Surfacing

The narrator, in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing, embarks on a journey in search of her missing father. The journey leads her back to the desolate island where she spent her childhood. As the search progresses the narrator’s thoughts shift from discovering the truth about what happened to her father to discovering the truth about her own past. The narrator is accompanied by her three companions from city. Equally important on her journey are memories she carries with her of individuals from her past. The narrator’s relationships with the other characters contribute to the themes of alienation, isolation and the fragility of human existence. As the novel unfolds the narrator’s alienation from those around her, and from reality itself, grows until she becomes completely isolated. It is in the midst of absolute isolation her true self-discovery occurs.
In chapter one as the narrator describes her companions, Joe, Anna and David, a closeness seems to be missing. In the ca...