Markel 1

Grace Markel

Ms. Mann

AP English Literature Block 2

20 October 2017

The Blind Assassin Research Paper Annotated Bibliography

Atwood, Margaret. Margaret Atwood on The Blind Assassin Guardian Book Club.

The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 Aug. 2013,

www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/09/blind-assassin-atwood-book-club. Accessed

18 Oct. 2017.

In this article for The Guardian, Margaret Atwood discusses the thought process

behind her novel, The Blind Assassin. Atwood delves into the complexity of

writing her novel, as she originally wanted to base the protagonist characters off

of her mother and grandmother however, this did not end up working. Thus,

Atwood writes to an audience of her readers, explaining how main character, Iris,

had to be reintroduced several times during the novels beginning drafts. This

source primarily focuses on the background of the novel, as this is a direct

account of Atwoods creative-thinking for The Blind Assassin. This will be useful

because I can integrate Atwoods character choices in the concession of my essay.

She was extremely careful in her formulation of characters and setting, which is a

trait of a classic essay; I can use this to explore the positive elements of The Blind

Assassin before arguing why the work isnt a classic.

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Cecil, Ben P., and Lynn A. Cecil. Memory and Place-Based Identity of the Elderly in Margaret

Atwoods The Blind Assassin and Margaret Laurences The Stone Angel. Prairie

Perspectives, vol. 10, 2007, pp. 103-137.

This scholarly journal explains the tendencies of elderly individuals to establish

their identities through vast, spatial memories. This theme is connected back to

Iris in The Blind Assassin, whose own account of her lifetime shapes how readers

perceive her as a character. The Cecils published this journal in an effort to

inform

readers of Atwoods piece about the psychological context of memory in The

Blind Assassin. The source emphasizes the center of existence portrayed by Iris

story with the consciousness described of her place in life, readers are led to

base Iris identity off of her narration. This source will aid me in my research

essay because as readers, we must decide if Iris perspective can be trusted. The

forgetfulness of memories plays a main role in this book, and leads to a very

plot-driven novel because every detail must be questioned upon.

Ingersoll, Earl. Waiting for the End: Closure in Margaret Atwoods The Blind Assassin.

Studies in the Novel, vol. 35, no. 4, 2003, pp. 543-558.

Ingersolls scholarly journal largely conveys the organizational facets of The

Blind Assassin. It is emphasized that the novels first line is a statement regarding

Lauras possible suicide, which sets up the rest of the book to be a waiting game

for answers. He writes to an audience of readers and potential readers of this

book, and the goal is to closely look at how Atwood sets up her novel. The timing

of Atwoods plot is thoroughly analyzed, and it is explained just how Atwood

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encourages her readers to yearn for the ultimate climax and ending of the book.

Ingersoll believes that the lead-up to the conclusion of Atwoods work is vital to

the novels essence, and emphasizes the commonly rushed response of a reader to

reach the end of this book. With this said, I will integrate Ingersolls focus on the

racing behavior of readers to ultimately support my argument about the simplistic,

plot-driven qualities of the book. Since there is nothing beyond surface-level to

delve into, this book is not a classic, and readers will merely speedrace to

determine the ending.

Mallon, Thomas. Wheels Within Wheels. The New York Times, The New York Times,

3 Sept. 2000, www.nytimes.com/books/00/09/03/reviews/000903.03mallont.html.

Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.

Thomas Mallon specifically publishes this article to critique and closely look at

the elements of Atwoods The Blind Assassin. With a summarization of the novel,

Mallon also ensures that his audience of readers know his opinion of the work. It

can be clearly sensed that Mallon has a few complaints about the novel he

critiques the short-lasting impact of the book, and gives accurate reasoning as to

why he views the book this way. In this passage, it is well-noted that everything is

present in The Blind Assassin characters, plot, and setting are all existent but

there is nothing beyond the surface of these simple aspects. As I am planning to

explain why The Blind Assassin is not a classic book, this article will be useful, as

Mallon takes a similar stance to mine. Mallons established role of a journalistic

critic will prove to enhance my argument that the book cannot be considered for

the Literary Canon.

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Robinson, Alan. Alias Laura: Representations of the Past in Margaret Atwood's The Blind

Assassin. The Modern Language Review, vol. 101, no. 2, 2006, pp. 347359. JSTOR.

This scholarly journal shines light on Iris version of the past in The Blind

Assassin. The relationship between Iris and her sister Laura is present throughout

the novel, as both the actual storyline and narrative within the narrative show just

how complex the past was, especially as we get a glimpse into Laura and Iris

family history. With this source, it is evident that Robinson hopes to discuss the

pivotal role of Iris as a narrator, and elaborate upon the relations with those close

to her during her lifetime. It is explained how Iris truly intends on bringing honor

to her deceased relatives, and she is the final remnant who can communicate the

story. This source will be valuable to me as I use the novel within a novel of

Atwoods piece to demonstrate how the work gets easily convoluted, and the past

cannot always be taken as one person claims it to be.