The Use of Symbolism in Margaret Laurence's Stone Angel Essay

In the memoir, The Glass Castle, it was evident the Glass Castle was not just a physical object itself, but holds a deeper meaning of symbolism towards the author, Jeannette Walls. After completing the book, it has been noted that the Glass Castle symbolizes the constant reminder of Jeannette’s hope that one day both her family and house will be in a stable, working position. Throughout the novel, the Glass Castle was vaguely mentioned as the Walls family continued their journey through the United States. However, through their ongoing journey, Jeannette’s view of the Glass Castle changed, as it was inevitably just a vision that her father had implanted in her brain but never actually built in reality.

By analyzing the use of symbolism, personifications, irony and foreshadowing by the two authors, it will become evident that their protagonists share similarities when dealing with the recurring theme of the tragedy of unrequited love.

I think about how the world had betrayed this women. They made this woman plump and empty, she does not even have a face. This statue is nude showing everything to the naked eye, she does not have a desirable body. This sculpture shows how much a woman was respected back in the day, which was very little.

I can only tell by body language that they want to spread heroism between men and women. The use of marble links the sculpture to the glow and smoothness of the male skin. In this sculpture, it appears to be characterized by imagery aimed at the sense of the marble statue. The standing sculpture appears to be relaxed, while the median line makes an angle. While standing upright, the figure’s feet are place in a certain way that brings a shifting effect or movement and a stable poise.

I think this statue is meant to show Cincinnatus’ victory and short dictatorship over Rome as well as his first attachment to his farm. The statue is trying to convey a message of being a hard-working leader and citizen. The ax in one hand symbolizes his power he has as the dictator, and he may be holding it out as a symbol of handing down his powers, while his other hand holds a plow, which attaches him to his farm. Cincinnatus’ legacy is meant to show that a true, loyal citizen won’t let anything stop him from helping his city when needed. I believe the intended audience of this statue is whoever needs a reminder and an example to live by to be an upright, loyal

The metaphorical representation of the woman can be compared to Michael when he came to the Earth bearing the weight of having to spread the martian cultures to humanity while in fact having to learn and accustom to human ways of life. Still as Ben still doesn’t seem to understand, Jubal explains in more detail stating, “Ben, she’s still trying to to lift that stone after it has crushed her. She’s a father working while cancer eats away at his insides to bring home one more paycheck. She a twelve-year-old girl mothering her brother and sisters because momma had to go to heaven...She’s all the unsung heros who couldn’t make it but never quit”(Heinlein 324). Seeing as the woman represents “unsung heros”, this statue can also bitterly portend the discorporation of The Man from Mars, who will fail in teaching humanity the way to

“The Fountain House” presents the idea of relinquishing for a loved one at any cost. Ludmilla Petrushevskaya weaves a dreamlike reality to capture a father’s conviction that his daughter can still live in spite of various medical professionals pronouncing her dead. The effect characterizes the father as delusional. The story’s pathetic symbolism emphasizes the heartbreaking situation of a father, so desperate to save his daughter that he is willing to commit the ultimate transgression.

This sets the tone because it represents the process of grief. However, over time, they feel emotions from anger to depression, to acceptance, etc. In these stages, emotions and memories catch up to them forcing them to release their emotions. The author also uses stones as a symbol of strength and courage. The line, “I’m stone,” translates to “I’m strong” or “I’m brave.” In the line, “…the stone lets me go,” the author uses personification by giving life to the stone. It means that the stone or bravery is no longer weighing on the author. In other words, the author no longer feels obligated to suppress his emotions. The line, “He 's lost his right arm / inside the stone.,” translates to “He’s lost his right arm while being brave,” in reference to service in the Vietnam war. Lastly, the author uses methods to produce a description that paints an image in the reader’s mind. The lines, “The sky. A plane in the sky. / A white vet’s image floats/ closer to me, then his pale eyes/ look through mine. /,” puts the reader in the author’s position.

