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Lesson Six, Writing Folder Assignment
Hagar Shipley A Character Analysis
"Summer and Winter she viewed the town with sightless eyes. She was doubly blind, not only stone but unendowed with even a pretence of sight. Whoever had carved her had left the eyeballs blank. It seemed strange to me that she should stand above the town, harking us to heaven without even knowing who we were at all. But I was too young then to know her purpose,…" (Laurence )
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Hagar Shipley, Margaret Laurence's most well known character, is looking back at her life from ninety year old eyes. She sees a life of struggle and unhappiness. From her childhood as "Jason Currie's black haired girl…" (Laurence 6), through her scandalous marriage to Bram Shipley, and finally her life with the deteriorating body of a ninety year old she goes through a number of incidences that lead to her eventual epiphany. This unhappy woman, whose pride and stubbornness often get in the way of life's pleasures, is a character that many have identified with. Her life, from it's beginnings in prairie Manitoba, continues to break hearts with it's tragedy.
Since her birth, Hagar has been a strong willed person. She is determined and proud. Growing up without a mother continued to shape Hagar into a self sufficient and stubborn girl. As a child she was proud of her families position in their community of Manawanka. Her father owned the general store and her mother died giving birth to her. She was the youngest of three, having two older brothers. Dan's death leaves Hagar wondering at her own capacity to comfort and help others. She was too proud to comfort her brother in his final time of need. This experience stays with Hagar and comes back time and time again to haunt her. This incident seems to be a symbol for the hardness of Hagar's heart and her cold personality. She has little room for emotion even at a young age.
Hagar's marriage to Bram Shipley is another testament to her stubborn nature. Her father forbids her to marry him, but she goes ahead and marries him anyway. She thinks she will be able to change his bad habits. Hagar eventually leaves Bram and becomes a housekeeper in Ontario. She realizes that she does really love Bram but is too proud to admit it until it is too late. Hagar lives with many regrets. Hagar's two sons, Marvin and John, are also a source of regret for her. Marvin, the son she never really loved, is now taking care of Hagar in her final days. John, who was always her favourite, dies. Hagar's life seems to be one disappointment after another. These together continue to harden Hagar.
The later years of Hagar's life are a time of reflection and pondering. She is as unhappy as ever. She is cranky and difficult for Marvin and his wife to look after. Hagar's health is deteriorating and the burden is becoming too large for her son and his family to bear. When she is asked about entering a nursing home Hagar is once again resistant and stubborn. She decides to run away. It is on this journey that Hagar starts to understand herself and come alive. She pours her heart out to an old drunk and in doing so has a realization about who she is. This is the first step towards her journey of self acceptance and the softening of her heart. Later, just before she dies, she makes a sort of peace with Marvin and dies reaching for a glass of water. This symbolizes her state of true life before her death.
Hagar Shipley was a stubborn and proud woman from her childhood. She spent many years living in a state of misunderstanding and unhappiness. Her hardened personality and the tragic events of the deaths of so many close to her left her in a state of defiance. Her marriage to Bram only strengthened her misunderstanding and she continued to run from her true feelings. It was not until at her most vulnerable stage, right before her own death, that Hagar comes to terms with her own shortcomings and begins to accept herself. This new feeling - of feeling - allowed for Hagar to experience a few moments of actual life before her death. She, the stone angel, opened her new eyes and caught a glimpse of the world.
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