Welcome to your Study Guide for 'When It Happens' by Margaret Atwood

Hello! This short story by Margaret Atwood is one of the most compelling pieces of prose on your IGCSE syllabus. Don't worry if the setting feels unsettling or frightening—that is exactly what Atwood intends! We will break down this story, focusing on the characters, the themes of fear, survival, and domestic routine, and the powerful narrative techniques Atwood uses to make us think.

Understanding this story will help you demonstrate excellent AO2 (Understanding Themes) and AO3 (Analysing Methods) skills in your exam. Let's get started!

Part 1: The Core Story & Setting (AO1)

'When It Happens' is a short story set on a rural farm in a world on the brink of social, economic, or political collapse. It is a striking example of dystopian literature that focuses not on full-scale battlefield violence, but on the quiet, creeping anxiety and psychological preparations leading up to catastrophe.

Setting the Scene: A Rural Farm Under Impending Crisis

The story takes place on a rural farm inhabited by Mrs. Burridge and her husband, Frank. The atmosphere is tense and expectant:
1. Ordinary domestic life continues, but it is shadowed by shortages, geopolitical tension, and rumours of conflict.
2. Everything is filtered through Mrs. Burridge's quiet thoughts and foresight, making the threat of collapse feel intimate and domestic.
3. The overall atmosphere is one of quiet apprehension—daily farm tasks continue, yet Mrs. Burridge anticipates the inevitable moment 'when it happens'.

Key Plot Points: What Actually Happens?

The story balances ordinary farm tasks with internal premonitions of crisis.

  • Domestic Routine & Preparation: Mrs. Burridge prepares green tomato pickles in her kitchen and makes careful grocery and supply lists on the backs of old calendar pages.

  • Contrasting Reactions: Mrs. Burridge internally rehearses for crisis, anticipating shortages and violence, while her husband Frank works around the farm and does not share her intense sense of urgency.

  • Community & Isolation: Frank chats with neighbour Henry Clarke about daily matters, while Mrs. Burridge observes the wider changes in their rural area, including city people buying up properties.

  • Premonitions of Survival: In her imagination, Mrs. Burridge envisions the reality of collapse—columns of smoke on the horizon, hiding the shotgun, and having to leave the house on foot when survival demands it.

Quick Takeaway: The story examines the psychological impact of anticipating disaster. It highlights how domestic routines coexist with survival instincts under extreme pressure.

Part 2: Understanding the Characters (AO2)

The story relies on the dynamic between Mrs. Burridge and Frank, presenting different ways of coping with an uncertain future.

Character A: Mrs. Burridge

Mrs. Burridge is a 51-year-old rural farmwife whose internal perspective drives the narrative.

Key Traits:

  • Practical & Foresighted: She uses practical domestic skills—like pickling green tomatoes and writing inventory lists—as methods to prepare for imminent scarcity.

  • Realist & Pragmatic: She confronts the reality of social breakdown without romantic illusions, considering what supplies are truly essential and how she will survive if forced to flee.

  • Internal Isolation: She carries her intense premonitions alone, planning survival steps that her husband does not acknowledge.

Analogy: Think of Mrs. Burridge as someone quietly packing an emergency bag while everyone else pretends a approaching storm is just ordinary rain.

Character B: Frank Burridge

Frank is Mrs. Burridge's husband, tied to the physical routine of the farm.

Key Traits:

  • Routine-Bound: Frank continues his daily chores and repairs around the farm, keeping life normal rather than planning for worst-case scenarios.

  • Grounded in the Present: He talks with friends like Henry Clarke and dismisses extreme panic, focusing on tangible, day-to-day farm labour.

  • Traditional Husband: He operates within established rural routines, contrasting with his wife's vivid calculations of survival and vulnerability.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Do not view Frank as uncaring. He simply manages uncertainty through routine and denial, rather than actively anticipating disaster.

Part 3: Exploring Key Themes (AO2)

1. Anticipation, Fear, and Uncertainty

The central driving force is the quiet terror of waiting. Atwood shows that the mental strain of anticipating disaster shapes a person's entire reality.
The phrase 'when it happens' underscores the sense of inevitability. The threat is not just external warfare, but the psychological burden of waiting for normal life to shatter.
Did you know? Margaret Atwood often explores how ordinary people navigate speculative or dystopian crises through realistic, ground-level details.

2. Domesticity and Survival

Everyday domestic chores take on new meaning in the shadow of crisis.

  • Preserving food, taking inventory on calendar pages, and stocking essentials become survival strategies rather than mere housekeeping.

  • Mrs. Burridge understands that ordinary domestic security is fragile and could disappear at any moment.

  • Survival forces a reassessment of what is truly valuable when society breaks down.

3. Isolation and Vulnerability

Despite being married and living in a community, Mrs. Burridge experiences profound internal solitude. Her private rehearsals for disaster—imagining fleeing on foot or confronting intruders—highlight the vulnerability of individuals when collective safety collapses.
Memory Aid: P.L.A.N. (Preparation, Loneliness, Anticipation, Necessity) – the key aspects of Mrs. Burridge's mindset.

Part 4: Atwood's Literary Methods (AO3)

Atwood uses specific narrative and stylistic techniques to convey the atmosphere of creeping tension.

1. Third-Person Limited Perspective and Tone

The story is written in the third person, closely focalised through Mrs. Burridge. This allows readers intimate access to her private fears, calculations, and memories.
The tone is calm, practical, and detached. This matter-of-fact tone contrasts sharply with the terrifying nature of the apocalyptic events she contemplates.

2. Symbolism: Green Tomatoes and Calendar Pages

Preserving Green Tomatoes:

Mrs. Burridge pickling green tomatoes before they can fully ripen symbolizes urgency, scarcity, and the effort to preserve sustenance before catastrophe strikes.

Calendar Pages and Lists:

Writing supply lists on the backs of old calendar pages reflects both resourcefulness and the ticking away of time, contrasting past domestic order with future chaos.

3. Imagery and Foreshadowing

Atwood uses concrete sensory details to ground speculative fears in physical reality.

  • Vivid Domestic Detail: Descriptions of jars, vinegar, stoves, and farm tools anchor the narrative in tactile reality.

  • Ominous Foreshadowing: Visions of distant smoke, hidden weapons, and quiet country roads convey the imminent collapse of safety.

Quick Review: Essential Study Checklist

When you analyse a passage, ask yourself these questions:


AO1 (Content): What specific domestic task is Mrs. Burridge doing? What hints are given about the outside world?
AO2 (Themes): How does the passage show Mrs. Burridge's quiet anticipation of disaster versus Frank's adherence to routine?
AO3 (Methods): Why does Atwood use calm, practical language to describe apocalyptic fears? What do domestic objects symbolise?
AO4 (Response): How do you respond to Mrs. Burridge's pragmatic survival planning? (Remember, an informed personal response is key!)

Keep your focus clear: The power of 'When It Happens' lies in the tension between ordinary rural life and the psychological dread of impending catastrophe. Focus on Atwood's characterisation and domestic symbolism to excel in your exam!