The Edible Woman was written in the 1960s, when men dominated society. In this period the post-war feminist movements were trying to conquer and fight the fact that women could do everything a man could do if only they had the chance to prove it. In The Edible Woman there are three parts of Marian MacAlpin's life that play an important role throughout the novel, all parts have a common denominator, which happens to be food. The first part of the story is about how Marian is trying to identify in a male-dominated world, while going through a sudden change in dealing with her eating habits. In the second part the narrator, Marian, begins to refer to herself in the third person, no longer using “I” but using “she” and letting her boyfriend choose everything for her. The third and final part of The Edible Woman tells how Marian's appetite returns to normal and she no longer refers to herself in the third person but starts using "I" again, regaining her identity. In Margaret Atwood's The Edible Woman the constant theme is a woman who is unable to accept the roles provided to the female by a male-dominated society. Marian MacAlpin is a successful young woman, working in the field of market research. Her work, personal life and social relationships seem idealistic, but after discovering that her boyfriend Peter is a consumer of nature during a dinner conversation, she can't eat because her body responds negatively. Marian's refusal to eat serves as a metaphor for her rejection towards the male-dominated society, she does not want her whole life to be run by men or by one man. When Peter proposes to Marian her body begins to completely reject food and she is unable to eat. Marian begins to feel like she's... in the middle of the card... the role expected of her, but instead of accepting the facts Peter leaves offended by Marian. Marian happily eats the cake, sharing it with Duncan who suddenly returns to the scene. The cake is Marian's way of coming to terms with the life she has chosen. Marian likes the fact that she can provide for herself without a man and wants to continue to be independent and work. The novel reflects on how Marian showed a lack of identity in the beginning but then Marian demonstrated a great amount of strength that was needed. to protect her individuality which at a certain point began to disappear because the male-dominated world she lived in was taking over her thoughts and movements. Marian had to face and accept the fact that the role she wanted to play was not the one accepted by male-dominated society, but Marian was willing to do what made her happy..