Masculinity in Alias Grace Anonymous 10th Grade

Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace presents masculinity through several characters throughout the book. In the majority of these cases, the men are portrayed as untrustworthy or dependent on a woman. A few characters that allow the reader to understand Atwood’s relationship and opinion of men include Dr. Simon Jordan, Jeremiah the Peddler, James McDermott, Thomas Kinnear, and Jamie Walsh. Each of these characters represents a consistent idea about men and their interest in women and the development of their own reputation and masculinity. Atwood uses several different “types” of men in order to show the reader how they each have a common trait.

A general idea that remains consistent throughout the book is the attitude of men that women are objects that are merely there for sexual exploitation. Grace is often sexually harassed by the prison guards who may assert suggestive advances such as “let’s just nip up the side alley, into a back stable, down on the hay, it won’t take long if you lie still…” (240). Mary Whitney, even after her wise teachings to be extremely cautious when it comes to men, ends up seduced by her employer’s son. She may have truly believed his promises of a future because of the ring he gifted but as soon as Mary...