She expresses herself in ways that are more destructive. Violence is the outlet Hagar sees in expressing herself. Her “graveyard love” for Milkman initially mutes her voice (148). His goodbye letter “sent Hagar spinning into a bright blue place where the air was thin and it was silent all the time, and where people spoke in whispers or did not make sounds at all, and where everything was frozen except for an occasional burst of fire inside her chest” (116). Hagar is hardly aware of her own emotions and finds it impossible for her to tell Milkman how she feels because she has no identity. Instead, Hagar turns to physical violence. She was a “doormat wom[a]n” that “wanted to kill for love, die for love” (336). When she tries to kill Milkman, she finds herself “paralyzed” by her obsessive love for him (150). Like Ryna, her love left her. When Milkman left and “dreamt of flying, Hagar was dying” (363). Hagar’s extreme obsession ultimately turns self-destructive and assists to the cause of her death. She spends her last hours in a frantic search for clothes and cosmetics that will make Milkman love her again. She dies convinced that “he loves silky hair . . . penny-colored hair . . . and lemon-colored skin . . . and gray-blue eyes” unlike her own (346). To Hagar, her African-American race and body are worthless if they do not attract Milkman; she was trying to create “this ideal of beauty” that she could never have (Pereira). Hagar’s dependence on Milkman and

This sculpture is of a women breast feeding her child. The face of the two people is elongated, as well as the breasts of the mother. This is common to all African Art because they wanted representation of what is being expressed. In this particular sculpture, a supernatural power is being called upon. The power has been asked to protect the mother and child, and to

This bronze statue of St. Peter depicting him to be in blessing, while holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Due to centuries of tradition where pilgrims would traditionally kissed and touched his foot wore the foot thin. After the sign of affection they

"I wouldn't let him see me cry, I was so enraged. He used a foot ruler, and when I jerked my smarting palms back, he made me hold them out again. He looked at my dry eyes in a kind of fury, as though he'd failed unless he drew water from them." (Page 9) Hagar's father straps her hands with a ruler but even as a child, she will not let her tears be seen, she will not let him see that he is hurting her. Even when her brother Dan is near death, she will not comfort him, for it requires that she act as their mother, which to her is despicable. "But all I could think of was that meek woman I'd never seen, the woman Dan was said to resemble so much an from whom he'd inherited a frailty I could not help but detest, however much a part of me wanted to sympathize." Hagar cannot bear the thought of pretending to be someone as feeble and weak as their mother. Throughout her marriage, Hagar never lets Bram know that she enjoyed their lovemaking. "He never knew. I never let him know, it was all inner. (Page 81) When Hagar's husband Bram dies she does not shed a tear, not even when there is only her son to witness it. "But when we'd buried Bram and come home again and lighted lamps for the evening, it was John who cried, not I." (Page 184) Still, when her son John dies she does not weep, as if she had been born without tear ducts. "The night my son died I was

At first, this work of art made me feel happy and slightly mischievous. Then I learned that Amalia Pica lived under a dictator in Argentina; this changed the way I saw the sculpture. I believe that the piece is meant to symbolize that there is always someone listening, even if you are unaware. This give me an eerie feeling

It is moreover pyramidal in structure with the vertex coinciding with Mary’s head. The base of the sculpture depicts the rock of Golgotha and is broader than the progressive

    Hagar Shipley lived her life blind, with pride as her cane for guidance. There was many situations throughout the novel where she made decisions solely based off of her pride. The first example of this is when Hagar was just a little girl, scampering around in her father’s store. When she made a comment while Jason was talking with Mrs.McVitie,a customer, he took a ruler to Hagar’s hands. Despite the stinging pain, she wouldn’t cry in front of her father. She held back the tears until her father couldn’t see because that would show weakness and hurt her pride. Another example of Hagar’s pride was when her son, Marvin, went to war.  When he comes to say goodbye, Hagar states that “I wanted all at once to hold him tightly, plead with him,against all reason and reality, not to go.” As most mothers would do such a thing, Hagar's pride kicks in as she reconsiders  her thinking, “But I did not want to embarrass both of us, or have him think I’d taken leave of my senses.” This shows how engraved pride is carved into Hagar's head. Even though her son is going into war and may die, she can’t even show him that she will worry about him. Another example that