A Novel Within a Novel: An Analysis on Narrative View

By Daniela G.

      When writing a book of any kind, authors have to answer an important question first: what narrative view is the story being told? This question can often lead authors pondering long before any words are written. Perspective is something that is important to consider. Many authors choose between first person and third person and those who choose first person are able to expose the thoughts of the main character. However, authors who determine to write in third person do not have the same flexibility. Unlike in first person, third person allows information about other characters to be revealed. First person and third person are the most common narrative forms to write in. Between the two, third person has been found to be most popular (Harper). Some authors take on the challenge to write in two perspectives. Author Margaret Atwood is one to do this in her international bestseller novel The Blind Assassin.

           The Blind Assassin revolves around the life of Iris Chase Griffen and her late younger sister, Laura Chase. The story begins with the news of the death of Laura, twenty-five years old at the time. It continues with the protagonist, Iris Chase Griffen, eighty-three years old, narrating the story. As an old woman, she recalls flashbacks of her childhood in Port Ticonderoga, Canada, to her life when she reaches middle-age. In total, the story spans over thirty years of memories from 1945 to 1975. Readers are also introduced to various characters that have greatly affected Iris' life. Furthermore, Iris writes her story in the format of a journal in hopes that it will be read one day by her granddaughter, Sabrina, who is now a young woman and has not been seen by Iris since Sabrina was a young child.

The novel is told between three different stories that intertwine into one at the end. The first story is the most direct since it is told through the eyes of Iris. The narrative form then shifts from first person to third person when newspaper clippings are added as a part of the plot. These sections of the novel are pieces of the bigger story and are usually of tragic or other major events that have occurred within Iris' family. It is also reveals that her family holds a well-known name in Port Ticonderoga. Another narrative, also in third person, is added titled: "The Blind Assassin" which is a romance novel about the love affair of a refined woman and a politically radical fugitive who rendezvous in hiding places. During their affairs, the man, an author of pulp science fiction, tells her a tale about a callous society where child-labor and human sacrifice are almost rituals. The killers mentioned are children who have been blinded by working for so long knotting intricate rugs (Duffin). "The Blind Assassin," written by Iris, is revealed to reflect her own life, society, and her encounter with  Alex Thomas, a politically radical man similar to the character in "The Blind Assassin."

To conclude, Atwood does an excellent job establishing the leading story despite its complexity through the works of three other narratives. Linda Richards of January Magazine claims that the novel overall is one of "tales nested perfectly in Russian doll style, one dovetailing into the next." However, some readers may find Atwood's novel confusing in the beginning. After further reading, the reader may start to understand how the journal writings of Iris Chase, newspaper clippings, and "The Blind Assassin" act as puzzle pieces that are gradually put together as the story progresses.

Works Cited

Atwood, Margaret. The Blind Assassin. New York: N.A. Talese, 2000. Print.

Duffin, Jacalyn. "The Blind Assassin - Atwood, Margaret." NYU School of Medicine. NYU School of Medicine, 26 July 2004. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

Harper, Tara K. "First Person or Third?" TARA K. HARPER WRITER'S WORKSHOP. Tara K. Harper, 2004. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.

Richards, Linda L. "Brilliant Tapestry." January Magazine. N.p., Oct. 2000. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.