“Revenant” seems like the masterclass for creating unlikeable characters. Gavin is, without a doubt, the most horrible character I have ever read, yet he is completely believable. Through a close third-person, Gavin’s voice transcends his quoted dialogue and is laced into the narration. It is hard to pick a few examples, as every word is intentional in creating this character. There is a very memorable juxtaposition between his elevated, educated language and his profanity-filled, juvenile diatribes. He is easy to hate, but has brief lapses of humanity. He is damaged by love, and damages others. He is awful, but vividly clear due to Atwood’s impressive choice and control of language.

The framing of this story is also interesting, as it begins with the mention of a memory that is further described at the end of the story. I am not sure if it is my fault as the reader, or intentional of Atwood, that the end scenes are unclear to me. If it is intentional, it seems to emphasize how uncomfortable this story is to read. Gavin’s mental state seems to become increasingly unhinged as the story progresses, and perhaps this is the “wicked” of this particularly story. Not that every story will contain a “wicked” element, but it is something that I would like to keep in mind as we think about titling work.