Stone Angel
The society that is currently lived in is one that is filled with the idea that the way a person acts, or looks can determine whom one will become friends with, and where one's life will lead that person in the future. Although it is unfair that a single person's fate can be determined by these factors, most people do not believe that everyone should be judged this way. The reason that our society has become the way that it is today is due to those few stragglers who inflict on the rest unnecessary harshness, and unfair rules. A great example of one of these people is Mrs. Hagar Shipley from the novel The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence. At first Mrs. Hagar Shipley seemed to be the normal ninety year old women, but after closer inspection it was soon discovered that she was not. Mrs. Shipley has a problem that totally consumes her life; she is preoccupied with appearances. Being concerned about one's appearance, or for that matter other people's appearances is not wrong, as long as it is not taken to the extreme, like Mrs. Shipley did. This preoccupation with appearances causes Mrs. Hagar Shipley to become a tragic character. A tragic character is a person, or group of people who have a major character flaw(s) that lead to the
After returning back to the Shipley residence, and Bram dying, Hagar learned that John was seeing Lottie's daughter, Arlene. She did not understand that everyone grows weak over time whether they want to or not. Since Hagar tried to go to the washroom on her own the nurses had to put her in a restraining device so that she would not injure herself. Since Hagar was never able to get her family to change for "the better" it caused her to become sad and angry all at the same time. Hagar would not wear the shawl and act as her mother to comfort Dan in his dying moments. Hagar lived a miserable life filled with little or no happiness; she had nothing to look forward to and everything that she did turned out the opposite way that she intended to. To prove that Hagar was still as young as ever Hagar requested a semi-private room at the hospital. She got what she wished for, a life never filled with "weakness". This need to be above everyone else caused Hagar to be a tragic character. All who read The Stone Angel can learn numerous lessons, whether it be that weakness is not always a sign that you are incompetent or that people are the way they are for a reason. Hagar in general had a hard time remembering things that happened to her, other than in the far past. The once strong Bram that she had married now appeared to be weak and she could not handle that. The tragedy that Hagar could not show weakness only increased as Hagar age increased. Hagar's anger was not just directed at Bram though. Also, Hagar does not want to appear weak, so she does not show any of her feelings to anyone.
Common topics in this essay:
Hagar Hagar,
Finally Hagar,
Temple Silence,
Silverthreads Doris,
Hagar Shipley,
Stone Angel,
John Bram,
Dan Hagar,
Hagar Bram,
Hagar I'll,
tragic character,
hagar shipley,
hagar tried,
hagar tragic,
hagar hagar,
hagar tragic character,
hagar accept,
died hagar,
prove strong,
stone angel,
causes hagar,
causes hagar tragic,
tried prove strong,
tragic character hagar,
hagar tried prove,
|
Acceptance Essays
