Wong 1

Lawrence Wong
Mrs. Mann
AP English Literature and CompositionBlock 2
25 October 2017
Research Essay Outline
Introduction:
Lead-in material: Talk about literary canon and my personal definition of what characterizes a
novel as a classic. Talk about which qualities did the class come up with do I value the most (i.e.
universal theme, relatability). Talk about which qualities are of classics but are of less
importance.
Working thesis: By masterfully intertwining various narratives with intricate storylines and
providing social commentary on women, Margaret Atwoods The Blind Assassin attempts to
carve its place in the literary canon yet falls short as there is lack of a universal and prevalent
theme and is too difficult to understand.

Body:
Paragraph 1: It is vital to first understand the complexity of the plot of this piece which makes
us, the readers, think deeply.
So what you really have is a book in which there are at least five types of narration, at
least five types of representations of reality, if you like (Heilmann and Taylor).
This source is an interview of Atwood conducted by Heilmann and Taylor. Thus,
the quote above is Atwoods own words. Is this citation correct? Would it also be
considered using the novel itself as it is Atwood speaking?
Atwood blends three narratives interspersed with newspaper clippings, a letter, and
society announcements (Wilson 271).
three stories (Stein 149).

Paragraph 2: Many historical fiction novels focus on events that tug the heartstrings of the
reader and thus, play a central role by opening a window to the past. However, in Atwoods
novel, the historical background is there for no purpose at all.
Well, I write first and research later. For instance, in The Blind Assassin I knew I
needed buttons. The buttons came first. I knew quite a bit about the small Ontario towns
that had factories in them, I knew the kinds of things they made and amongst the things
they made were buttons. So then how the buttons were made was the next question, what
were they made from and when did it change over to plastic and rubber and all of the
things we have now. Quite early on, believe it or not. (Heilmann and Taylor)
Can I give an example of a historical fiction novel that is a classic to show the difference
between it and The Blind Assassin? i.e. Black Boy
Laura, I hate to tell you this...but whatever it was you did, it didnt save Alex. Alex is
dead. He was killed in the war, six months ago. (Atwood 488)

Paragraph 3: There are many motifs discussed in the novel; in fact, there may too many motifs
making it hard to differentiate the important from the unimportant and draw a conclusion on the
central theme of the novel.
In Steins analysis of the novel, she touches on the plethora of motifs such as blindness,
secrets, disguise, lies, and betrayal (Stein 145).
 Wong 2

Iris's situation bears an indisputable resemblance to that of Zycron's sacrificial maidens,

the two parts of Atwood's big new book feel like separate projects that have been
soldered together rather than thematically connected. Worse still, nothing in either part
gives a reader much desire to forge connections through inference. (Mallon)

Paragraph 4: The novel is rarely reviewed as the sole piece as it is more valuable to draw its
parallels with other pieces.
Katarinas article elucidates in depth how The Blind Assassin is virtually a mirror image
of Wise Children by Angela Carter which was published nine years earlier.
In Wise Children and The Blind Assassin, Carter and Atwood portray older
women who narrate their (fictional) life-stories with the freedom and confidence
of their age. They tell their versions, now free from the fear of the gaze of the
audience and men. (Katarina)
Wilsons article details many novels which have similarities with her previous works. It
is as if she is rewriting her critically acclaimed works with a slightly different plot.
There were all of the notebooks with their cheap cardboard covers, like pressed
sawdust. (Atwood 285)
These notebooks function similarly to the red plastic purse and cat's eye marble
in Cat's Eye, again hidden in a trunk suggesting the subconscious. (Wilson 271)
My personal research on the novel itself turned up few results in general, and for
resources that I could potentially use discussed other novels such as Oryx and Crake as
the main focus.

Conclusion:
Summary of main points: For a bedtime story, The Blind Assassin contains an intriguing
setting with at least five different narratives. Thus, it can be an enjoying novel to read right
before bed, but it should not be a piece to be carefully analyzed and waste a place in the literary
canon. The most non-negotiable term for a classic is its ability to connect with each of its readers
and possess an overarching theme that can be supported throughout the novel. Just like how too
many cooks would spoil the food, too many motifs/symbols spoil the theme.

So what/who cares: If Margaret Atwood did not write with the beauty she did, this novel would
not have been published. For those looking for a novel with a certain theme in mind, this piece
would not be a good choice as there is no central theme. The literary canon already contains
novels with each motif that The Blind Assassin touches on. For example, betrayal is prevalent for
less than a quarter of the novel while in The Kite Runner, betrayal is discussed throughout the
novel.