On Margaret Laurence And Her The Stone Angel

Margaret Laurence is one of the most famous modem writers in Canada and all around the world people have applauded her work. She has spent many years living in Africa and published works of African subjects. This experience serves as a catalyst to her greatest latter achievement: the Manawaka series - consisting of five interrelated novels and stories set in the fictional Manitoba town of Manawaka. By her writing, Margaret Laurence has inspired a number of readers both in Canada and abroad. Also, she has turned the imaginary town Manawaka into a new human experience and even helped us to learn about the life she has lived by writing fictional novels. Critics regard the series as one of the finest achievements in contemporary Canadian fiction. The first novel of the series, The Stone Angel in particular has continued to win respect for its structure, in which present and past are interlinked, its language, which captures the forms of Canadian speech of the period, and the universality of its theme, which at its broadest is the most unforgettable female character Hagar's search for self-understanding and redemption.This thesis starts by briefly introducing a general picture of Canadian literature in English and one of Canada's finest authors Margaret Laurence, as well as the current Laurence studies abroad and in China. Chapter Two focuses on Laurence's life and writing, including her works and literary viewpoint. Her first novel of the Manawaka series The Stone Angel is especially introduced. Chapter Three and Chapter Four are the backbone of this thesis, devoted to the specific analysis of The Stone Angel. Chapter Three deals with text analysis, mainly on protagonist Hagar's character analysis, imagery meaning, and multi-themes in the novel. Chapter Four turns to structural analysis of the novel, noting its first-person narrative and dual plots. By probing into confessional writing, this chapter also tries to read the novel as a confessional novel. Chapter Five is the conclusion, summarizing the importance of Margaret Laurence in Canadian literary world and the achievement of The Stone Angel.