Summary:
The circumstances and actions of Grace Mark in Margaret Atwood's "Alias Grace" shows that she was the murderer of Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear.
Based on a horrible murder in 1843 in Canada, the novel " Alias Grace" tells the story of a young Irish-born servant girl who plans to kill her employer and his mistress. It is a very horrifying tragedy. An analysis of Grace Mark's behavior reveals many things. Her actions in the novel show that she is guilty of the murders of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery. She plans with a man named James McDermott, hired help, to kill the love of her life and the mistress he is seeing.
Alias Grace begins after a Grace has served eight years in prison. She is twenty-four years old. She is transferred from prison to an asylum over time to examine her activity to see if she is a sane human being. She doesn't cooperate with the doctors and there questioning. She remains silent when they visit like she has something to hide. In the beginning the novel goes right into its first murder. The murder of Nancy Montgomery, which Grace says she witnessed seeing her lying dead on the ground. "Then up ahead I see Nancy, on her knees, with her hair fallen over and the blood running down into her eyes."(p.6) There is also another murder. The murder of Thomas Kinnear. It is made to believe that James McDermott killed Thomas Kinnear, " McDermott shot him through the heart" . (13)Nancy doesn't want Thomas to be killed but she knows that it is the only way. "Then to save ourselves, when he returns, We must murder Thomas Kinnear." (13)
Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery had an affair. Grace was very jealous of Nancy. She didn't want them to be together which is why she and James McDermott planned to kill her. James said he would help Grace kill them if she would be with him. James loved Grace with all his heart and would kill for her. In the novel it tells how Grace loves Thomas. "Now Grace, she loved good Thomas Kinnear."(12) It also tells how McDermott loves Grace. Grace tells him that she will be with him if he helps her kill Nancy Montgomery. "McDermott he loved Grace, and 'twas these loves as I do tell that brought them to disgrace. O Grace, please be my own true love."(12) "O no it cannot be, unless you kill for my dear sake, Nancy Montgomery."(12)
A doctor named Simon Jordan has taken an interest in Grace also. A group has tried for a pardon for Grace. The doctor hopes that he will find Grace sane and innocent on all counts of the murders of Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear. After he studies Grace for a period of time be believes that he has fallen in love with her. He knows that he cannot have her so he takes out his frustrations and fancies on his landlady. Dr. Jordon becomes more involved with Grace Marks case and he tries to help her with her memory laps on the day that Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear were murdered. The doctors put Grace under hypnosis and found that she was guilty of the murders but she had a different personality that of Mary Whitney.
In addition to having motives, Grace Marks has done a really poor job of covering up the murder, and can be considered guilty because of logical reasoning. Her love for Mr. Kinnear was true, but she acted completely out of character after he was killed. It is thought that if her love was real, and she did not commit the murder, that Grace Marks would be horrified after such a tragedy such as that. Instead she acts calm and she even goes as far as wearing Nancy's clothes and even taking her money, both being evidence that she did not care. Even more horrible was the fact that Nancy was strangled, and Grace's kerchief was the "weapon" as it says in the text, "Around her neck is a white cotton kerchief printed with blue flowers, love-in-a-mist, it's mine."(6) Also, Grace had little or no love interest in James McDermott, her accomplice. However, McDermott had interest in her, which Grace used him by giving him false inquisitions that if he did what she said that he'd have a chance to be with her. This is exemplified by McDermott's desire to please her, even though she had no intention of being with him in the first place. McDermott also knows that Grace has sincere interest in Mr. Kinnear, which would make it easier for him to kill him. She presented the idea of killing Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery as challenges to James McDermott, and he would try and complete these challenges to be with her because of his love for her. For instance, Grace told James McDermott that he was all bark and no bite. This statement may be the main reason that James McDermott wanted to kill Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear, as that allows him to prove that he was daring enough for Grace Marks,that he is not a man that stands by and watches from the sidelines. Grace's split personality allowed her to use James McDermott and manipulate him to do anything that she wanted him to do.
Another reason that Grace Mark's in indeed guilty is the fact that she cannot keep her stories straight. This should be obvious evidence against her because she would have no reason to lie unless she was trying to cover something up. If Grace was innocent she could tell her story right the first time around, and not have to worry about remembering what she said in each previous stories or statements that she mad to the doctors. Grace had many variations of her story. When arrested, Grace played as if she had not a clue as to what was going on, saying that she had no idea of Thomas Kinnear's and Nancy Montgomery's death, and was obviously lying about it. The second story or statement was told said that Grace Marks was extremely terrified, and that this fear led to her fainting many times. People, such as that, who saw her after the murder, however, said she went about her business as if nothing had happened, and that it did not look as if she was having a hard time with dealing with the tragedy. If she truly loved Thomas Kinnear, it is out of character that she seemed to be ok with his death unless she had a part in it. Her lack of consistency in reconsidering what had happened makes it hard for the doctors to help her upon her lack of honesty and character.
There are many reasons why Grace Marks would want to kill Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear. The overall review and analysis of this novel has lead readers to believe that Grace Marks is indeed guilty for the murder of Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear. She tricks James into helping her and leads him to believe that if he helps her do this dirty deed that her heart will belong to him. She took Nancy belonging and would wear them, acting like nothing had happen. Once she was found guilty and sent to prison she was examined by doctor. She pretended that she didn't remember anything that happened. As the doctors questioned her more she changed her story or statements many times which lead everyone to believe that she was indeed lying about the murders.
This is the complete article, containing 1,238 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page).
