What Is Simon's Relationship In Alias Grace

The Doctor’s Relationships

The novel Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood portrays the character Doctor Simon Jordan as an example of one’s professional and personal lives becoming intertwined, and how it becomes difficult. Simon has once dreamt of a “long fragment of hair of an unseen woman, which is twining around his neck” (Atwood 227), and describes this suffocation as “painful and almost unbearably erotic” (Atwood 227). This quote begins to show what Simon has an affinity for, and the type of women he is attracted to. Doctor Simon Jordan is most attracted to females with a corrupt past, and this is ultimately the reason he leaves Kingston. Most notably this is evident with his attraction to Grace Marks; however it is also shown in his lack
He is a doctor and her husband left her; she is not even divorced by the time she begins having an affair with Simon. Rachel’s feelings for Simon are obvious. Subsequent to her dramatic faint in which Simon helps her, Rachel “has a habit of materializing outside [Simon’s] door when he’s trying to work” (Atwood 345). Through their relationship, her feelings become much more intense, and she is sure he knows. ‘“Oh Simon,” she sighs. “I knew you would never leave me! I love you more than my life”’ (Atwood 491). Even after he is gone, Rachel does not wish to be with her husband, and sends Simon multiple letters. Simon, however, is attracted to Rachel because “[s]he at least is something he can grapple with, take hold of.
Simon is constantly reminded by his mother to get married to a decent woman and settle down with a good job closer to his home. However Simon rebels against this, first by going to Kingston and second by having an affair with Rachel. Aside from Grace, he thinks his mother would like Lydia. In their first encounter, Lydia flirts with him and “it makes him think of his mother” (Atwood 100). His attraction to Lydia is not the same as his attraction for Grace or Rachel, his affinity for Lydia only exists because she expressed interest in him, in their first encounter, “[h]e suspects she’s flirting with him” (Atwood 100) and does not object. His slight interest in her is also aroused by the thoughts of a possible wife, even if he thinks he will not be happy with her, and so he projects his feelings for Grace on women like Lydia. He imagines the possibilities if “he were to encircle her waist with his arm – gently, so as not to alarm her – would she sigh?” (Atwood 226). Even in their first encounter, though he does not object to her flirting, Lydia leaves and “he finds himself thinking of Grace” (Atwood 102), something he cannot help but do after meeting Grace. Simon knows that being with Lydia is the type of relationship that would work well for him, however he does not go ahead with it; in fact he seems embarrassed and reluctant about it. Lydia’s interest in him becomes