troy-does_07.html
http://chisnell.com/APEng/LitCrit%20Wikis/Helen%20of%20Troy%20Does%20Countertop%20Dancing.aspx
Atwood is noted for her literary works which echo her sense of social commitment. In "Helen of Troy Does Counter Dancing", she exhibits the reading world that she is superb in her literary language as well. Please visit Custom Essay Writing Service for more such articles.
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