Question #3 Week Five: Sections X – XII: Pages 489 – 576

The era of the Great Depression was also an age of extreme fashion-consciousness among the wealthy. What role do clothes play in >The Blind Assassin, in both the historical and the contemporary sections of the book? What do they reveal about the characters, and what do they conceal?

The clothes worn by Iris and Laura show that they are sisters as they are handed down. They do not update making them appear younger than they are as they grow older because of the financial problems of the button factory. Once Iris is married to Richard, the clothes are over the top fancy, but they are selected by Winifred. They do not reflect who Iris really is. Later, Iris has more shabby clothes again when she is alone.
--BJ