Character Analysis Of Cougar Annie By Margaret Horsfield

KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
Cougar Annie
PSYN 1100
L10
Prof: Dr. Keith Best

Gurman Jatana
100253334
June 22, 2015

Intro: When society thinks of elderly people, they see a mental picture of someone who may need assistance and is fragile. That assumption flies out the window with Cougar Annie, an elderly woman who lived in Boat Basin. Annie got her name Cougar Annie, because she is known by the way and how many cougars she has killed. In spite of seeming like a woman who is fearless and has had no problems, that is not the case. Annie’s childhood was not exactly ideal and her life after getting married took a turn for the worst. Many of Annie’s social interactions and environment contributed to the

This could be a result of having grown up without getting to experience other children and a stable family home. There is an instance mentioned in the book where Cougar Annie is visited by an archaeologist, Jim Haggarty (Horsfield, 88). Haggarty was doing an archaeological dig in Hesquiat Harbour and came to Cougar Annie’s post office and store for supplies along with a native from Hesquiat Harbour and a man from Estevan Point (Horsfield, 88). All three men bought items from Cougar Annie’s store only to realize afterwards that she had charged all three of them differently for the same supplies. According to Haggarty, Annie “charged the man from Estevan least, the native Hesquiat most (Horsfield, 88),” and Haggarty was charged a price that was in the middle of both the others. It is voiced that Annie was particularly wary of a certain type of people, the natives that visited, worked and lived near her (Horsfield, 88). Annie was always suspicious of native customers, believing them to do deeds like stealing, and trying to get her money (Horsfield, 89). Although, Annie was apprehensive about the native people she still needed them for helping out with work and had them as neighbours. Cougar Annie was also known by close family to hate customers who were known alcoholics, yet continued to indulge their habits by selling lemon and vanilla extract to them (Horsfield, 89). Nairne Carter, the daughter of Robert Culver, recalls that Annie did not like it when the natives would buy lemon or vanilla extract “because she knew they were going to drink it (Horsfield, 89).” Despite having a problem with people’s drinking, Annie still sold the extract and did not mind taking the money from the drunks, but still blamed “them for the problem (Horsfield, 89).” Annie’s problem and fear around drunks can be attributed to her past husbands; some who were