In the novel “Cat’s Eye,” Margaret Atwood writes of two deceptive relationships that Elaine holds simultaneously in order to convey the different advantages she receives from each, ultimately illustrating how women can be intentionally deceitful in relationships just as society allows men to do.
Atwood reveals Elaine’s intention in having a relationship with Josef is for the feelings of passion she receives from him. Elaine makes Josef feel as if she actually has a true connection with him by protecting him from the hurtful words the other women in the class say to him, as he is the teacher of their painting class. The facade of being a protector reflects Elaine’s intention to be deceptive because the only reason Elaine is with Josef is for the fulfillment of her sexual fantasies. Society usually attaches this idea of being intentionally deceitful to fulfill sexual desires to men. Atwood breaks this cultural norm by writing of a woman, Elaine, deceiving a man for selfish reasons.
Not only does Elaine have a deceitful relationship with Joseph, she simultaneously has a deceitful relationship with Jon. Elaine similarly deceives Jon to believe she has a true connection with him by living with him part time and going on dates with him. Jon is unaware that Elaine is in another relationship with Josef, that she doesn’t actually love him, and that sometimes she pretends to be drunk so he doesn’t think she is crazy for releasing her emotional distress on him. These deceptions are masked in true love which ultimately convey Elaine's intentionality because she only truly enjoys her experience with Jon when she uses him as a shoulder for her emotional stress. Elaine’s intention to be deceitful to fulfill her emotional needs contradicts society’s attachment of men to deceitful relationships to gain the emotional need they are not receiving in another relationship.
To break society’s view that only men are allowed to be deceitful in relationships, Atwood writes of Elaine’s intentionally deceitful relationships with Josef and Jon to fulfill her sexual desires and emotional needs in the novel “Cat’s Eye.”
