Alias Grace

Title	Alias Grace
# of Words	1261
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	5.04

Alias Grace

Word Count: 1241

Introduction Margret Atwood a long time celebrated author,
has most recently published Alias Grace. Atwood has taken
a different approach to this novel. Although fictional this
story has been based on reality. Grace Marks, the main
character is indeed, on of the mid-eighteen hundreds most
famous criminals. She was the celebrated villain of the
Kinnear-Montgomery murders. This novel has a terrific
sense of mystery but also enough interest to engage the
reader into its historical drama. Plot Summary Alias Grace,
begins in the main character, Grace Marks', sixteenth year of
incarceration for the murder of Thomas Kinnear, her past
employer. Her supposed accomplice in the murders has
already been killed for the murder of Kinnear, although
Marks being a woman was handed a lighter sentence of life,
although originally sentenced to death also. The death of
Nancy Montgomery, Kinnear's housekeeper and mistress,
was disregarded as both villain had already been sentenced
to death. Grace is around thirty years old, being accused of
the crimes when she was only sixteen. Grace is prison where
she has been mentally tortured during her rotation from
prison to asylum over time. Doctors who wish to "examine"
her frequently visit. She has now has a subconscious
aversion to these doctors and the world which she knows.
She has become accustomed to being silent and unseen. This
novel begins with the interest of a young doctor in Grace,
Dr. Simon Jordan. He is noted as being from a wealthy
family and of good name, but is more interested in studying
abroad about sanity and those enclosed in asylums rather
than interest at home. He has little experience in dealing on a
personal basis with the question of sanity of patients, but is
intrigued by this fabulously sensationalized murderess. A
group that has continuously tried for the pardon of Grace
Marks has recruited him. In hopes of discovery that she has
been found mentally sane and furthermore innocent on all
counts of murder. Dr. Jordan's main purpose is to help
recover the lost memory of the time during the murders. This
memory which some to believe was conveniently forgotten
helped convict her during the trial; almost as if she had
admitted to the killings. During the course of his visits with
Grace, Dr. Jordan encourages her to tell of her life before
the murders. Grace begins her story with her family in
Scotland. Grace had been left with her abusive father and
the smaller children after her mother died on the passage to
America. A trip taken for necessity rather that need: for her
father was in a bit of financial trouble in Scotland. Grace is
sent out in Canada as a servant. Here is where Grace meets
her first true friend, Mary Whitney. Mary teaches Grace to
be her own person. Unfortunately, Mary has a horrible death
due to a bad surgical abortion and Grace is left alone and
trouble by the gruesome death of her friend. Grace travels
from house to house looking for the right setup for her
services. Finally, she meets Nancy Montgomery the
housekeeper of Thomas Kinnear. She takes a job under
Nancy mistakenly believing in their friendship. Soon Nancy
is overtaken with Grace in the house, she becomes
increasingly jealous of her role with Mr. Kinnear. This leads
to the obvious discovery of a romantic relationship between
Kinnear and Montgomery. With the proposed dismissal of
Grace and the hired hand McDermott, Grace is led with
McDermott into killing the two and robbing them for their
own escape. Although not long after, in a hotel, Grace and
McDermott, even though ironically using the alias Mary
Whitney, are arrested. At this point in Dr. Jordan's analysis
of Grace months have passed. He has become more and
more involved in the Grace Marks story. This reaches the
point to where he believes he has fallen in love with her. In
return he has taken to his landlady to relieve his frustrations
of his untouchable desires for Grace. Dr. Jordan becomes
even more involved with the case and is determined to...

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