The Stone Angel Essay -- English Literature Essays

The infernal region AngelSelf-Inflicted isolation and L whizliness I neer realized until this moment how cut forth I am. (Laurence, 1988, 294) In the reinvigorated The Stone Angel, author Margaret Laurence portrays a lonely old woman by the name of Hagar. Over the course of the novel, Hagar reflects arse on the memories that have created the history of her life. Hagar is a deeply lonely woman, and untold of that loneliness is self-inflicted. This mental closing off is caused by her stubbornness, her pride, and the blindness that she has towards any flavor otherwise than her own. Hagar Currie-Shipley is a very(prenominal) stubborn woman at the maturate of ninety. She is very set in her commissions, and does not appreciate being told what to do. The commentator is introduced to this stubbornness when Hagar is brought to Silverthreads nursing office to view the location. Upon this discovery, Hagar attempts to run away, only to expose herself lost in a forest. However, t his stubbornness is not a impertinently characteristic of Hagars, for she has been this way since beforehand(predicate) childhood. I wouldnt let him happen upon me cry, I was so enraged. He used a foot ruler, and when I jerked my smarting palms back, he do me hold them out again. He looked at my dry eyes in fury, as though hed failed unless he drew water from them. He struck and struck, and then in all at once he threw the ruler down and put his ordnance store around me You take after(prenominal) me, he said, as though that make everything clear. Youve got backbone, Ill give you that. (Laurence, 1988, 9-10) This release shows Hagars ability to hide her unfeigned emotions, which is a tool that she uses a lot subsequent on in life. She later talks of make love to her husband, Bram, stating that even when she did enjoy it, He never knew. I never let him know. I never verbalize aloud, and I made legitimate the trembling was all inner. (Laurence, 1988, 81) Also, early on in life, when her brother Dan was expiry of pneumonia, she could not bring herself to perform his final examination wish. He cried for his dead mother, and vapid had asked Hagar to wear an old shawl, to act as their mother, and hold Dan, alone Hagar could not bear the thought of portraying psyche as weak as her mother. Her heart seems to be made of stone, more than like the stone nonesuch that her father had imported from Italy for her mothers grave. Hagar kept all of her emotions bottled up inside. After Bram died, she did not allow herself to cry. It w... ...d to discharge Arlene to Toronto. When bottom tells Hagar about the egg on Hagar pretends to know nothing about it. John informs her that she always bet on the wrong horse, John said gently. Marv was your boy, but you never saw that, did you? (Laurence, 1988, 237) it in truth opens Hagars eyes. She realizes that she has been wrong in her favoritism, although she provide not admit it until later on after John is dea d. When she is lying in her hospital strike out many years later, she lets this realization be known, telling Marvin Youve not been cranky, Marvin. Youve been entire to me, always. A better son than John. (Laurence, 1988, 305) sometimes these realizations come too late. The self-inflicted closing off that Hagar feels is a leave behind of her stubbornness, pride, and blindness towards other views. Her past has shaped her to endure the bitter, stolid, rigid old woman that she is in the novel, also greatly modify to her mental isolation. This isolation is a result of the personal decisions and actions that she has made throughout the course of the novel. Every last one of them has gone and left me. I never left them. It was the other way around, I swear it. (Laurence, 1988, 164) The Stone Angel Essay -- English Literature EssaysThe Stone AngelSelf-Inflicted Isolation and Loneliness I never realized until this moment how cut off I am. (Laurence, 1988, 294) In the n ovel The Stone Angel, author Margaret Laurence portrays a lonely old woman by the name of Hagar. Over the course of the novel, Hagar reflects back on the memories that have created the story of her life. Hagar is a deeply lonely woman, and much of that loneliness is self-inflicted. This mental isolation is caused by her stubbornness, her pride, and the blindness that she has towards any opinion other than her own. Hagar Currie-Shipley is a very stubborn woman at the age of ninety. She is very set in her ways, and does not appreciate being told what to do. The reader is introduced to this stubbornness when Hagar is brought to Silverthreads nursing home to view the location. Upon this discovery, Hagar attempts to run away, only to find herself lost in a forest. However, this stubbornness is not a new characteristic of Hagars, for she has been this way since early childhood. I wouldnt let him see me cry, I was so enraged. He used a foot ruler, and when I jerked my smarting palms back, he made me hold them out again. He looked at my dry eyes in fury, as though hed failed unless he drew water from them. He struck and struck, and then all at once he threw the ruler down and put his arms around me You take after me, he said, as though that made everything clear. Youve got backbone, Ill give you that. (Laurence, 1988, 9-10) This passage shows Hagars ability to hide her true emotions, which is a tool that she uses a lot later on in life. She later talks of making love to her husband, Bram, stating that even when she did enjoy it, He never knew. I never let him know. I never spoke aloud, and I made certain the trembling was all inner. (Laurence, 1988, 81) Also, early on in life, when her brother Dan was dying of pneumonia, she could not bring herself to perform his final wish. He cried for his dead mother, and Matt had asked Hagar to wear an old shawl, to act as their mother, and hold Dan, but Hagar could not bear the thought of portraying someone as weak as her mother. Her heart seems to be made of stone, much like the stone angel that her father had imported from Italy for her mothers grave. Hagar kept all of her emotions bottled up inside. After Bram died, she did not allow herself to cry. It w... ...d to send Arlene to Toronto. When John tells Hagar about the move Hagar pretends to know nothing about it. John informs her that she always bet on the wrong horse, John said gently. Marv was your boy, but you never saw that, did you? (Laurence, 1988, 237) it really opens Hagars eyes. She realizes that she has been wrong in her favoritism, although she will not admit it until later on after John is dead. When she is lying in her hospital bed many years later, she lets this realization be known, telling Marvin Youve not been cranky, Marvin. Youve been good to me, always. A better son than John. (Laurence, 1988, 305) Sometimes these realizations come too late. The self-inflicted isolation that Hagar feels is a result of her stubbornness, pride, and blindness towards other views. Her past has shaped her to become the bitter, stolid, rigid old woman that she is in the novel, also greatly contributing to her mental isolation. This isolation is a result of the personal decisions and actions that she has made throughout the course of the novel. Every last one of them has gone and left me. I never left them. It was the other way around, I swear it. (Laurence, 1988, 164)