Proof That Margaret Atwood's Heroines Are Cut From The Same Mold

Before the United States was taken over by a religious extremist group, June (Elisabeth Moss) of The Handmaid’s Tale lived a life much like yours or mine. She had an affair, she had a cubicle, she had a best friend with whom she got casual coffees. After the world order was upended, June became a woman whose only possession was her story. In The Handmaid’s Tale, which is based off a Margaret Atwood novel of the same name. June fights to reclaim her sense of self in small acts of rebellion.

Last Friday, Netflix released Alias Grace, another drama based off of a Margaret Atwood novel. Though Alias Grace is set in 19th-century Canada, and not the dystopian United States, the show acts as the perfect companion to The Handmaid’s Tale. Many years prior to the start of the Alias Grace, Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a real historical figure, was accused of murdering her employer and her boss. While incarcerated and hoping for a pardon, Grace’s only weapon is her ability to tell her own story, in mesmerizing, perplexing, and duplicitous ways.

Despite their different circumstances, June and Grace have a lot in common. Here are the eerie similarities that came to mind while I was watching Alias Grace.