Hagar and Lottie: The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence
Introduction Margaret Laurence‟s novel The Stone Angel is something of a depressing, if realistic, look at one woman‟s life as it spans more than 90 years. This woman is Hagar and the story is told from her perspective. Throughout the book one could well argue that Hagar is a strong woman, although a woman who never really seems to open herself up to others, never allowing herself to be anything but strong and thus never allowing herself to be kind, caring, or part of anyone‟s life in any significant manner. Even though she was a wife and a mother even those roles did not pull from her any level of sensitivity and kindness. The following paper examines the development of her relationship with Lottie, one of the characters in the book she has known since childhood.
Hagar and Lottie: The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence In the beginning of the story the reader sees how Lottie is just one of the neighborhood girls, but a girl whose father was unknown, or simply a father who was gone. They would call her “Lottie „No-Name‟” (Laurence, 1998; 11). She was essentially a girl with whom Hagar did not associate, at least not until she grew older and prettier it seems, being mentioned when she was discussing her parties. She notes that her father would allow her to have parties when she was a teenager but he would always go over her list and approve or disapp