Comparing the Bible and Margaret Laurences The Stone Angel: An Examin

Comparing the Bible and Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel: An Examination of Archetypal References Often times great novels and plays allude to religion, to mythology, or to other literary works for dramatic purposes. Shakespearean plays are perfect examples. Allusions help the reader or spectator better understand, through visualization, a character or an event in a novel. In some cases, the characters, the events, or a series of events are structured according to the people and the action in other stories, whether the stories be religious, mythological, classical, or historical. The character or the event, therefore, becomes a prototype of the character or event alluded to. A prototypical character in a novel is usually referred to as an archetype. The Stone Angel, a chronicle of Hagar Shipley's life, purposely or coincidentally parallels the Biblical story of Hagar, the Egyptian bondwoman, from the book of Genesis; thus, Hagar Shipley is an archetype of the Biblical Hagar. In fact, many of the events and people in The Stone Angel are similar to the events and people from the book of Genesis. The most important archetypal reference, however, is Hagar herself, for many of the things she does, says, and represents are indicative of the things the Biblical Hagar does, says, and represents. Aside from sharing the same name, to what extent does Hagar Shipley resemble the Egyptian Hagar, and, to what extent does The Stone Angel resemble the book of Genesis? Although both stories are very similar, they are also very different. These similarities and these differences become apparent upon examination of Hagar, John, Marvin, Bram, and the Biblical characters they parallel. As earlier stated, Hagar Shipley's character is v... ...l archetypes in The Stone Angel should consider and examine several aspects before delving into their work. As a tip, before writing anything, ask yourself to what extent, in your own view, does Hagar and all other characters match their archetypes, if at all? Are the two stories similar enough that their resemblance is, in no way, accidental? These questions will help strengthen your arguments. Bibliography and Works Cited Blewett, D.. "The Unity of the Manawaka Cycle." The World of the Novel: A Student's Guide to Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel. Ed. Lillian Perigoe and Beverly Copping. Scarborough: Prentice Hall Inc., 1983. 36. Laurence, Margaret. The Stone Angel. Toronto: McClelland &Stewart Inc., 1988. Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night." The Stone Angel. Margaret Laurence. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc.,1988. Prologue.