The Blind Assassin – Margaret Atwood (2000)

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, published in 2000, is a layered narrative blending family drama, forbidden love, and a fantastical story within a story. The novel explores themes of betrayal, memory, and survival through the life of Iris Chase Griffen, an aging woman recounting her family’s tragic past intertwined with her sister Laura’s mysterious death and a posthumously published novel, The Blind Assassin.

Plot Summary

Iris Chase Griffen stands on the brink of her fading years, burdened by a past filled with love, betrayal, and guilt. Her tale begins in 1945 when her younger sister, Laura Chase, drives a car off a bridge and plunges to her death. The aftermath reveals Laura’s novel, The Blind Assassin, a posthumously published work that propels her to literary fame. Iris, however, harbors a private understanding of the truth behind both Laura’s death and her enigmatic novel, one she will only unravel as her memories wind through the corridors of time.

The Chase sisters grow up in the declining grandeur of their family estate, Avilion, under the shadow of their father, Norval Chase. Once a prosperous industrialist, he is reduced to a broken man by the Great Depression and the demands of running his failing button factory. Their mother’s death early in their lives casts a long shadow, leaving the girls to navigate a world of expectations, duty, and loss. Reenie, the housekeeper, assumes the role of caretaker, providing warmth and wisdom but unable to shield them from the unfolding tragedies.

The world of privilege they inhabit begins to crumble, leaving them vulnerable to forces beyond their control. In a desperate bid to save the family’s fortunes, Norval arranges for Iris to marry Richard Griffen, a wealthy and influential businessman. At just eighteen, Iris is thrust into a marriage of cold calculations and suffocating power. Richard exerts control over every aspect of her life, while his sister, Winifred, supervises Iris’s behavior and ensures her compliance with societal norms. Avilion is sold, and Iris is whisked into a life of luxury that feels more like imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Laura remains in Iris’s life, her ethereal presence and peculiar moral rigidity a constant reminder of what Iris has sacrificed. Laura’s relationship with Alex Thomas, a political agitator fleeing accusations of arson, becomes a hidden thread binding the sisters and Richard in a web of lies and secrets. Alex is charming and mysterious, a man whose allure disrupts the careful facade of the Griffen household. He seeks refuge with the sisters, sparking a connection that entwines him with both of them. For Laura, Alex represents a forbidden love, pure and tragic. For Iris, he is an escape from her stifling marriage, igniting a passion she never imagined.

As the sisters grow closer to Alex, tensions rise. Richard’s manipulations tighten, and his true nature as a cruel and controlling figure emerges. Laura, consumed by her ideals and guilt, retreats further into her own world. Iris, torn between duty and desire, struggles to shield her sister from Richard’s wrath. The sisters’ bond strains under the weight of secrets too heavy to bear, and Laura, always sensitive and vulnerable, begins to unravel.

In the background of their lives is Laura’s manuscript. The tale-within-a-tale, set in a fantastical world, revolves around a blind assassin and a sacrificial virgin who fall in love. It is a story of betrayal, forbidden desire, and the cost of survival, mirroring the complexities of the sisters’ lives. Through the metaphorical lens of this fictional universe, Laura weaves her experiences, fears, and longings into a narrative that holds the key to understanding her perspective.

Laura’s eventual death, though ruled an accident, carries the weight of intention. The mystery of her suicide is intertwined with the manuscript she leaves behind. In its pages lies a veiled confession, a reflection of the events that led her to that fateful moment. The novel within the manuscript becomes an artifact of Laura’s inner torment and unspoken truths, her final gift to the world that failed to understand her.

Years later, Iris, now an aging widow, reflects on the events that shaped her life. Her marriage to Richard ended with his death, but not before he inflicted lasting damage. Her daughter, Aimee, estranged and troubled, succumbs to addiction, leaving Iris’s granddaughter, Sabrina, distant and out of reach. Alone in her final years, Iris dedicates herself to setting the record straight. In a collection of memoirs, she unravels the story of her family, the choices she made, and the truths buried beneath decades of silence.

The layers of Laura’s manuscript, Iris’s reflections, and the interspersed newspaper clippings and ephemera reveal a world where power and privilege dictate the lives of women, where love is both a salvation and a curse, and where the act of storytelling becomes an act of defiance. As Iris writes her final lines, she finds a measure of peace, knowing her words may one day reach her granddaughter and shed light on the shadows that haunted their family.

The end is quiet and unassuming, much like Iris herself. Yet within it lies the weight of a life lived in the margins, of sacrifices made and secrets kept. It is a testament to the endurance of memory and the unyielding strength of a woman determined to reclaim her story.

Main Characters

• Iris Chase Griffen: The story’s narrator, Iris is an elderly woman reflecting on her troubled past, including her stifling marriage, fraught family dynamics, and guilt over her sister Laura’s death. Her voice is wry, self-aware, and tinged with regret.

• Laura Chase: Iris’s enigmatic younger sister, whose suicide and subsequent literary fame dominate the narrative. She is depicted as fragile but morally resolute, with a deep sense of idealism.

• Richard Griffen: Iris’s husband, a wealthy but controlling industrialist whose relationship with Iris is marked by power and abuse. His manipulations profoundly shape the sisters’ lives.

• Alex Thomas: A political radical and drifter who becomes the lover of both Laura and Iris. His charm and rebellion symbolize freedom but bring turbulence to the Chase sisters.

• Reenie: The Chase family’s loyal housekeeper, who serves as a maternal figure and custodian of family secrets, offering insight into their complex dynamics.

Theme

• Power and Oppression: The novel critiques patriarchal systems, especially through Iris’s stifling marriage to Richard and her sense of entrapment in societal expectations.

• Memory and Guilt: Iris’s narration delves into unreliable memory, exploring how guilt and shame influence her recollection of events, particularly Laura’s death.

• Betrayal and Loyalty: Familial and romantic betrayals run throughout the story, particularly in the relationships among Iris, Laura, and Alex, challenging notions of loyalty and duty.

• Storytelling as Survival: The titular The Blind Assassin novel within the book mirrors the characters’ realities, emphasizing storytelling’s role in coping with trauma and reclaiming agency.

• Femininity and Sacrifice: The story portrays the sacrifices women make, whether for love, family, or survival, questioning the costs of such choices and societal expectations.

Writing Style and Tone

Margaret Atwood’s writing style in The Blind Assassin is layered and intricate, weaving multiple timelines, narrative voices, and genres seamlessly. The prose shifts between Iris’s reflective, often acerbic tone in her memoir-like chapters and the lyrical, surreal quality of the science fiction story embedded within the novel. Atwood uses rich metaphors and symbolism, drawing on myth and history to deepen the narrative’s complexity.

The tone is both melancholic and biting, combining the sadness of loss with moments of sharp humor and critique of societal norms. Atwood’s deft use of intertextuality and shifting perspectives creates a mosaic-like structure that invites readers to piece together the truth beneath the layers of fiction and memory.