A Bird In The House
The Position of women in the 1930's and 1940's is an important part of understanding the story, "A bird in the house". Women made great strides in the twenties, gaining the right to vote, Among other statutory rights. This seemed to be the beginning of the idea that women were indeed afforded the same rights and priveliges as men1. Perhaps planting the first seeds of a liberated consciousness. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to complete the atlantic crossing single-handed. Feats of this magnitude opened the door for many other women to follow their dreams. The women in this novel represent three generations of Canadian women, In the 1930's to 40's. Their views all differ enormously. I will focus mainly on examples of their position, using the short story "A bird in the house" to demonstrate these differences. There are four women featured prominently in this particular story: Grandmother MacLeod, a staid woman, who is presented as being very traditional and "proper". Noreen, a young woman who at first seems very provincial and perhaps a little narrow minded. Beth, the mother of Vanessa, is a woman who seems on the cusp of self discovery, but who seems somehow muted due to the expectations of others. And finally, perha
The argument is pursued briefly, with the husband finding himself quickly quieted, thus displaying one of Laurence's central underlying themes of the novel. Beth, the next descendant, has more flexibility of thought, but her actions are limited due to circumstance. Although I chose to examine just one story, I believe Laurence was trying to subtly demonstrate the position of women during this particular period in history. A Bird In The House. The family has taken on Noreen, a young woman who has very fervent religious beliefs. Vanessa comes one step closer to maturity, realizing that her father did indeed play an important part in her life. At this point, she realizes her grandmother is saddened by the memory of her son who was killed in the great war. She seems not to understand many of Noreen's actions, and views her with suspicion. Vanessa is on the cusp of womanhood and it would seem she is also born on the line separating two distinctly different generations. The above being, that interwoven into the family unit is the idea that women are holding people together and controlling the course of decision. This is an excellent example of the empowerment that women of the time were beginning to feel. Young Vanessa seems apprehensive around Noreen, who is something of an enigma to the impressionable girl. She also sees her mother's sacrifices as trivial, taking away from her experience as a daughter. This affects Vanessa, forcing her to realize that there are different types of women, and that if one looks closely, appearances can be deceptive. There is discussion at the breakfast table one morning about the possibility of Noreen getting married.
Common topics in this essay:
Vanessa Vanessa,
Grandmother MacLeod,
Amelia Earhart,
,
Grandmother MacLeod's,
Overall Laurence,
bird house,
Bird House,
women 1930's,
story bird house,
grandmother macleod,
noreen woman,
canadian women,
daughter vanessa,
idea women,
vanessa's father,
story bird,
position women,
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Acceptance Essays
