AP Worthy?
After having read 345 pages of Alias Grace, I have finally made the decision that the novel is of literary merit.
I had trouble deciding this due to the fact that the novel is a lot of plot, for the point is to discover Grace Mark's innocence. Even though there is a large amount of plot, the way it is told, both format and artistic aspects, make the novel one of literary merit.
The most important, and noticeably challenging aspects of the novel are the reoccurring themes, stylistic patterns, opportunities for multiple analyses, and over all, the challenging nature of reading the novel.
The most major motifs of the novel are quilting and flowers (peonies in particular). Quilting is definitely the most prominent of the two, for it represents the format of the novel, acts as a calming mechanism for Grace and the type of quilt at the beginning of each section signifies an important aspect of the next part. The flowers/peonies are mostly red, yet occasionally white. The red flowers represent blood, and in it, death. The white are for purity and innocence. In a dream about the death of Nancy, "'there were huge dark-red flowers with glossy petals, like satin....except for being red, they were like the peonies in the front garden on the first day I came to Mr. Kinnear's'" (313). This quote shows both the innocence of the white, for they represented the beginning working for Mr. Kinnear, and it shows the blood reference associated with the end of Nancy's life. Many essays could be written about each of these motifs/themes in this novel, for I barely scratched the surface.
Atwood is creative while writing her novel, which one would expect from an author. The difference is that she is not just creative when it comes to the content, but also the format. The novel is written like a patch work of ideas. Sometimes the perspective is in first person, sometimes third, occasionally quotation marks are used when someone is talking, and there are poems and articles mingling within the work. For this confusing, strange, unique structure, it makes the novel seem less like a novel or a story, but a piece of patchwork art.
The novel focuses on the story of Grace Marks and whether or not she is innocent of murder/attempted murder. She tells her story through conversation, with the assistance of some articles, poems, and snippets from a dead man's confession. All of these sources of information creates a tale that contradicts itself and creates a confusing atmosphere for the reader. The reader gets to decide whether or not Grace Marks is innocent. I was told that if a novel could be interpreted in multiple ways, then it was of literary merit, for it needed to be analyzed. Nothing should be told to the reader, or at least not everything they need or want to know. Trust the reader to figure it out, or allow them to interpret it in the way they wish to.
Due to the motifs, the crazy structure, and the frustrating analysis, the novel isn't only incredibly challenging to read, but it is one of literary merit. It fits the most important criteria in my opinion. Even though there is a lot of plot, it is up to the reader on how they would like to interpret it.
Still having 115 pages to go in Alias Grace, I can't wait to see where my mind is set by the end. Check back in next week where I will be discussing the meaning of the work as a whole, and why I chose to read this book in the first place!
I had trouble deciding this due to the fact that the novel is a lot of plot, for the point is to discover Grace Mark's innocence. Even though there is a large amount of plot, the way it is told, both format and artistic aspects, make the novel one of literary merit.
The most important, and noticeably challenging aspects of the novel are the reoccurring themes, stylistic patterns, opportunities for multiple analyses, and over all, the challenging nature of reading the novel.
The most major motifs of the novel are quilting and flowers (peonies in particular). Quilting is definitely the most prominent of the two, for it represents the format of the novel, acts as a calming mechanism for Grace and the type of quilt at the beginning of each section signifies an important aspect of the next part. The flowers/peonies are mostly red, yet occasionally white. The red flowers represent blood, and in it, death. The white are for purity and innocence. In a dream about the death of Nancy, "'there were huge dark-red flowers with glossy petals, like satin....except for being red, they were like the peonies in the front garden on the first day I came to Mr. Kinnear's'" (313). This quote shows both the innocence of the white, for they represented the beginning working for Mr. Kinnear, and it shows the blood reference associated with the end of Nancy's life. Many essays could be written about each of these motifs/themes in this novel, for I barely scratched the surface.
Nancy Montgomery in her garden,
From the Netflix Original TV Series
Atwood is creative while writing her novel, which one would expect from an author. The difference is that she is not just creative when it comes to the content, but also the format. The novel is written like a patch work of ideas. Sometimes the perspective is in first person, sometimes third, occasionally quotation marks are used when someone is talking, and there are poems and articles mingling within the work. For this confusing, strange, unique structure, it makes the novel seem less like a novel or a story, but a piece of patchwork art.
