The Sin Eater

The author Margaret Atwood is a feminist. In a lot of her stories the narrator is found to be a very intelligent woman, but has trouble conversing mentally, usually, with men. The story "The Sin Eater" is in fact about an intelligent, but egotistical, woman who struggles over the death of her psychiatrist, Joseph, and the sins that we are left in the occurrence of death. The narrator, feels as though life is pointless. She uses Joseph in this process to try and change her thoughts and manage her anger issues. Joseph see's the world bluntly, and tells it that way. "I thought Joseph would try to convince me that reality was actually fine and dandy and then try and adjust me to it, but he didn't do that...Instead he agreed with me cheerfully and at once." We see signs of the narrators "self-centeredness" after she is notified about Joseph's death and responds, "..what made him think he had the right to go climbing up a 60ft tree risking all our lives..?"

Joseph had numerous wives in his private life. I feel as though the Sin Eater is being compared to Joseph throughout the story. During his time with his patients, although they do not see it at the time, Joseph uses his time with them for his own personal gain to talk a lot. Is he in fact looking for a Sin Eater to clear out his own sins?

The Sin Eater itself was a person who would consume a meal in the presence of the recently deceased, thus removing their sins. As the story concludes the narrator has a dream in which Joseph and her are at an airport. As they are talking, the "first wife" of Joseph presents them with a plate of white, children's party cookies...the same cookies that the first wife brought to Joseph's funeral. These symbolize Joseph's sins. This is when the narrator realizes Joseph's imperfections (his sins).  "I look down at the plate again......maybe I could send it back, but I know this isn't possible."  Could the airport in fact represent the narrators mind? All the different people running around could be recognized as the narrators mind, all jumbled, now that Joseph is deceased and she has no one to talk too.