Alias Grace: The Perfect Tale for the Modern World

I think I am going to try to keep up with a Netflix/movie review section on my blog! Clayton and I frequent the movies and we want some downtime at home, we typically put on Netflix. While I brainstorm and plan for the blog, I typically have a show on in the background as well. I tend to obsess over Oscar season and I plan to have a dedicated movie theater room in my forever home! I did a mini review of Stranger Things and I plan to try to update you guys on what I’m watching so we can all chat and gossip about it! (P.S, I am currently watching Riverdale, BUT I’m way behind…so I’ll try to recap that when season 2 is over)

I am not going to spoil the ending, but I am going to discuss some of the plot. If you would rather watch the series first, you might want to stop reading here!

The Latest Binge: Alias Grace

If you like true crime, murder mystery or the Handmaids Tale, then chances are you’re going to like Alias Grace. If you are interested in the modern political climate, I am BEGGING you to add this to your queue. The story is riddled with the themes of immigration, women’s rights, and sexual assault, unfortunately, all things at the forefront of today’s society.

Let me give you a little background. It is based on the true story of Grace Marks. I’ll do my best not to give too much away, but she grew up as an immigrant servant and by circumstance ended up working in the home of Thomas Kinnear, which was situated about 16 miles outside of Toronto. I won’t dive into excessive detail, but the show essentially follows Grace as she retells the story of her time at Mr. Kinnears. She was convicted of killing Mr. Kinnear and his other maid. She is interviewed by a psychologist over the course of the show, and he is to determine whether she is innocent or guilty. And I can promise you..her story will have you on the edge of your seat and you’ll never guess the ending.

This section CONTAINS SPOILERS. ONLY READ IF YOU HAVE FINISHED WATCHING. The show beautifully intertwines the present and past into this very cohesive story. We learn a ton about Grace over the course of the show. Grace’s life is filled with hatred, molestation, and death. A morbid life to live for anyone, let alone a young woman in the 1800’s. Her mother dies, her father attempts to molest her, her best friend dies due to an illegal abortion, she is raped while in an insane asylum, and then spends her days being beaten and tortured in prison. And that’s only a small portion of the things this show portrays.

The Relevancy of Alias Grace in Today’s Society

Now whether you want to believe Grace committed the crime or truly had some sort of multiple personality disorder, is up to you. What I will say, is I can’t imagine being a woman at that time. You’re forced to suppress who you are and how you truly feel about things. You were forced to have back alley abortions or be called a whore for carrying an illegitimate child. So you tell me; what would you do with all that pent-up anger? What are you to do when, as a woman, your feelings don’t matter and your rights are nonexistent? I’m certainly not saying I condone murder by any means, but this is an interesting idea to ponder. There’s a quote from a Sophie Gilbert article with the Atlantic that really struck me, and I want to share:

“Grace might be a murderer, but she’s also a victim. She’s abused and assaulted at home, at work, and in prison; she learns not to visit the outhouse alone at night, and to keep her bedroom door locked. “Once you are found with a man in your room, you are the guilty one, no matter how they get in,” she explains to Dr. Jordan”

When I read that I realized that being a woman today, I still have to fear all those things. I’m told to keep carry pepper spray when out alone and to never walk alone at night. I’m forced to grapple with the double standard that exists when it comes to sex. While women’s rights have come a long way, with a conservative president in office, there is tons of talk about restricting access to birth control and banning late-term abortions. We are also in the midst of a terrifying and heartbreaking sexual assault storm. New accusations come out every day and victims are finding the courage to tell their stories.

While I don’t want this blog to turn into a political feud, I think it would be an injustice to this story to not discuss the major parallels to the world we live in now. Men making decisions about women’s rights and stigmas that still need some time to dissolve; whatever your beliefs are, this series is a compelling comparison to the issues we face today.

Tell Me Your Thoughts

If you’ve seen the series, PLEASE let’s chat! I would love to hear some other opinions. What else are you guys binging? Got any other show suggestions for me?