When the panic sets in, people let fear inhabit both their thoughts and actions. Fear scares people into remaining silent, even when they know what is occurring is unjust and inhumane. In the poem by Margaret Atwood, “Half-Hanged Mary,” Mary is used as a symbol to modern society, making them feel guilty for letting her hang for no just reason. Atwood uses similes, imagery, and symbolism to convey to modern society, that it is more evil to remain silent, than to actually physically hang her. Atwood puts forth a strong message about Mary’s emotions through the use of symbolism. The Bonnets hang Mary into the tree on accounts of suspicion of her being a woman, “I didn’t feel the aimed word hit and go in like a soft bullet” (Atwood lines 5-6 ). Atwood longs for society to understand…show more content… Mary is on her own, and no one is willing to stand up and save her, “Birds of a feather burn together, though as a rule ravens are singular” (Atwood lines 43-44). Society treats Mary similar to a raven. They are too afraid to help her, so they see her as an outcast. Atwood is grasping at the idea that when people are afraid, they isolate the people who are different. Modern society sees Mary as the person who is different, so they isolated her. They refused to help her, so they left her to fend for herself. Society is afraid to do anything that gets them noticed, whether it is negative or positive. Mary spent her entire life helping the rest of society, but they stabbed her in the back. They refused to side with her, so they turned her into a metaphorical raven. The idea of her being a raven reiterates the fear that society has, because they do not want to be seen as the raven. If they decided to side with Mary, they would also be a raven. Society as a whole has refused to do the right, and they decide to remain silent. Isolation is intimidating to society, and thus their isolation is to turn other people into
