The Blind Assassin

by

Margaret Atwood

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Miss Violence Character Analysis

Miss Violence is Iris and Laura’s tutor (“Miss Violence” is a nickname the girls give her; her real name is Violet Goreham). Because she is fairly old and unmarried, Reenie calls her an “old maid.” She is an emotional, wistful person with romantic notions. The girls come to like her and they’re sad when she leaves.
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Miss Violence Character Timeline in The Blind Assassin

The timeline below shows where the character Miss Violence appears in The Blind Assassin. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5
Storytelling, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Doomed Love Theme Icon
Oppression vs. Resistance Theme Icon
...One of their tutors, Miss Violet Goreham, is a 41-year-old woman whom Iris secretly nicknames Miss Violence . Reenie mentions that Miss Violence is an “old maid,” explaining that this means that... (full context)
Storytelling, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Doomed Love Theme Icon
Emulation, Repetition, and Identity Theme Icon
Miss Violence gives the girls more freedom than the other tutors—for example, by letting Iris pick the... (full context)
Storytelling, Narrative, and Truth Theme Icon
Oppression vs. Resistance Theme Icon
Violence and Death Theme Icon
After Miss Violence ’s departure, Norval laments that there are gaps in the girls’ education, particularly on more... (full context)
Doomed Love Theme Icon
Emulation, Repetition, and Identity Theme Icon
...She worries that if she stays in Port Ticonderoga, she’ll become an “old maid” like Miss Violence . (full context)