Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin

[PaulaQ]

Is that true? Are The Desperate Housewives truly free? Couldn't Iris have chosen poverty?

Ok, I confess I don't know much about the Desperate Housewives, being the one person in America who doesn't watch television... But I still believe that Iris was trying to "do the right thing" when she got married. She COULD have chosen poverty but she was trying to do what was expected of her. (You realize we're finally going to have to agree to disagree on this, don't you?)

 

[Doug Johnson]

she was trying to do what was expected of her.

OK. It was a long time ago that I read it, but if I remember correctly, the rich woman who has the affair in "The Blind Assassin" sounds an awful lot like Iris. So if it was Iris, she didn't always do what was expected of her, did she?

 

[PaulaQ]

OK. It was a long time ago that I read it, but if I remember correctly, the rich woman who has the affair in "The Blind Assassin" sounds an awful lot like Iris. So if it was Iris, she didn't always do what was expected of her, did she?

Well, I'm not finished with it yet, but I've been assuming that the woman having the affair is Iris. Yeah, she must not always do what's expected of her, but I think that her initial motives in the marriage were fairly pure. (Are you sure that you and I aren't married? We rather sound like it!)

 

[Doug Johnson]

I guess my point is that when Iris does what is expected of her, things turn out miserably. When she goes against society she gets all sweaty, hot and happy.

So why so much support for Iris taking the easy way out and just doing what is expected of her? And why no anger at the father? Isn't he really "pimping" his daughter?

 

[Doug Johnson]

(Are you sure that you and I aren't married? We rather sound like it!)

I'm more like a sadistic teacher. (I'm just like every other Canadian; my highly school English teacher graphically demonstrated how to torture an Atwood reader on a daily basis.) If I'd been allowed to read "Catcher in the Rye" you'd be getting off easy right now.

 

[Ell]

I'm more like a sadistic teacher. (I'm just like every other Canadian; my highly school English teacher graphically demonstrated how to torture an Atwood reader on a daily basis.) If I'd been allowed to read "Catcher in the Rye" you'd be getting off easy right now.

Ah, I see. You're the literary equivalent of motokid. Taking the opposing view just for the H of it.

It's quite evident that Iris marries Griffen because it's expected of her, not because of any gold digging intent. Her father's lame "it's up to you" is a cop-out of the highest magnitude. He raised Iris to worry and feel responsible for Laura, so what else was she to do. The choice of poverty might have been a viable one, had she not had the additional burden of Laura's welfare to take into account. Her father made sure there was no real choice.

As for her father, it seems he was quite aware that he'd pimped his daughter out, as you so aptly put it.

Spoiler

He drank himself to death even before she returned from her honeymoon.

.

 

[Doug Johnson]

Taking the opposing view just for the H of it.

No.

If Laura's intent was to look after her sister, then she clearly made a mistake no?

 

[Ell]

If Laura's intent was to look after her sister, then she clearly made a mistake no?

I think you mean "Iris's" intent was to look after Laura. If so, then yes, she did (make a mistake). But isn't that what Iris's story is largely about? She made choices in her youth that, in retrospect, she clearly regrets. Now, in her latter years, she tries to make amends, or at least explain herself.

I think it's what a good deal of the book is about - choices made, roads taken, how one ends up where one ends up; all of the could haves, would haves, should haves that result from a decision born of ignorance in one's youth. And let's face it, Iris was pretty naive and clueless at first. She didn't become the cold, calculating, ice-queen until she was trained by the Griffens. Even then, she became what was necessary to survive in their world. She admits she was gutless about not leaving the situation sooner, even after she knew what was going on. She makes no bones about taking the blame for many things.

.

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

So why so much support for Iris taking the easy way out and just doing what is expected of her?

I disagree that she was taking the easy way out - it seemed to me by her reaction that the path that she took was indeed the one that she would rather have taken a miss at. Marrying a stranger - for money or not - would be a difficult thing for any young romantic to do. It seems to me that in this case doing what was expected of her was one of the most difficult things that she had to do throughout her life.

 

[StillILearn]

I agreee with MonkeyCatcher. I think Iris was terrified of the Griffiths and their ilk.

Just who was the Blind Assassin, do you think?

 

[StillILearn]

PaulaQ=k, I confess I don't know much about the Desperate Housewives, being the one person in America who doesn't watch television...

Make that two in this thread alone, PaulaQ. The only desperate housewives I ever see are the ones prowling the aisles of Safeway.

 

[Svetlana]

If anyone want this book in Word format (for free), contact me at svetlana7e@msn.com.

 

[Doug Johnson]

It seems to me that in this case doing what was expected of her was one of the most difficult things that she had to do throughout her life.

Was it more difficult than saying no, or easier than saying no?

 

[Doug Johnson]

Now, in her latter years, she tries to make amends, or at least explain herself.

She makes no bones about taking the blame for many things.

Many things, but if I remember correctly Iris never comes clean about who wrote The Blind Assassin. Is that right? How come?

 

[Ell]

I'm more like a sadistic teacher. (I'm just like every other Canadian; my highly school English teacher graphically demonstrated how to torture an Atwood reader on a daily basis.)

So are you role-playing teacher, here?

_

 

[Doug Johnson]

So are you role-playing teacher, here?

_

Maybe subconciously. You don't need to answer if you don't want to. I'm just trying to have a conversation. (I rarely read estrogen soaked literary tales. I never discuss them in depth. I'm enjoying our chat.) I don't know if you're enjoying our conversation, but you started it.

 

[PaulaQ]

Make that two in this thread alone, PaulaQ. The only desperate housewives I ever see are the ones prowling the aisles of Safeway.

Why watch television when there's so many great books out there?

 

[StillILearn]

Doug Johnson =

(I rarely read estrogen soaked literary tales. I never discuss them in depth. I'm enjoying our chat.) I don't know if you're enjoying our conversation, but you started it.

You're right in the middle of an estrogen-soaked thread here, Doug. Hope you brought your breastplate!

 

[Doug Johnson]

You're right in the middle of an estrogen-soaked thread here, Doug. Hope you brought your breastplate!

I feel like I need to participate in order to fit in here.

(Pointing out the obvious errors in Stewart's anti Dan Brown rants is fun, but if I want to be a full-fledged member of The Book Forum I feel like I need to participate in a discussion about the thematic significance of expensive women's clothing.)

If we can keep this thread going for two or three weeks, I might start getting some respect.

 

[StillILearn]

Doug Johnson = If we can keep this thread going for two or three weeks, I might start getting some respect.

Uh-oh. I'm hearing Aretha Franklin again.

Who do you think the blind assassin was? In the top story?

Iris? Laura? Alex?