The Stone Angel Self-Inflicted Isolation and Loneliness “I never realized until this moment how cut off I am.” (Laurence, 1988, 294) In the novel 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
The Stone Angel Event by event, memory by memory the scales fall from Hagar's eyes until she sees clearly her own nature. No longer blaming others, she dies courageously by being fully responsible for her own life. What are the stages of Hager's enlightenment. The novel The Stone Angel portrays an image of a ninety-year-old woman, Hagar Currie, who confronts her past of personal failures in an attempt for rejuvenation before death. Hagar has lead a life dominated by authority and memories of whom
The Imagery of the Stone Angel In her novel, The Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence successfully uses the statue of the stone angel to represent the Currie family pride, Hagar's inability to relate and share her emotions, and the blindness and ignorance that results from refusing to consider any other point of view than your own. The Stone angel is symbolic of the Currie family pride because it does not seem to serve it's purpose, which is to honour Hagar's mother who had died giving birth to her.
novel is, without a doubt, The Stone Angel. This novel has many symbolic references, physical items showing emotions. The stone angel, the flowers and the pins are only a sample of the important symbols in the novel. The first and most important symbol is that of the stone angel. It’s a memorial statue for Hagar’s mother. The statue is a legacy of the Currie family pride and the relationship between Hagar and her father. From the very start of the novel, the angel is a constant reminder of Hagar’s
affections, -- a mere heart of stone” (Darwin). This idea of a heart of stone is mirrored in Margaret Laurence’s story “The Stone Angel”. Her use of the title “The Stone Angel”, describes the protagonist Hagar and how her mother’s gravestone of the angel reflects upon Hagar as a character. This is the importance of the title “The Stone Angel”. In the “Stone Angel” Laurence uses the title to describe the main character Hagar. The title has very specific attributions. Stone has no emotion, and is extremely
In the novel there is mention of the war cry of the Curries, “Gainsay who dare!” (15). Such a translation may be "Oppose me (us) if you dare to." There is a very predominant theme of stubborn pride in The Stone Angel, which makes the novel sententious to its readers. Pride refers to a strong sense of self-respect, a refusal to be humiliated as well as joy in the accomplishments of oneself or a person, group, or object that one identifies with. Proud comes from late Old English prud, probably from
The Importance of the Title of Stone Angel Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel is the story of Hagar Shipley's life, told entirely by Hagar through her memories and thoughts. Though she remembers her past with vivid detail, she has trouble with the happenings of the present. Hagar at ninety is a proud and strong woman suffering from the unjustness of old age. Once proud and independent, she now needs to be taken care of by her son Marvin, who she never loved. As the book begins, the readerÕs
Flower Imagery in The Stone Angel Margaret Laurence uses flower imagery in her novel The Stone Angel to represent Hagar's way of life. There are two types of flowers, wild and civilized. These two types of flowers are associated with the educated, controlled way of life and the material way of life. In summer the cemetery was rich and thick as syrup with the funeral-parlor perfume of the planted peonies, dark crimson and wallpaper pink, the pompous blossoms hanging leadenly, too heavy for their
The Stone Angle - Theme of Pride Short Summation of Pride-Related Occurrences: The first reference to pride is in the second sentence of the novel: Hagar describes the Stone Angel as "my mother's angel that my father bought in pride to mark her bones and proclaim his dynasty…" (3). Hagar's father was a very proud man, a trait that was passed on to his daughter, and he takes great pride in this "terribly expensive" statue, which "had been brought from Italy" … "and
The Character of Hagar in The Stone Angel Death is a subject that everyone fears because they associate death with their end and not a new beginning. In The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence, Hagar is no different. When she faces the reality of the implications of growing old she is faced with a journey, not one of her choice but one of destiny. Through her journey Hagar goes through the five different stages leading up towards death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance
independent? Does being independent mean being alone, being domineering towards others, being excessively proud, or being egotistical? Can someone be married and friendly to others and still be truly independent? Margaret Laurence's novel The Stone Angel shows that true independence need neither begin at a young age nor end at a certain point. This is clearly portrayed by the main character Hagar Shipley, who at the age of ninety is still a woman who at least tried to make her own decisions, despite
in The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence A symbol is a literary device used by the author to portray an idea to the reader. In Margaret Laurence's, The Stone Angel, the stone angel is a symbol used to heighten the reader's understanding of the characteristics of Hagar Shipley. First, the stone angel is used to show Hagar's pride in the Currie family name. She prizes the stone angel because it is expensive and imported from Italy to honour a mother Hagar never knew. Similarly, the stone angel
It has been said that, “Rivers and mountains may change; human nature, never.”(worldofquotes.com) This is a quote that can be deconstructed when examining William Shakespeare’s King Lear and Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel. When reviewing the two books the main characters, King Lear and Hagar, are easily comparable. The first similarity becomes apparent when King Lear and Hagar are both developed as flawed characters. Secondly, because of their flaws the two characters become blind to reality
of the Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence Margaret Laurence's novel, The Stone Angel is a compelling journey of flashbacks seen through the eyes of Hagar Shipley, a ninety year-old woman nearing the end of her life. In the novel, Margaret Laurence, uses the stone angel to effectively symbolize fictional characters. The term symbolism in its broadest sense means the use of an object to stand for something other than itself. In The Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence uses the stone angel to sybmolize
Whether it is in Manawaka, the Pacific Coast or Shadow point, what is constantly recognized in the number of times water is used. If one were to closely examine these situations, they would soon discover it's symbolic importance. In the novel The Stone Angel, water is presented in the many fluctuations, in Hagar's life. Hagar goes through many stages in her life, where water is represented but without it being physically present. Without the imagery of water, the story would be less effective and meaningful
Stone Angel - Hagar as a Product of her Environment Since the commencement of our world, there have been those such as Hitler, Einstein and Hitchcock, whose very name stands apart from the masses; their distinct aura symbolized something far greater than just a simple human life. Such a statement can be applied to Hagar Shipley, the protagonist from the novel The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence, and hold true. Hager is a unique character, whose essence rises above others, such that after
isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true” (Kierkegaard, Søren. Good Reads.com). This is a quote that can be deconstructed when examining Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel and William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Hagar and Lear are two individuals with similar characteristics and functions. The Stone Angel was published in 1964 and was one of Margaret’s best-selling novels. It revolves around an aging woman, who narrates the story of her present, along with flashbacks from her past
The Luck of Ginger Coffey and The Stone Angel Brian Moore, and Margaret Laurence’s concern for the plight of the individual and their position in society is clearly self-evident in their novels The Luck of Ginger Coffey and The Stone Angel. Finding one’s place in society is a major dilemma many people face every day. Once people find their place in society they understand who they are, what is expected by them and what their roles are. Once a person has found their place in society they understand
A Summation of Pride-Related Occurrences in The Stone Angel Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel is one of the most acclaimed Canadian novels of all time. In this novel, the most prevailing theme is that of pride; this is seen predominantly through the protagonist, Hagar, but also through other characters, such as Jason Currie. As John Moss states, "What gives Margaret Laurence's vision the resonant dimensions of universal truth is the…interlacing of the destructive and constructive effects of (Hagar's)
Relationships in The Stone Angel, The Fire-Dwellers, and The Diviners There are always problems in every relationship, in every marriage. With strong communication, acceptance and a love for one another, these challenges can be overcome. In Margaret Laurence's Manawaka Cycle, the characters all have enormous problems in their relationships. In the books The Stone Angel, The Fire-Dwellers, and The Diviners, the characters' marriages all have varying degrees of trouble. However, through hard work