The novel focuses on the story of Grace Marks and whether or not she is innocent of murder/attempted murder. She tells her story through conversation, with the assistance of some articles, poems, and snippets from a dead man's confession. All of these sources of information creates a tale that contradicts itself and creates a confusing atmosphere for the reader. The reader gets to decide whether or not Grace Marks is innocent. I was told that if a novel could be interpreted in multiple ways, then it was of literary merit, for it needed to be analyzed. Nothing should be told to the reader, or at least not everything they need or want to know. Trust the reader to figure it out, or allow them to interpret it in the way they wish to.
Due to the motifs, the crazy structure, and the frustrating analysis, the novel isn't only incredibly challenging to read, but it is one of literary merit. It fits the most important criteria in my opinion. Even though there is a lot of plot, it is up to the reader on how they would like to interpret it.
Still having 115 pages to go in Alias Grace, I can't wait to see where my mind is set by the end. Check back in next week where I will be discussing the meaning of the work as a whole, and why I chose to read this book in the first place!
Hey Lil! I watched the entire show of Alias Grace last week (it's really good) so I know how the book ends. Do you think that Grace is innocent or guilty? I was totally shocked by the ending. Also, what are your thoughts about Nancy so far? My opinion of her changed a lot during the show. It's also really interesting that quilts and peonies are motifs in the novel; quilts came up a lot during the show, so now I understand why!
ReplyDeleteHey Som!
DeleteYou watched the show?? Should I watch it?
Also I think she is innocent, sort of. What do you think? I haven't read the ending yet but I am so excited to see how it all turns out and I'll definitely let you know what I think! I definitely don't like Nancy, although she somehow reminds me of Mary Whitney which sort of changes my opinion of her in the slightest, tiniest weeee bit. But for the most part, I find Nancy to be rude, deceitful, unfair, and very, very selfish. What do you think of her?
I loved the analysis! The book is totally of literary merit, I absolutely agree. I was wondering why, in your opinion, a lot of plot means points are deducted for literary merit? I find that a lot of plot can add to the amount analysis needed, so I don’t necessarily think that a lot of plot means it can’t be used for literary merit. What are your thoughts? Can’t wait to read the last 115 pages!
ReplyDeleteI find that when there is a lot of plot, or the story is literally told to you, there is less to analyze. For example, in Song of Solomon, I think I understood the plot for like two paragraphs in each chapter. It was a lot of analysis. I just feel like this novel is a level down from Song of Solomon and Brave New World and honestly even The Handmaid's Tale in terms of the level of analysis it requires when it comes to understanding the plot of the novel. Maybe I am wrong about this, but for me, when the author comes out and tells you what is happening, I find it a lot less challenging to read. Let me know if this makes sense to you! I want to talk about this more with you!
DeleteLilly, my sense it that you prefer The Handmaid's Tale to this Atwood text? Do you think this one offers anything in terms of literary merit/value that the other doesn't? Could you provide some examples of the blend of styles and structures that Atwood uses in the "quilting" technique?
ReplyDeleteMrs. LaClair,
DeleteConsidering where I am in Alias Grace, I'm not quite sure if I like Handmaid's Tale better or not. I do like the difficulty and the way that the Handmaid's Tale is written, but I think that I like the subject in Alias Grace better because it is more surprising and fascinating to read than scary. I think that the Handmaid's Tale leaves more up to the reader to decided. Mostly in terms of the way something is written, multiple events could have taken place and the reader choses which one they think occurred, and I feel that Alias Grace doesn't have that.
The way that Margaret Atwood creates a quilt of her novel is actually really interesting (thank you so much for helping me with that idea, the suggestion made the whole book fall into place for me). The book is broken down into bigger sections, with chapters within them. Each section is titled the name of a quilting pattern which suggests the idea of quilting in the first place. Within the chapter there is a poem or a snippet of a confession or a clip of an article or novel, then the chapters begin and there are normally around two or three chapters in a section. These little pieces are kind of like the squares of a quilt that don't make sense individually, but when stitched together create a work of art, a quilt.