O W L S

"The Maids sprout feathers, and fly away as owls." (Atwood 196)
- In the Envoi, the twelve maids transform into
owls.
- Owls symbolize death, innocence and femininity, representing the role of the maids in society.
- The transformation is significant because it ties
into not only the hanging of the maids, but to Penelope's words at the beginning of the novel.
- Penelope says that when she screams, she
sounds like an owl.