The Art of Retelling: Text/ile in Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments

This article proposes to examine the interplay between rewriting and the text/ile metaphor in Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments. The author’s predilection for intertextuality is inextricably linked to her conception of the text as a fabric and the writer as an embroiderer. Weaving, interweaving and reweaving are seamlessly tied to her acts of (re)writing. Drawing on André Lefevere’s theorization of rewriting and Gérard Genette’s conceptualization of metatextuality, the article examines the aesthetic and thematic relationship between rewriting and sartorial poetics. The novel is a textual patchwork of interlaced references gleaned from a large array of generic materials. The essay, which is divided into two parts, mainly argues that Atwood’s (re)writing strategies, or what Adrienne Rich calls “re-vision,” based on decoupage, collage, stitching, and sewing, are tools of resistance. The first section provides a theoretical framework for understanding the act of rewriting and the different ways in which it can be conceptualized. The second part applies this theoretical framework to Atwood’s novel, examining how she uses the text/textile metaphor to explore the power of storytelling and the importance of resistance. Creating a tapestry-like novel with interwoven textual strands not only resists aesthetic and cultural closure, but also mobilizes attention against all forms of oppression.