Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin (2000)

Atwood, born 1939; Canadian (will be 70 in November)

-- novelist, poet, critic; feminist
-- Taught at several universities, including Alberta (1969-79)
-- Helps to theorize Canadian identity;
-- Recent novels, writes "historiographic metafiction" (Linda Hutcheon), explores creation of history and relation to narrative;
-- Also: "speculative fiction" (not science): Handmaid's Tale (1985); Oryx and Craik (2005)

History - that people ought to have had (220) - not only Richard Griffen. As though all the characters should have had other histories.

Receding depths, each phase raising questions not answered in the next:

Opening: Laura's death - ambiguous (3-5);
Newspaper report (6);
Laura's novel, title (7);
The picnic photo of the two of them (7-8); (cf. 12, 223);
The other picnic; Alex begins the story: on Zycron (11-16).
   -- remembrance and forgetting (14):
         -- hence, subtle symbolic aura of key moments in the novel.

Iris's narration (most of the novel). Basic structural principle: most chapters switch systematically from her present (1998) to a history of her past - family, marriage, etc. E.g., chapter, pp. 212. Relation of present to past? --

================ groups to consider: pp. 212-225 =======================

-- Et in Arcadia ego (Even in Arcadia I exist -- as if spoken by Death). (213)

-- This chapter contains a key episode: at the picnic in 1934 Laura sits with Alex; photograph taken by Elwood Murray (223); afterwards, "Was that the beginning?" (239). Laura copies the photo (245); (Two picnics: 641; the photo: 649).

Points of view: notice shifts from time to time, e.g.:

Iris as narrator, on death of her sister Laura [1945] (3)
Newspaper report of death (6)
Narrator (omniscient?), e.g., on the picnic photo that "she" still has (who?) [1934] (7)
Limited omniscient narrator (mainly dialogue; but see FID, 12), little direct insight into Alex; picnic in the park, beginning of science fiction; chapter headed "The Blind Assassin," 1947 (11)

==== groups: characterize points of view, pp. 1-12, confrontations or mosaic? =====

Deaths of: Richard Griffen, 1947 (17); Aimee Griffen, 1975 (24); Winifred Griffen, 1998 (30). Then: The Laura Chase prize, 1998 (39).

-- links to resumption of Iris's narrative; she is to present the prize. Mainly Iris's narrative from here on.

Historical narration increasingly takes over, i.e.:

Cemetery visit (55)
Laura's ashes, 1945 (58)
Button Factory, modernized, its history (63)
Benjamin Chase, grandfather (67)
etc.

Narrator. Illicit meetings with Alex: is it Laura or Iris? Hints: rock garden (7, cf. 555); "You could set yourself on fire": saying of Laura's to Alex (223) - but what about earlier? (12); her travels (454).

The science fiction novel [spoiler alert!]: --

displacement of origin. Created by Alex, written by Iris, published as if by Laura. Which sister is only revealed near the end (613).

Sakiel-Norn, practice of sacrificing girls (34-5); tongues cut out (37); her dismay: "You want to get at me" (37); cf. parallels in what happens to Iris, Laura?

-- Love. "Touch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth." (322)

-- vs. sickly, sentimental view of romantic love (322); as force (252)

-- The couple escape from Sakiel-Norn (340-1).

Other science fiction episodes:

========= groups: double perspective of historical novel / science fiction =======

What Alex has done, or not (134; 263-7);

If Laura pregnant; father must be Alex (554)


Philosophical comments:

Selflessness of Adelia (Iris's mother) during war; no longer possible (92)

[Iris] resents herself for love for Alex (329-30)

When you're young (499)

All stories are about wolves (436)

Unhappiness drives the narrative forward (650).

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Document created March 30th 2009