Literary Illusions

I think one of the best tools an author can use to convey meaning is to reference another famous work of literature. Although they run the risk of alienating readers who have not read either pieces or weaving a connection that is not obvious, literary illusions are like inside jokes between you and the author.  It is like reliving a funny moment between two friends or connecting over shared experiences.  In “Alias Grace”, Margaret Atwood includes a reference to William Shakespear’s play, “Hamlet” in a letter from Dr. Samuel Bannerling to Dr. Jordan.
In his adamant warning against Dr. Jordan’s connection with Grace, he claims that her hallucinations and lack of memory are an act. With “Ophelia’s wildflowers entwined in her hair; but she did well enough without them, as she managed to deceive…Mrs. Moody…also several of [his] own colleagues.”
I love that Atwood included this reference to Ophelia.  Ophelia serves an important role in “Hamlet” to show the limited choices of women and how their emotions are often viewed as consuming madness.  Ophelia is torn between two sides; her father, who believes that Hamlet will ‘steal’ is daughter’s virginity and thus ruin her chances at marriage and Hamlet, with whom she has fallen in love and desperately wants to love her in return.  Much like Grace, Ophelia is without a mother and without the maternal guidance to help her maneuver her way through a world controlled by the exploitation of women.  Ultimately, Ophelia’s desire for Hamlet’s love drives her mad and she is believed to have drowned herself out of desperation.
Is Grace destined for the same path at Ophelia?  Unlike Mary Whitney and Nancy, who followed their hearts in hopes of being led to a life of love and were betrayed, Grace has managed to remain free from that fate.  However, she is still as conflicted as Ophelia.  Although she claims to be unsure of the details of the murder of Kinnear and Nancy, she is responsible for how much she reveals to the doctors.  She admittedly holds some details back from Dr. Jordan and leaves the readers questioning whether or not she is truly as innocent as she claims.  Unlike Ophelia who was driven to madness due to an internal conflict based from love, Grace’s struggled comes from her indecision (or incapability) to revealing the truth.