Identity In Alias Grace And American Beauty

In any case, the happiness and well-being of a person is generally achieved as a result of the thorough understanding and acceptance of their identity. This is evident through the novel, “Alias Grace” by Margaret Atwood, the film “American Beauty” by Sam Mendes and the poem “In the Park” by Gwen Harwood. All three texts portray protagonists who either struggles to find their identity or is unhappy with their current identity. Indicating to the reader of the discontentment that is present if one's identity unknown or despised.

Margaret Atwood's “Alias Grace” supports this concept and it is highlighted to the reader through the protagonist of the novel, Grace Marks as her identity is perceived by by numerous forms of media and outside society,
This is evident in, “ I think of all the things that have been written about me- that I am an inhuman female demon... that I have blue eyes,.... that I am soft in the head and little better than an idiot.”(p.25) Here a combination of repetition and cumulation is used as Grace lists a summary of all that has been said of her, starting from her trial, to her appearance then to her personality. The combination of the techniques provides the reader with knowledge of what the outside media and society have identified Grace as she constantly repeats “That I am”. The whole statement concludes with the rhetorical question, “And I wonder, how can I be all of these different things at once?” The question sums up Grace's view towards what has been said of her as it highlights the confusion of Grace in her knowledge of herself. Enabling the responder to feel empathy for Grace as a result of what has been said of her, and through the techniques it is apparent that the different perceptions of her identity has impacted on the her personal view of her identity, providing her with confusion and an urgent quest to find
This can be seen when one keeper says, “...That's what I like, a little high spirits in a woman, a little fire, they say it comes with the redness of the hair.” (p.278). The keepers often make cliched notions about Grace in relation to women, evident in the comment made about Grace's hair, showing the stereotypical opinions of red haired women, comparing them to fire and saying that a fired up woman is what men want. This shows the misogynic attitude of victorian men towards women and thus indicates to the reader of the extent to which victorian women were treated. The comments towards Grace, in particularly would have given her the impression that all men are misogynous and consequently would contribute not only to her ability to trust men but the way she viewed herself as a woman in