Stone Mattress

Atwood refers to the work in this collection as “wicked tales.” Why would Atwood choose to label her stories as wicked?

What does the gate to Alphinland represent in the story “Alphinland”? Why is it important to not only “Alphinland” but the two stories that follow in the collection?

Constance, in “Alphinland,” and Wilma, in “Torching the Dusties,” have a lot in common. What are the similarities between the two women? Why do you think Atwood chooses to bookend the tales in this collection with the stories of these two women?