Sexual Politics in The Edible Woman

In Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman, both Ainsley (Marian’s roommate) and Duncan trick others into having sex with them.  Ainsley poses as a younger, innocent girl to catch the eye of Marian’s college friend Len.  Ainsley hopes to become pregnant by sleeping with Len, though she wants nothing to do with Len after the fact.  Ainsley justifies her act of deception with the knowledge that Len sleeps with many young girls and by doing so, bolsters his ego.  Ainsley doesn’t foresee that Len will feel violated by her actions.  After Ainsley becomes pregnant, Len tells her, “All along you’ve only been using me.  What a moron I was to think you were sweet and innocent, when it turns out you were actually college-educated the whole time!  Oh they’re all the same.  You weren’t interested in me at all.  The only thing you wanted from me was my body!”  While it would be difficult for many readers to applaud or even justify Len’s behavior towards young women, can we applaud or justify Ainsley’s behavior towards Len?   Is Ainsley acting out of selfishness?  Though she may be acting out of selfishness during her “seduction” of Len, later readers see her feelings of guilt over not thinking her scheme through.  (“But then they had this psy-psy-psychologist and he talked about the Father Image…He says they ought to grow up with a strong Father Image in the home…It’s good for them, it makes them normal, especially if they’re boys.” )  While Ainsley is able to mend her situation by finding a husband in Fischer, Len is still unable to accept his role in the ordeal.  Len is for once rendered powerless, unable to persuade Ainsley to have an abortion and unwilling to step into the role of fatherhood. 

Duncan also presents himself as innocent and weak and allows Marian to believe she holds the power, at least in the bedroom.  Duncan plays Marian by saying, “The thing is, I’d like something to be real…I thought maybe you would be.  I mean if we went to bed, god knows you’re unreal enough now, all I can think of is those layers and layers of woolly clothes you wear, coats and sweaters and so on.  Sometimes I wonder whether it goes on and on, maybe you’re woolen all the way through.  It would be sort of nice if you weren’t.”  Though Marian is aware of Duncan’s self-centered nature, she continually believes she reaches a point of honesty and vulnerability with him and is continually deceived.  Marian wants to be Duncan’s Florence Nightingale and Duncan is willing to let her assume the role if it satisfies his hunger for physical intimacy.  After sleeping together, Duncan tells Marian, “You want me to say it was stupendous, don’t you?  That it got me out of my shell.  Hatched me into manhood.  Solved all my problems.  Sure you do, and I could always tell you would.  I like people participating in my fantasy life and I’m usually willing to participate in theirs, up to a point.  It was fine; just as good as usual.”  This admission strips Marian of her Nightingale identity and she subsequently destroys her identity as Peter’s fiancée.  While Duncan helps Marian to see that her engagement to Peter was a mistake, Marian finally realizes that Duncan is no suitable replacement for Peter.  Marian sees that Duncan is just as manipulative as Peter and likely more dangerous to her wellbeing.