The Stone Angel
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''The Stone Angel'' is a novel by Canadian writer
Margaret Laurence Jean Margaret Laurence (née Wemyss; July 18, 1926 – January 5, 1987) was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, and is one of the major figures in Canadian literature. She was also a founder of the Writers' Trust of Canada, a non-pr ...
. First published in
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
by
McClelland and Stewart McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is owned by Random House of Canada, Penguin Random House of Canada, a branch of Penguin Random House, the international book publishing division of German media giant Bertelsmann. ...
, it is perhaps the best-known of Laurence's series of five novels set in the fictitious town of
Manawaka Manawaka is a fictional town in the Canadian province of Manitoba, frequently used as a setting in novels and short stories by Margaret Laurence. The town was based on Laurence's real-life hometown of Neepawa, and should not be confused with the rea ...
,
Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
. In parallel narratives set in the past and the present-day (early 1960s), ''The Stone Angel'' tells the story of Hagar Currie Shipley. In the present, 90-year-old Hagar struggles against being put in a
nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...
, which she sees as a symbol of death. This narrative alternates with Hagar looking back at her life.


Plot summary

In a series of
vignettes Vignette may refer to: * Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy * Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters * Vignette (literature), short, i ...
, ''The Stone Angel'' tells the story of Hagar Shipley, a 90-year-old woman struggling to come to grips with a life of intransigence and loss. The themes of pride and the prejudice that comes from social class recur in the novel. As a young girl she refuses to rock her dying brother in the garments of their mother. As a young woman she marries Brampton Shipley against her father's wishes, severing the family ties. She shows favouritism towards her younger son, John. After Hagar separates from her husband, Hagar takes John with her. However, he ultimately returns to his father. When John dies, Hagar does not cry, and at that point, she turns into a "Stone Angel". Later in life, her elder son Marvin is shown to have been the good and loyal son all along, despite the lack of his mother's favour. It is he at the age of 64 along with his wife Doris who takes care of her. As a 90-year-old woman, Hagar goes on an unexpected adventure into the woods alone. Given her age, there is an overtone that this event will be the last chapter of her life. In the woods, she meets another wanderer. The two have a bonding conversation, where Hagar finally opens up. A lifetime of buried emotion comes out, and she finally cries. The next day the police and Marvin come to rescue Hagar from the woods. In an act of love and repentance, she confesses to Marvin that he was the better son. It is unclear whether she dies at the end of the novel.


Literary significance and criticism

Amongst other titles by Laurence, ''The Stone Angel'' is consistently listed as one of the greatest Canadian novels ever written. The novel has often been a part of school and university curricula. In the 1970s and 1980s, some Canadian school boards were pressured to ban her novels, including ''The Stone Angel''.


Recognition and adaptations

James W. Nichol adapted ''The Stone Angel'' first for radio and then for stage. The radio drama, which premiered in 1989, was broadcast in six parts on
CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
's Morningside (and later released as an audiobook). The stage play premiered in 1991 at the
Blyth Festival Blyth Festival, is a theatrical festival, located in the village of Blyth, Ontario, Canada, which specializes in the production and promotion of Canadian plays. In addition, the Festival acts as a resource for local groups and makes its facilities ...
under the direction of Brian Richmond and starring
Barbara Chilcott Barbara Chilcott Davis (September 10, 1922 – January 1, 2022) was a Canadian actress. Career After the war she studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, making her West End debut in 1949. On her return to Canada in 1950, she ...
as Hagar. Nichol's play has subsequently been performed in 1993 with
Theatre Passe Muraille Theatre Passe Muraille is a theatre company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Brief history One of Canada's most influential alternative theatres, Theatre Passe Muraille ("theatre beyond walls") was founded in 1968 by director and playwright Jim Gar ...
under the direction of
Maureen White Patricia Maureen White, more commonly known as Maureen White, is a specialist in international humanitarian affairs and a fundraiser for the American Democratic Party. She is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins School ...
, by the
Canadian Stage Company Canadian Stage is a non-profit contemporary performance arts company based in Toronto, Ontario, ''Canada''. About Canadian Stage Canadian Stage is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies, based in Toronto, Ontari ...
in 1999, and by the King's Town Players in 2014, among others. ''The Stone Angel'' was one of the selected books in the
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
edition of ''
Canada Reads ''Canada Reads'' is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. The program has aired in two distinct editions, the English-language ''Canada Reads'' on CBC Radio One, and the Frenc ...
'', where it was championed by
Leon Rooke Leon Rooke, CM (born September 11, 1934) is a Canadian novelist. He was born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina in the United States. Educated at the University of North Carolina, he moved to Canada in 1969. He now lives in Toronto, Ontario. Rook ...
. In 2007, it was adapted into a movie, ''
The Stone Angel ''The Stone Angel'' is a novel by Canadian writer Margaret Laurence. First published in 1964 by McClelland and Stewart, it is perhaps the best-known of Laurence's series of five novels set in the fictitious town of Manawaka, Manitoba. In parall ...
'', filmed in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
and
Hartney Hartney is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Grassland within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. It along the Souris River. Originally established in 1882, the community is nam ...
, Manitoba. The film stars
Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complicated women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Em ...
,
Dylan Baker Dylan Baker (born October 7, 1959) is an American actor. He gained recognition for his roles in the films such as ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987), ''Happiness'' (1998), '' Thirteen Days'' (2000), ''Road to Perdition'' (2002), ''Spider-M ...
,
Elliot Page Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page; born February 21, 1987) is a Canadian actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Elliot Page, various accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Actress, Academy Award nomination, tw ...
and
Kevin Zegers Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone Angel, The Novels by Margaret Laurence 1964 Canadian novels Novels set in Manitoba New Canadian Library Canadian novels adapted into films