The Symbols Of Quilting In Alias Grace By Margaret Atwood

Alias Grace is a novel that forces the readers to open their minds to an offbeat century. By the end of this novel, Atwood has transformed Grace into a very intricate character who can possibly weave stories just as well as she can weave a quilt. After viewing the history of quilting, one can now connect to Grace on a more personal level to interpret why it had become an essential part of her life. Throughout the novel, quilting becomes an important motif and is perhaps the only constant component that is extracted from the story. Not only did quilting become an important symbol to Grace, but likewise, it became a symbolic technique for Margaret Atwood. Between the various stories, peculiar evidence, and fabrications of the truth; it …show more content…
The overall patterns contradict the modesty of each individual square. One of the first things taught as one encounters the sewing field, is that quilts can always been seen in doubles. They look one way if you focus solely on the light colors, and appear a different way if one aims their attention at the dark colors. This is a complex metaphor that conclusively describes Grace. So many people had different descriptions of her depending on which component they fixated their perspective on; whether it was her light or dark colors, virtuous or perilous, similarly like quilts. The ultimate question rises from the text to ask readers, is Grace telling the story she, herself wants to hear and believe? Or is this her true story being pieced together as she mends the quilt uprooting her memories from previous …show more content…
The quilt Grace creates in prison illustrates the differing renditions of the truth and deceit that Grace is knitting together and telling Dr. Simon Jordan. Due to the ceaseless dispute of not knowing whether Grace Marks is innocent or guilty, readers have to make the determination if the quilt represents Grace recreating her new life or if the creation of the quilt is helping her repressed memories unfold. It is very challenging to establish which technique is ultimately being used, however, it is crucial for readers to recognize that quilting serves a purpose. As this novel twists and turns readers’ perspectives into ways never deemed possible, one can come to the resolution that Grace’s quilt she constructed in jail is the utmost reconstruction of her life into what she wishes and hopes her life was, entwined with uprooting her repressed memories. The different effects of patchwork in quilts aim to be a unifying history of what is known to be Grace Marks. Her life, just like the quilt, was intricately put together by her own creativity and evolved into a work in