Space Narrative In The Stone Angel

Margaret Laurence(1926-1987),Canadian "literary mother" was one of the most famous writers during the Canadian Renaissance,won the Canadian Supreme Literature Award-the Governor's Award two times.The hometown Neepawa as the prototype was modeled by the five series Manawaka novels of prairie town,which gave Laurence an important reputation in the field of contemporary world literature.The Stone Angel is the first Manawaka novel and is considered the most perfect work with theme and skill of Margaret Laurence.It sees Hagar as the first person,which breaks traditional narrative method and shows her life sufferings through memories and realities alternately.Since the twenty-first century "space turn" supplies us the theoretical principles of analyzing literary texts: Space is not only the research methods of traditional sense with static natural attributes also the basis of multi-dimensional theory with social attributes,which have profound significance.So as a Canadian writer with a life experience in Africa,Laurence's life background provides a special space experience for her works undoubtedly.Therefore,the thesis bases on the research achievements of the predecessor scholars,it excavates the space value of The Stone Angel by using text reading method with space narrative theory.The physical space is divided into static geographical space and dynastic living space,three typical space images of static geographical space and three migrations of dynamic living space present different attribute characteristics of space;and the protagonist' fate writing is settled by the social space of bisexual power and religious culture;both the physical space and social space which immigrate and revolt against continually reflect flexural changes of psychological space in different stages,all of these spaces are interactional and interdependent.So I am able to draw conclusions following that: firstly,space showing from multilevel and multi-dimension not only strengthens the spatial effect of narrative structure,but deepens narrative implication of the novel;secondly,from seeing through Hagar's life experience,not only helps to dig confusions and worries from one's own character,even reflects the constraints and oppressions of humanity from outer social environments and traditional views;thirdly,Hagar's survival condition not only represents Canadian female's social status at that time,it also takes example for modern unauthorized women.