The theme of personal identity is displayed here while Grace is telling us what all of the newspaper writers have said about her. Her own sense of identity has been lost due to all of the contradicting reports on who she really is. No one really knows who she is, so they make up their own version of her in their minds. In The Secret Scripture, Roseanne struggles to write her autobiography while Dr. Grene tries to discover for himself who she really is. Dr. Grene attempts to piece together her past and gains a sense of her identity as the book progresses. The themes of identity of comparable here because in this passage, Grace endeavors to save her own identity rather than losing it among the libels in the newspaper. Roseanne decides to write the autobiography in order to have a written testament to who she really was, rather than just false stories and rumors. Margaret Atwood creates a vivid image of the atmosphere and cultural beliefs of mid-19th century America. However, she also depicts European values during the same time period. This gives a large inside look on how women were treated and how they acted. Dr. Jordan’s depiction of them also gives us a …show more content…
They take place in a time where women were considered to be less than men, but feature strong, independent female characters. Mary Whitney is the best example of this, since she can survive on her own, and has a strong viewpoint on most everything. She helps protect Grace, and explains to her how the world works, and how to succeed. She becomes a large role model for Grace and Grace uses her guidance throughout the book. Roseanne herself is a strong character, even after many years of living in a hospital. She is determined to tell her own story, and won’t let anything get in her way. While most women in these time periods may not be powerful, these characters fight to live their lives the way they want to, despite being held back by