Power, Discourse, and the Formation of Subjectivity in Alias Grace

This paper analyzes Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace through the lens of Michel Foucault’s discourse theory, focusing on how power shapes female identity in a patriarchal society. The protagonist, Grace Marks, experiences trauma and identity fragmentation, yet gradually constructs her own discourse by navigating and appropriating dominant power structures. Through the influence of Mary Whitney, Grace learns to internalize resistance strategies and develop an alternative self-narrative. This study highlights how Grace transforms from a passive victim into an active agent who manipulates institutional discourses-legal, medical, and religious-to reshape her subjectivity. By constructing a truth that aligns with power, Grace enacts Foucault’s idea that discourse is not merely repressive but also productive. This paper seeks to view Alias Grace as a metafictional reflection on historical silencing and hopes to present it as a literary example of how female subjectivity can be reclaimed within systems of power. (Hanbat National University)