Alias Grace

by

Margaret Atwood

Mrs. Rachel Humphrey Character Analysis

Dr. Simon Jordan’s landlady and lover during his stay in Kingston. The reader only meets Rachel through Dr. Jordan’s eyes; he describes her as simpering and clingy. According to Dr. Jordan, though Rachel pretends to be reserved and proper she is actually incredibly sexual. Dr. Jordan insists that Rachel initiated their affair, while Dora offers the conflicting perspective that any time Dr. Jordan looks at Rachel it is “with fearsome blazing eyes like a tiger’s, as if ready to spring on her and sink his teeth into her.” After Simon abandons her, Rachel writes him several letters; though the reader never sees these letters, Mrs. Jordan’s acerbic responses to them make it clear that Rachel believed Simon had promised to marry her.

Mrs. Rachel Humphrey Quotes in Alias Grace

The Alias Grace quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Rachel Humphrey or refer to Mrs. Rachel Humphrey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Storytelling and Power Theme Icon
).
Chapter 32 Quotes

Underneath her stiff dress there must be breasts, not starched and corset-shaped, but made of soft flesh, with nipples; he finds himself idly guessing what colour these nipples would be, in sunlight or else in lamplight, and how large. Nipples pink and small like the snouts of animals, of rabbits or mice perhaps; or the almost-red of ripening currants; or the scaly brown of acorn caps. His imagination runs, he notes, to wildwood details, and to things hard or alert.

Related Characters: Dr. Simon Jordan (speaker), Mrs. Rachel Humphrey
Related Symbols: Clothing
Page Number: 289
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 44 Quotes

During the day, Rachel is a burden, an encumbrance, and he wishes to be rid of her; but at night she’s an altogether different person, and so is he. He too says no when he means yes. He means more, he means further, he means deeper. He would like to make an incision in her—just a small one—so he can taste her blood, which in the shadowy darkness of the bedroom seems to him like a normal wish to have.

Related Characters: Dr. Simon Jordan (speaker), Mrs. Rachel Humphrey
Page Number: 365-366
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 49 Quotes

He’ll begin to tiptoe up the stairs, intending to avoid her. Then he’ll turn around, make his way to her room, shake her roughly awake. Tonight he’ll hit her, as she’s begged him to; he’s never done that before, it’s something new. He wants to punish her for his own addiction to her. He wants to make her cry; though not too loudly, or Dora will hear them, and trumpet scandal.

Related Characters: Dr. Simon Jordan (speaker), Mrs. Rachel Humphrey, Dora
Page Number: 408
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mrs. Rachel Humphrey Quotes in Alias Grace

The Alias Grace quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Rachel Humphrey or refer to Mrs. Rachel Humphrey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Storytelling and Power Theme Icon
).
Chapter 32 Quotes

Underneath her stiff dress there must be breasts, not starched and corset-shaped, but made of soft flesh, with nipples; he finds himself idly guessing what colour these nipples would be, in sunlight or else in lamplight, and how large. Nipples pink and small like the snouts of animals, of rabbits or mice perhaps; or the almost-red of ripening currants; or the scaly brown of acorn caps. His imagination runs, he notes, to wildwood details, and to things hard or alert.

Related Characters: Dr. Simon Jordan (speaker), Mrs. Rachel Humphrey
Related Symbols: Clothing
Page Number: 289
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 44 Quotes

During the day, Rachel is a burden, an encumbrance, and he wishes to be rid of her; but at night she’s an altogether different person, and so is he. He too says no when he means yes. He means more, he means further, he means deeper. He would like to make an incision in her—just a small one—so he can taste her blood, which in the shadowy darkness of the bedroom seems to him like a normal wish to have.

Related Characters: Dr. Simon Jordan (speaker), Mrs. Rachel Humphrey
Page Number: 365-366
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 49 Quotes

He’ll begin to tiptoe up the stairs, intending to avoid her. Then he’ll turn around, make his way to her room, shake her roughly awake. Tonight he’ll hit her, as she’s begged him to; he’s never done that before, it’s something new. He wants to punish her for his own addiction to her. He wants to make her cry; though not too loudly, or Dora will hear them, and trumpet scandal.

Related Characters: Dr. Simon Jordan (speaker), Mrs. Rachel Humphrey, Dora
Page Number: 408
Explanation and Analysis: