Literary Review and Interpretation of Main Themes of The Stone Angel

In The Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence portrays a woman attempting to understand herself and her life. Hagar is the narrator of the book. She is ninety and is trying to avoid an old-aged home where her son Marvin and Marvin's wife Doris want to put her. During her attempt to move to Shadow Point and live alone, Hagar remembers the many parts of her life, and her life story is revealed to the reader in that fashion. Hagar grew up in Manawaka, in the prairies. Hagar's mother died while giving birth to her, and her father, Jason Currie, had a great stone angel brought from Italy at a great expense for Mrs. Currie's grave. Hagar had two brothers, Matt and Daniel. Daniel was a lazy boy and was very delicate physically. Daniel died at eighteen of pneumonia. Matt intended to go to university, but Hagar was sent by her father. Matt married but never had children and died of disease without putting up a fight on his deathbed. Hagar eventually goes to university and returns to marry Brampton Shipley, against her father's will. At that point, she loses contact with her father. Hagar eventually regrets marrying Bram, who often embarrasses her. Hagar and Bram have two boys, Marvin and John. Hagar never really loves Marvin, and when he moves out, she moves out with John. She loves him and does everything for him (Laurence, 1964).

Analysis and Exploration of Key Themes in The Stone Angel

They eventually return to Manawaka when Brampton is dying. At that point, John is in love with Arlene, something Hagar does not understand nor approve of. John tragically dies while performing a stunt while drunk. Hagar moves to the coast, buys a house, and ends up living her last days with Marvin and his wife Doris. Shortly before her death, Hagar realizes many things about herself. First of all, that her heart is made of stone; secondly, that she has a lot of pride like her father; and thirdly, that she is blind, or in other words, she can only see things from one perspective—her own. These characteristics and those of the stone angel, which was made of stone, was erected out of pride, and has no eyes, are strikingly similar.

Throughout Hagar's recollection of the past, there are many instances where Hagar could not express her emotions. This is seen very early when Hagar's father punishes her and she refuses to cry in his presence. When her brother Daniel is dying of pneumonia, Matt insists that Hagar cradle him with her mother's shawl. Hagar wants to help her brother but can't because it requires love. Another example of Hagar's heart of stone is that she is unable to tell her father that she feels that Matt should be going to university instead of her. When Bram's favorite horse runs away and dies in a storm, Hagar shares Bram's distress over the death but doesn't admit it or attempt to soothe Bram. Only near the end of her life does Hagar show her emotions by telling Marvin she is frightened but remains ashamed to have revealed her emotions. At this point, Hagar realizes that her heart is made of stone and that she has been hard and has never opened up to anyone, like the stone angel. The stone angel was brought from Italy as a symbol of the Currie family's pride and not so much to honor Mrs. Currie. Jason Currie has incredible pride, and upon his death, leaves his money to the city so that he would be remembered. Hagar has inherited this pride. Because of this pride, Hagar doesn't accept John and Arlene's love because of Arlene's background. Hagar never loves her son Marvin either because he is not the type of son she wants. Hagar is also cold with Lottie and Mrs. Jardine upon meeting them because of her pride. Because of this pride, Hagar is also blind, for she can only see things from her perspective. She cannot see that her son loves Arlene; she only sees Arlene's background. Hagar can't see that Lottie is in a similar situation as herself either because she is blind. Murray Lee helps Hagar discover this and helps her open up a little. Hagar's blindness is comparable to the stone angel because the stone angel never had any eyes carved into it. Hagar's cold emotional state, her pride, and her blindness are very similar to those qualities in the stone angel.

Conclusion

Hagar's understanding of herself grows a lot during the last days of her life as she reminisces about the past and spends time with many people. Her life story is not tragic, but her main bad qualities of being cold emotionally and her great pride, which in turn caused her blindness, are revealed to her throughout her recollection of her life and throughout the plot. Hagar realizes these things, but it is too late to change. These characteristics revealed throughout the story describe the stone angel.

References

Laurence, M. (1964). The Stone Angel. McClelland and Stewart.