Set in the Victorian era where women remained at the bottom of the social and economic ladder, the female characters of Alias ​​Grace emerge from the stereotypes of its time. Not only were they unique and extremely dynamic, but Margaret Atwood's characters represented more than just the unconventional women of such a society. They were strong, capable women who overcame the traumas of their lives. They chose not to be labeled based on impressions of ideal women, rather they made their mark on society. Furthermore, the central female characters each challenged a central stereotype of the time through their actions or social position. In other words, Margaret Atwood's female characters opposed the stereotypical view of women in the Victorian era. The first example by Grace Marks, depicted an institutionalized woman accused of committing a murder unconventional for the typical woman. Typical Victorian women were considered too naive to commit a crime. Their inability to force their way through a situation, to exert physical force or coercion were the reasons why they were not capable of such atrocities. (KÜÇÜK, 2013) Not only that, but even if the woman were detained for such a crime, she would likely be labeled as a man's accomplice, as in the case of Grace Marks. But Margaret Atwood revealed a different truth about Grace's character, which led to Mary Whitney's impression of her second personality. Throughout the novel Grace represented the ideal Victorian woman, but towards the end Atwood depicted her as a murderer and a highly manipulative character. At the time of the murder, Grace not only managed to manipulate James McDermott into prolonging Nancy Montgomery's death by saying that "h... middle of paper... a mere pawns in the hands of the bitches Therefore, all the men in Alias Grace created this illusion of their significance to society, but ultimately remained puppets in the hands of the woman. Works Cited Abrams, Lynn. BBC News, 09 August 2001. Web. 14 January 2014.KÜÇÜK, Yonca women in the Victorian Era." NEWSTEG the best educational news site in English RSS, March 27, 2013. Web. January 14, 2014. "Women in the Victorian Era." NEWSTEG the best educational news site in English RSS. İzmit News , March 27, 2013. Web. January 14, 2014.>Peterson, M. Jeanne "The Victorian Governess: Status Incongruence in Family and Society." Suffer and Be Calm: Women in the Victorian Age. Ed. Martha Vicinus UP, 1972. 3-19.