3.2 Camouflages in Patriarchal Society...18

Conclusion.20

Works Cited. 21

 Analysis of Female Survival in Alias Grace

Introduction

Margret Atwood (1939- ) is one of the most influential and world-famous women writers in Canadian literature, she enjoys a worldwide popularity for her great contributions to English literature. She has produced a large number of books in various kinds, including fiction, poetry, novel and criticism. As Nischik comments on her that, “Margret Atwood is one of the most fascinating, versatile, and prolific authors of our time, superb writer in every genre she has chosen to tackle”(Nischik 45). Due to her great contributions to Canadian literature, she is regarded as “the female star of Canada’s literary elite”, “a prophet in her own country”, and “the Queen of Canadian Literature”.

In west countries, there are many researches on Atwood’ works, such as Margret Atwood’s Textual Assassinations: Recent Poetry and Fiction(2003) edited by Sharon Rose Wilson, Margret Atwood: Works and Impact(2000) edited by Reingard M. Nischik , Margret Atwood: Writing and Subjectivity(1994) edicted by Colin Nicholson and The Cambridge Companion to Margret Atwood(2006) edited by Coral Ann Howells. These scholars explore Atwood’s works in the angle of colonialism, intertextuality and gender.

In China, Atwood’s works also draw many Chinese researchers’ attention. Among these studies, Margret Atwood and Her Writing(2003) written by Fu Jun. It is a critical book and is one of the latest achievements made in the field of Atwood’s works. This book embodies Fu’s unique points of view of Alias Grace.

The themes of Atwood’s works are in regard to three aspects: feminism, nationalism and ecologism, and these three aspects are usually combined by the same theme-- survival, which is the prominent theme in Atwood’s works. Atwood usually combines women’s fate and their living states with Canada’s situation through exploring the theme of survival. She always attaches her attentions to the lives of females, such as their struggle, choice and survival. She seems to want to seek identity for women, Alias Grace is a good example to be studied. This thesis aims to study the theme of survival by exploring the victimization of females in patriarchal society and their policies to struggle for survival. 

    This thesis consists of three chapters. In Chapter One, it explores the theme of survival. It states that survival is the permanent theme in Canadian literature. As Margret Atwood begins in Survival: “every country or culture has single and informing symbol at its core” and goes on to identify “survival” as the pervading symbol for Canadian literature(Atwood, Survival 31). The theme of survival distinguishes Canadian writing from those of the other culture.As a leading figure of Canadian literature, Atwood has consciously carried on a task of establishing a national cultural identity of Canada, and her novels are obsessed with the desire to earn identity for women. Then it focuses on Alias Grace, which describes a female murder suspect’s survival circumstances under the pressure of society and culture. The process of female character resisting victimization and pursing an ideal survival pattern demonstrates the author’s deliberation on Canadian identity.

In Chapter Two, it explores the victimization of females in the aspects of gender, class conflict and culture disadvantages. In wars of gender, it explores female characters in Alias Grace including Grace’s mother, Mary and Nancy. This part mainly reveals the victimization position of females in patriarchal society, from these three women’s victimization, it exposes the status of women in men-dominating society. In such a society, the relationship between men and women is oppressing and being oppressed, playing and being played, doubting and being doubted. Women are in an inferior position in the sexual relations. In class conflict, it shows that the lower-class females always suffer the unjust treatments and are oppressed and discriminated by the upper-class. They have to do what their masters said and couldn’t violate and complain if they want to survive at the society. In culture disadvantage, it shows that women’s lives are determined by men, they must obey the standard of Victorian values, they are still in the inferior position. In all, women are still in the position of victimization.