Is 'Alias Grace' Based On A True Story?
Netflix's new drama "Alias Grace" focuses on Grace Marks and her involvement in the 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and his mistress Nancy Montgomery.
The miniseries is an adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name. The novel is a historical fiction, containing both actual events that happened in Canada and some that Atwood made up herself.
According to Elite Daily, the novel was based on the actual murders of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery in Canada. Kinnear was a wealthy farmer, and Montgomery was his mistress. They were killed on July 23, 1843, and Grace Marks, who was only 16 years old when it happened, was convicted of the murders. 20-year-old James McDermott, who was an employee of Kinnear's at the time, was also convicted.
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McDermott was hanged for the crime and Marks received a 30-year prison sentence in Kingston Prison and the Toronto Lunatic Asylum. The case drew national attention, though Marks' true involvement in the double murder remains undetermined. Marks was ultimately released from prison and pardoned in 1873.
McDermott, for one, maintained during his trial that Marks was the mastermind behind the operation and that she had asked him to help her carry out the plan. There are some theories that state Marks suffered from a psychological disorder, while others believe that she was only acting.
Atwood's novel and its subsequent Netflix adaptation are based on these true events, though there are some new characters and storylines. For example, the character of Dr. Simon Jordan is fictional. In the novel and Netflix adaptation, Jordan is tasked with analyzing Marks' psychological state. "Alias Grace" also goes into Marks' background, noting that her father was an abusive alcoholic and that her mother died at sea while they were sailing to Canada.
"Alias Grace" was released on Nov. 3. It is currently available to stream on Netflix.
