In everyday life, people face difficult situations. These situations span a wide spectrum of severity, but are events common to all. Some people are better at dealing with these problems and finding solutions. Others are unable to get out of these situations; rather, they allow problems to control their lives, whether they realize it or not. In her novel, Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood uses characterization to prove the validity of this statement. Mainly, the protagonist and narrator, Elaine Risley, is shown having these difficult experiences and being unable to overcome them. Atwood aims to show that people make themselves helpless in resolving difficult situations in their lives. Elaine's childhood and adolescence are characterized by the power she perceives in others and in herself. Carol Campbell, Grace Smeath and Cordelia are a trio of girls who bullied Elaine in elementary school. They antagonized her in numerous ways, all attempting to demonstrate their status over her. For example, when all four return home from school, Elaine is purposely excluded on numerous occasions, with hypercritical girls walking in front or behind her, so they can criticize and judge her. The most shocking aspect of this bullying is that Elaine never tells anyone what these girls are doing to her (131). The same secrecy occurs when the girls put Elaine in a deep hole, cover the opening, and leave her there for a while before releasing her (115-6). By keeping these events a secret, she has made herself unable to overcome these bullies and their antics. She made herself helpless and gave away any perceived power she might have had to the girls who bullied her. Later in the novel, there's…half the paper…and Elaine Risley's bad choices, but she also offers advice subliminally through these events. His first proposal is that perceived power is not real power unless it is allowed to become real by submitting to it. It also cautions people to make rational decisions and to consider the consequences of their actions, both for others and themselves, before making these decisions. Finally, Atwood describes the need to seek and accept help when overwhelmed by the circumstances of this world. These situations cannot be avoided; they are a natural part of life. However, when people make themselves helpless to overcome them, experiences will begin to dictate their lives. When you choose to empower yourself, overcoming these obstacles becomes much more feasible. Inner power is an extremely effective tool for combating life's problems if used correctly.