Problems of identity, identity formation and clashes between outward roles and inner demons are long time favourites of Margaret Atwood (e.g. Alias Grace, Lady Oracle, Cat's Eye, Surfacing, etc.). In this novel Atwood draws from a folkloric tradition and narrative strategy to give added meaning and depth to this contemporary ghost story. By reversing The Robber Bridegroom's male and female roles, depicting women in roles traditionally reserved for men, Atwood appropriates the tale for her own thematic purpose. She adapts the role of the Robber Bridegroom for Zenia, who either literally or symbolically murders male victims. The novel is imbued with a multiplicity of layers, ranging from the biblical and the folkloric to the metaphysical and the psychological.