Margaret Atwood's Surfacing reflects the politics and current issues of the postmodern society. The unnamed narrator of the story returns to the undeveloped land on which she grew up to search for her father. Upon returning to that land, the narrator embarks on a psychological journey. The journey is a process in which she must regain her identity and heritage. Through this journey, the narrator is led back to the natural world where she unmasks …showed first 75 words of 1538 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1538 total…The narrator returns to Joe. The narrator deems it possible that she may be pregnant. The pregnancy at this point symbolizes the narrator's opportunity to re-enter humanity. The narrator has begun the process of regaining control over her own life and identity. She had come to terms with the death of her parents and the choices she made in the past, "I was civilized at last" (102). Through forgiveness, the narrator surfaced as a human being.