Coping with adversity in The Tin Flute
Coping with adversity in The Tin Flute When faced with adversity most people will do everything in their power to cope with it. If it is a persistent state of existence the natural thing to do is try and break free of what is causing the hardship. Unfortunately, there are times when no amount of effort will allow an escape from the hardships thrust upon us, and the best we can do is cope. In Gabrielle Roy’s The Tin Flute extreme poverty is the hardship that must be broken free of. However, unlike stories where the human spirit overcomes life’s obstacles, Roy’s central characters, the Lacasse family, are continually thwarted in their attempts to break free of the poverty that surrounds them. It would seem that Roy is trying to convey the message that that there are times when despite what we may believe there are obstacles in our life that cannot be defeated or broken free of. Sometimes the best we can hope for is to simply survive. For the Lacasse family this is something they must learn. The family is led by three of its members: Azarius, the father, who holds his position as head of the household by virtue of the fact that he is male, Florentine, the eldest daughter, who is the only secure source of income the family . . .
At one time she felt that it was possible to escape the conditions in her life. However, it is not the physical pain that she wishes to be free of but rather the social stigma attached to poverty. With the loss of yet another job Azarius is once again exposed as a dreamer. However, 3 Rose-Anna did not always feel that coping was the only solution. Intending to make a few extra dollars from the sale of maple sugar back in the 2 city Azarius’ plan would seem simple enough, and for once he may be able to provide his family with more than just the very basics of existence. Unfortunately, instead of securing steady work he is forever looking for schemes that will get the family out of its predicament quickly, but of course always end in failure and disappointment for the family. Azarius, as the father, is the one person expected to support and protect the family. Unlike Azarius and Florentine who seek escape from adversity through plans devised in dreams, Rose-Anna is much more practical in her dealing with poverty. Rose-Anna on the other hand was already coping with poverty, and it took the trip to the maple sugar farm for her to realize that something she thought she had left behind was with her all the time. Like her father’s many plans Florentine’s plan also ends in failure.
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