What Is Simon's Relationship In Alias Grace

The Doctor’s Relationships

The novel Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood portrays the character Doctor Simon Jordan as an example of one’s professional and personal lives becoming intertwined, and how it becomes difficult. Simon has once dreamt of a “long fragment of hair of an unseen woman, which is twining around his neck” (Atwood 227), and describes this suffocation as “painful and almost unbearably erotic” (Atwood 227). This quote begins to show what Simon has an affinity for, and the type of women he is attracted to. Doctor Simon Jordan is most attracted to females with a corrupt past, and this is ultimately the reason he leaves Kingston. Most notably this is evident with his attraction to Grace Marks; however it is also shown in his lack
of interest to Lydia and his affair with Rachel Humphrey, who he only noticed after her husband left. Rachel Humphrey and Simon’s relationship is an example of his attraction to females he cannot be with according to societal standards.
He is a doctor and her husband left her; she is not even divorced by the time she begins having an affair with Simon. Rachel’s feelings for Simon are obvious. Subsequent to her dramatic faint in which Simon helps her, Rachel “has a habit of materializing outside [Simon’s] door when he’s trying to work” (Atwood 345). Through their relationship, her feelings become much more intense, and she is sure he knows. ‘“Oh Simon,” she sighs. “I knew you would never leave me! I love you more than my life”’ (Atwood 491). Even after he is gone, Rachel does not wish to be with her husband, and sends Simon multiple letters. Simon, however, is attracted to Rachel because “[s]he at least is something he can grapple with, take hold of.
She will not slip through his fingers” (Atwood 448). He likes this about her, that he always knows his place with her, something he is unsure about with Grace. With Grace, he is always confused and alert, “[w]ith Rachel however things are reserved” (Atwood 439). Even though he is attracted to other women in the book, he still “wants to punish her for his own addiction to her” (Atwood 488). He knows he tells her “[w]ords of passion and burning love, of how he cannot resist her” (Atwood 439) during the night, but “[d]uring the day, Rachel is a burden…and he wishes to be rid of her” (Atwood 439). He cannot stop going back to Rachel, even though he knows they should not be together, and that he does not want to be in a relationship with her. His complicated relationship with Rachel and his reluctance to be with her help to drive him out of Kingston. While Rachel and Grace are examples of people he should not be with, Lydia, the governor’s daughter is.
Simon is constantly reminded by his mother to get married to a decent woman and settle down with a good job closer to his home. However Simon rebels against this, first by going to Kingston and second by having an affair with Rachel. Aside from Grace, he thinks his mother would like Lydia. In their first encounter, Lydia flirts with him and “it makes him think of his mother” (Atwood 100). His attraction to Lydia is not the same as his attraction for Grace or Rachel, his affinity for Lydia only exists because she expressed interest in him, in their first encounter, “[h]e suspects she’s flirting with him” (Atwood 100) and does not object. His slight interest in her is also aroused by the thoughts of a possible wife, even if he thinks he will not be happy with her, and so he projects his feelings for Grace on women like Lydia. He imagines the possibilities if “he were to encircle her waist with his arm – gently, so as not to alarm her – would she sigh?” (Atwood 226). Even in their first encounter, though he does not object to her flirting, Lydia leaves and “he finds himself thinking of Grace” (Atwood 102), something he cannot help but do after meeting Grace. Simon knows that being with Lydia is the type of relationship that would work well for him, however he does not go ahead with it; in fact he seems embarrassed and reluctant about it. Lydia’s interest in him becomes
increasingly evident toward the end of the book. During the hypnotism, Lydia is frightened by something Grace says, and grabs Simon’s hand. He does not react, because “it would be churlish of him to pull away, so he does not, especially as she’s shivering like a leaf” (Atwood 477). This shows that Simon is not entirely opposed to Lydia, but he is not attracted to her the way he likes Rachel or Grace. When all of this becomes too much for Simon, he leaves and thinks of Lydia briefly. “He thinks of writing a note to Lydia as well, but thinks better of it. It’s a good thing he’s never made a formal declaration” (Atwood 494). While Simon could have had a decent, acceptable relationship with Lydia, he rejects her because he is too caught up with Rachel and mostly Grace, which results in his abrupt departure. It is with Grace Marks that Simon admits his attraction to peculiar women. “It comes to him that Grace is the only woman he has ever met that he would wish to marry” (Atwood 466). He considers the possibilities if he had met Grace before the murders, but then rejects the idea as she would be boring. He likes her label – “Murdress, murdress… it has an allure, a scent almost” (Atwood 467). Even before his sessions with Grace became more informative, he still had an interest in her. The prospect of interviewing her was interesting, as “[he] was caught in the notion of a possibly innocent woman, whom many believe to be guilty, and a possibly guilty woman, who some believe to be innocent” (Atwood 91). He often thinks of her in daily situations. For example, as he is trying to clean the kitchen, he “[thinks] of asking Grace Marks for advice – how a maid should be properly hired…” (Atwood 343), but decides against it, because he knows “[h]e must retain his position of all-knowing authority in her eyes” (Atwood 343), which is what he thinks he is very good at doing with Grace. He thinks of her when with other women as well, sometimes in extreme cases. While sleeping with Rachel, he believes he is in a dream with Grace, “[o]nly then does he realize he’s not dreaming…she is not Grace Marks” (Atwood 422). His love is also evident by his possession of Grace, which is harmful to him, as many men are interested in her story. When Dr. Dupont is involved, Simon “doesn’t wish to appear rude, but he doesn’t want this man interfering. Grace is his territory; he must repel poachers” (Atwood 359). This contributes to his jealousy, thus frustration, which eventually drives him out of Kingston. After his departure, he only “allow[s] himself to consider Grace” (Atwood 495) when he has put as much physical distance in between them as possible. He becomes absorbed with thoughts of what she will think of his departure, he imagines “her sitting in her accustomed chair…waiting for his footfall at the door” (Atwood 495). This obsession carries with him even after his memory of everything in Kingston is lost. When he is married to a woman named Faith Cartwright, “he persists in believing she is called Grace” (Atwood 515). Grace Marks is the main reason Simon has conflicting feelings with other women, and this leads him to leave Kingston and start a new life. While all of Simon’s complicated relationships may stem from his feelings for Grace, his feelings for Grace stem from his attraction to women he knows he should not be with. This attraction is ultimately the downfall of Simon’s career in Kingston, and what motivates him to leave. This is evident with his evident Grace and Rachel, and his reluctant feelings for Lydia. Simon Jordan complicates his personal life and career to the point where he is forced to drop both – and he is an excellent example of why it is discouraged.

References:
Atwood, Margaret. Alias Grace. Toronto: Seal, 2000. Print.