Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing

In Greek mythology, Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world. Birthed from an “swan-egg” (Line 79)—produced after Zeus disguised himself as a bird and impregnated her mother—Helen is associated with great beauty, betrayal, and shame. Helen’s great beauty supposedly caused the Trojan war (See: Contextual Analysis). Atwood takes the mythical figure of Helen and places her in a contemporary strip club. Atwood’s Helen confesses how she feels about her objectification by others and tries to empower herself by remembering her connection to divinity.

In mythology, Helen is judged by Trojans and Greeks alike, after she is abducted by Paris and taken to Troy. In the contemporary setting, there are also “women / who’d tell [her, she] should be ashamed of [her]self” (Lines 1-2). These individuals want Helen to feel guilty for her performances and her beauty. Helen imagines they want her to “Get some self-respect / and a day job” (Line 4-5). Although this seems a more respectable alternative, Helen believes earning only “minimum wage” (Line 6) for “standing / in one place for eight hours” (Line 6-7) is still being “[e]xploited” (Line 17). Helen feels she at least has a “choice of how” (Line 18) exploitation is going to happen, and choosing pragmatism, makes more money “dancing” (Line 3).