Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel is one of the most acclaimed Canadian novels of all time. In this novel, the most prevailing theme is that of pride; this is seen predominantly through the protagonist, Hagar, but also through other characters, such as Jason Currie. As John Moss states, "What gives Margaret Laurence's vision the resonant dimensions of universal truth is theinterlacing of the destructive and constructive effects of (Hagar's) recalcitrant pridePride is a double-edged sword." Indeed, her great pride helps her to cope with the many difficulties she faces throughout her life. This pride, however, also "separates inclination and response" (J. Moss), resulting in several strained relationships which Hagar was unable to mend. John Moss believes that "Hagar's pride repeatedly imprisoned her within the confines of thwarted affections and misdirected emotion." More specifically, her pride caused such things as an unhappy marriage with Brampton Shipley and a severance of all ties with her father, Jason, and her brother, Matt. Her pride serves her best in her dying days, when "she will not submit to frailty and deferential concern. She rages 'against the dying of the light' with the same wrong-headed spleen that she had always displayedin the counterpoint present herpride is heroic" (J. Moss).
Analysis of the Theme of Pride via a Short Summation of Pride-Related Occurrences:
The first reference to pride is in the second sentence of the novel: Hagar describes the Stone Angel as "my mother's angel that my father bought in pride to mark her bones and proclaim his dynasty" (3). Hagar's father was a very proud man, a trait that was passed on to his daughter, and he takes great pride in this "terribly expensive" statue, which "had been brought from Italy" "and was pure white marble" (3).
Hagar recollects exhibiting her pride as early as age 6 when she says "There was I, strutting the board sidewalk like a pint-sized peacock, resplendent, haughty, hoity-toity, Jason Currie's black-haired daughter" (6).
Jason Currie was a "self-made man" who "had pulled himself up by his bootstraps" (7). Hagar was very proud of her father's success, seeing as how "he had begun without money" (14).
Hagar's father, because he worked so hard, took great pleasure in his store. She says, "Father took such pride in the store - you'd have thought it was the only one on earth. It was the first in Manawaka, so I guess he had due cause. He would lean across the counter, spreading his hands, and smile so wonderfully you'd feel he welcomed the world" (9).
Mr. Currie had excessive self-esteem, as seen when the Reverend Dougall MacCulloch was calling out the names of the people who had contributed to help build the new church. Jason Curried leaned over and arrogantly said to his daughter "I and Luke McVitie must've given the most, as he called our names the first" (16).
The Currie's held very high opinions of themselves; this is shown when Hagar refers to her father, saying, "Matt and Dan and I always knew he could never have brought himself to marry his housekeeper" (17).
The pride she felt in her youth is present also when Hagar is grown up. She is frustrated at both her lack of coordination and her arthritis, which causes her to fall (31). Her reaction is as follows: "I perceive the tears, my own they must be although they have sprung so unbidden I feel they are like the incontinent wetness of the infirm. Trickling, they taunt down my face. They are no tears of mine, in front of her. I dismiss them, blaspheme against them - let them be gone. But I have not spoken and they are still there" (31). Later, Hagar descends the stairs - on her own - and smugly thinks "I hold the banister tightly, and of course I'm all right, perfectly all right, as I always am when I haven't got an audience" (33).
When the minister from Doris' parish visits Hagar, her personal dignity is definitely at risk. In her thoughts, she describes the incident. "I sit uncomfortably. I am bloated, full, weighted down, and I fear I may pass wind. Nevertheless, for the minister's call I have at least put on my gray flowered dressand the flowers, sprinkled liberally, almost overcome the gray" (40)
Early in the second chapter, there are several instances in which Hagar' pride prevents her from responding to her inclinations. The first occurs just before Hagar leaves for college: she wanted to tell her brother Matt that "he should have been the one to go" to college, but she is unable to do so and "Later, in the train," she cried (42). Further on, she is unable to attempt to reconcile after a dispute with her father concerning whether or not she would pursue a career as a teacher. This is how she remembers the incident: "I jerked my hand away as though I had accidentally set it on a hot stove. He didn't say a word. He turned and went outside I felt I must pursue him, say it was a passing thing and not meant. But I didn't" (44, 45).
Hagar feels a great loss of pride when she reads the advertisement for the Silverthreads nursing home and realizes what her son and daughter-in-law have been planning and why Doris had invited the minister over. (53, 54) Afterwards, Doris realizes what happened and tries to pacify Hagar; however, Hagar "will not be appeased" (56).
Hagar is, once again, at a loss when she realizes that she's been daydreaming while Doris has been talking to her. Hagar thinks "How long have I been standing here with lowered head, twiddling with the silken stuff that covers me? Now I am mortified, apologetic" (57).
Her pride gets the best of her during an argument with Doris concerning the nursing home. Hagar turns and walks away, "wishing to be haughty, but hideously hitting the edge of the dining-room table" (58).
The combination of Jason Currie's pride, which caused him to feel Bram was unworthy of his daughter, and Hagar's pride, which kept her from acting upon her inclinations, caused the severance of their relationship after she got married against his wishes. When Hagar' first son was born, he did not go to see him because "Perhaps he didn't feel as though Marvin were really his grandson" (62). Ironically, Hagar felt that Marvin was not really her son; however, her reasons were dissimilar to his.
After the death of her father, Hagar is upset that he did not leave her any money in the will; he gave the money to the preservation of the family plot and to the town. In response, the town made the Currie Memorial Park, which Hagar forever despises because of her arrogance. She remembers this park in her thoughts: "nearly circular beds of petunias proclaimed my father's immortality in mauve and pink frilled petals. Even now, I detest petunias" (64).
Marvin and Doris wish to go out for a movie one evening and plan to have a neighbour come over to care for Hagar. They are worried about leaving her alone because of her various health conditions. The proud old lady, however, is quite offended, saying "You think I need a sitter, like a child" (67). The evening is called off and an argument ensues.
Because of her upbringing, Hagar was always proud of the way she and her relatives dressed. After her marriage, however, she encountered some difficulties. She remembers "Marvin, the day he started school, wearing a sailor suit and a face blank as water. He hated that navy-blue suit for most of the other boys wore overalls. I soon gave up trying to dress him decently and let him wear overalls, too Bram's daughters used to give me the overalls their boys had grown out of. How it galled me " (69)
Hagar's pride toward her husband resulted only from his looks, for "Whatever anyone said of him, no one could deny he was a good looking man I could have been proud, going to town or church with him, if only he'd never opened his mouth" (69, 70).
Marvin and Doris humble Hagar as they make her aware that they are no longer able to care for her; she needs a nurse to lift her and there are several other complications that they are unable to deal with. As they try to convince her of how nice Silverthreads is, she reacts with hostility, saying, "Full of petunias, I suppose" (73-75). Hagar believes that everyone is trying to destroy what little dignity she has left.
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