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| Plot Summary of Alias Grace |
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"In 1843, Grace Marks was tried for the murders of her employer Thomas Kinnear, and his mistress Nancy Montgomery. James McDermot, also a servant in the house at the time, was tried and hanged. Grace was sentanced to life in prison. Little is actually known about her life, and the two accused gave 5 different stories during the trial. Using material from the time - newspaper reports, observations, Doctor's letters etc, Margaret Atwood has pieced together a story. Where the events are unknown, she has used her imagination. The book is consequentally half way between history and fiction.
The book follows Grace from the brutality of her childhood as an Irish immigrant to Canada, through her years as a servant, and the loss of a close friend. Her life in a mental insitution and in prison is dealt with in less detail, but there is enough to give a distinct impression. Grace's tale is cut with extracts from the life of a fictional Doctor involved with her case - the moral dilemas of his existence provide an intersting counterpoint to the main tale."
Bryn Pearson, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Alias Grace |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Job/profession/poverty story
Yes
Kind of living:
- general poverty story
Which institution
- prison
Life in an institution
Yes
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- servant
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- mentally ill
Nationality
- Irish/McCourt
How sensitive is this person?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 6 ()
The Americas (not US):
Yes
The Americas:
- Canada
City?
Yes
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting
- Fancy Mansion
- prison
Century:
- 19th century
Style
Person
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- explicit references to deaths
Book makes you feel?
- thoughtful
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- love/sex
- decency
Unusual Style:
- a lot of flashback and forwards
Writer's slant towards subject:
- neutral
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of nearly entire life
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A few 1-5 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- significantly more dialog than descript
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 26-50% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 0-25% of book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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