Précis

Critic: Mona Knapp
Review of Alias Grace
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Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace recounts a historical murder case in the 1840's. The antiheroine is Grace Marks who was convicted at sixteen for helping murder her employer and his mistress. She was pardoned in 1872 after serving 29 years in mental asylums and prison. She was spared the death penalty because of her questioned sanity and guilt. Grace is met through the eyes of the fictional Dr. Simon Jordan in 1859. His position is to provide a psychiatric evaluation and assist in determining her innocence. His interest in the unconscious mind is shown to be a motivator in finding the root cause of Grace's supposed memory loss and episodes of madness. Her childhood portrays the early loss of her mother and siblings and the abuse caused by her alcoholic father.

Atwood portrays the nature of neuropsychological theories in the story and predates formal understanding of schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder. Atwood presents the symptoms of the second disorder as a reason for her uncharacterically violent self. The story's research gives the reader a believable and audible voice for Grace which takes us into her mind and dispair.


The novel juxtaposes several characters' inner monologues, newspaper clippings, historical accounts and poetry exerpts as well as letters written and Grace's narrative to Dr. Jordan. The fact that Grace's story will never be full known can cause frustration to the reader as it did to Dr. Jordan when he is unable to find the truth he was looking for. Unfortunately, after searching for the truth for so long and not being able to find it, Dr. Jordan's ending is tragic.