Margaret Laurence has referred to her literary works as "character novels", in which all aspects of her writing are secondary to the comprehensive and precise development of the character of the protagonist. The Stone Angel is an ideal representation of how Margaret Laurence succeeds in creating a character, Hagar Shipley, with a distinct disposition by utilizing the words and actions of the protagonist. Born the only daughter of Jason Currie, a proud, obstinate, "self-made man", Hagar, unlike her two brothers, inherited her father's callous virtues. " 'You take after me,' he said as though that made everything clear. 'You've got backbone, I'll give you that.' " (p.10). Like the stone angle statue that rests in the Manawaka cemetery intended to mark the grave of Hagar's mother, Hagar herself is ostensibly made of stone, bearing a frozen and cold exterior, presenting utterly no hint of emotion which dwells below the frosty surface. Hagar's excessive pride, her uncontrollably judgemental attitude towards people, and even her courage and self-reliance become apparent in the novel through her thoughts, words and actions.
             "Pride was my wilderness and the demon that led me there was fear." (p. 292). In the Stone Angel, pride is primarily characteristic of Hagar Shipley. An inheritance received from her father, Hagar's hard exterior and distant behaviour towards others is a result of unwarranted pride, which has been manifested as a result of the respectable Currie family reputation in the town of Manawaka. Hagar dreaded any undermining of her honourable status, and therefore she developed a strong detestation towards frailty. From an early age, Hagar refused to show emotion because she was too proud to display weakness, first evident in the novel when Hagar's father scolded her for announcing to a costumer that there were pests dwel...