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Dr. Binswanger
A woman in her mid-forties, the Governor’s wife hosts twice-weekly discussion meetings in her home and is also a member of the committee Reverend Verringer heads, which is working to secure a pardon for Grace. The Governor’s wife employs Grace in her home, mostly as a seamstress, and she is kind to Grace. Dr. Simon Jordan describes her as having an “alarmed, slightly pop-eyed look.”
The Governor’s Wife Quotes in Alias Grace
The Alias Grace quotes below are all either spoken by The Governor’s Wife or refer to The Governor’s Wife. 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:
).
Chapter 3 Quotes
They are like birdcages; but what is being caged in? Legs, the legs of ladies; legs penned in so they cannot get out and go rubbing up against the gentlemen’s trousers. The Governor’s wife never says legs, although the newspapers said legs when they were talking about Nancy, with her dead legs sticking out from under the washtub.
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Grace is reflecting on the fact that, since she has been imprisoned, fashion trends are changed dramatically. She notes that the women who visit the Governor’s house wear wire crinolines under their dresses, rather than the horsehair crinolines that were en vogue at the time of her imprisonment. This quotation is important because it shows that Grace is thinking critically about the way that social norms around the question of women’s dress are actually a manifestation of society’s desire to repress and control female sexuality. This can be clearly seen in the fact that it is women’s legs that must Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium
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The Governor’s Wife Character Timeline in Alias Grace
The timeline below shows where the character The Governor’s Wife appears in Alias Grace. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...and Grace, while still imprisoned, is working in the house of the prison Governor. Of the Governor’s wife Grace says, “She must make the most of her social position and accomplishments, although an...
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Grace describes the scrapbooks that the Governor’s wife and her daughters keep. The daughters, Misses Lydia and Marianne, keep letters from friends, while...
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Chapter 8
...back to the guards. Grace is no longer allowed “the run of the house,” because the Governor’s wife is worried she will have another fainting fit. Instead she helps the laundress, Clarrie.
(full context)
Chapter 11
Simon arrives at the Governor’s house and meets the Governor’s wife , who looks at him with a particular expression which he knows means “she is...
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The Governor’s wife introduces Simon to Mrs. Quennell, a well-known Spiritualist and the leader of the weekly meetings...
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...Miss Lydia, one of the Governor’s daughters, arrives to ask Simon if he has seen the Governor’s wife ’s scrapbook, and Simon is relieved for the excuse to leave the conversation.
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Chapter 21
The men sit down to dinner, joined by the Governor’s wife and Miss Lydia, who Simon thinks looks like “a confection.” He privately thinks that “she...
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Chapter 32
...been making “odd lurches.” He is dreading the next day, Tuesday, when he must address the Governor’s wife and her friends. He tries to write a letter to his friend Edward Murchie, but...
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Chapter 34
Simon has made it through his talk for the Governor’s wife ’s Tuesday circle, and feels that “his indisposition appears to have passed.” His speech focused...
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...Because Dr. Jordan is speaking at the Tuesday circle, Grace has not seen him today. The Governor’s wife has asked Grace to help prepare for the circle’s meeting, which means Grace takes her...
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...Jeremiah the peddler in the room that she nearly drops the plate she is carrying. The Governor’s wife introduces Jeremiah to Grace as Dr. Jerome DuPont. DuPont asks if Grace will consent to...
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Chapter 46
...says that she is to be hypnotized by Jeremiah (Dr. DuPont) when Dr. Jordan returns. The Governor’s wife has explained the hypnosis process to her, but Grace still feels “not at all sure...
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Chapter 48
Simon waits in Mrs. Quennell’s library, along with the Governor’s wife , the Reverend Verringer, and Miss Lydia. It is the day of Grace’s hypnosis, and...
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Chapter 49
...next day Simon convinces Rachel that he is sick and needs her to go to the Governor’s wife and request from her the name of a doctor who can treat him. Once Rachel...
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Chapter 50
Grace also writes that the Governor’s wife questioned her about whether Dr. Jordan ever made any sexual advances toward her. She tells...
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