Margaret Atwood was influenced by Homer's Odyssey when writing her work The Penelopiad. After reading The Odyssey, Atwood was left with questions about the perspectives of the maids and Penelope that were not addressed. She explored these female perspectives and inconsistencies in the original story. Atwood sought to understand the roles of Penelope as a wife, mother, and leader from a female point of view. This influence prompted her to write The Penelopiad in order to answer her own questions that emerged from reading Homer's Odyssey.