THEMES

Betrayal

Betrayal is a major theme in "The Blind Assassin" because Iris commonly makes reference to her being betrayed by her family after her arranged marriage and both of her parents dying when she was so young. Betrayal is also Iris' father throwing away his life by smoking and drinking after his wife's death, she felt abandoned and thrown out into the world alone and naive.

Past vs. Future

With the transition from past to future within the narrative, and the frequent flashbacks in the form of newspaper clippings and magazine articles, the past and the future are both important aspects for Iris. No matter how hard she tries, Iris cannot go back to the way things were when she was younger and she can't forsee the future. At one point, Iris was questioning the future as to what she should do pertaining her marriage but she had to learn and grow and adapt because she can't see the future.

Lost Innocense

Iris was forced to grow up fast because of her parents deaths and her sister's quirkiness. Also, being the oldest, she was required to be the responsible one, the one who was mature and in control at all times. This led to her being married at eighteen and missing out on the fun and learning experience of her young adult life. Iris was also plagued with secrets regarding Alex in the attic, her father's substance abuse and the loss of the Chase Industry resulting in minimal cash flow. Through her granddaughter, Sabrina, Iris tries to allow Sabrina the opportunity to be young and free and experience life with a clear conscience unlike Iris, that is why she is so desperate to write the novel for Sabrina to find before she dies.  

Old Money vs. New Money

Richard Griffen is a good example of new money, he had all the expensive clothes, jewellery, perfumes for his wife and sister and was still flourishing in a time of poverty. The Chases were an old money family that got unlucky. The strive for Richard to be rich and fit in with the politcal and the wealthy came from his lack of old money status. Iris's family was rich because of her grandfather's button factory, unlike Richard who developed his own factories after World War I. Basically, it was all a ploy to fit in and this was the only way they saw how during this time period and being influenced by this society.

Time

Iris in particular found out the hard way that you can't stop time and the decisions you make reflect you in the long run. More than once, Iris makes reference to Winifred looking old and not aging very well, she also notices how beautiful all the young girls are that she sees, beauty equals youth in Iris' eyes. She sees with her transition through life how things turn out and you can't change the past, you have to move on, move forward and get past whatever is plaguing you.

Gender Roles

The Chase family is evidently run by Norval as shown through the sisters at young ages. They have great respect for their father and understand that he is the primary authority in their household. This attitiude reflects in Iris' marriage to Richard. She acts as if he owns her, she has sex because it's good for him, she doesn't speak in public unless spoken to and obeys him and never questions his opinions and authority. The male dominant role is carefully shown by Atwood but doesn't allow her feminist views to be clouded over. The actions Iris takes and the decisions she makes come out at the climax of the novel and show readers just how powerful and assertive women can be.