Margaret Laurence (1)

Margaret Laurence:

To Set Our House in Order from

A Bird in the House (1970)Oral Presentation by Lina Herber, Álvaro Garrote and Cornelia Schad

Literatura Canadiense en Lengua Inglesa Profesora Ana Maria Fraile Marcos29.10.2008

Outline

1. Biography of the author Margaret Laurence2. Main features of a Short Story3. Analysis of To Set Our House in Order4. Conclusion5. Bibliography

MARGARET LAURENCEFIRST LADY OF CANADIAN LITERATURE

BIOGRAPHY(July 18, 1926-January 5, 1987)

• Grown up in Neepawa• Her parents died when she was a child• Bachelor of arts degree at United College• 1947, married Jack Laurence• 1949-1957, she left Canada and lived in England, Somalia

and Ghana.• In 1952 and 1954 had her children.• 1957, moved to Vancouver.• 1962, she moved with her children to Penn (England)• 1969, got divorced• 1974,went back to Canada-Lakefield, Ontario

1. Biography of the author Margaret Laurence page 2 of 15

WORKS

THE MANAWAKA CYCLE1964- The Stone Angel –Hagar Shipley1966-A Jest of God – Rachel Cameron1969- The Fire-Dwellers - Stacey MacAindra1970- A Bird in the House – Vanessa MacLeod1974- The Diviners – Morag Gunn

COMMON FEATURES:• Set in Manawaka (Neepawa)• Feminism - Main characters are women- four different

generations.• God’s presence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hamiltonst.jpg

1. Biography of the author Margaret Laurence page 3 of 15

SHORT STORY

• The story has not many places of action

• The action has already begun when the story starts

• Normally the ending is not closed

• All types of narrators

2. Main features of a Short Story page 4 of 15

3. Analysis of To Set Our House in Order

a) Relation to other stories in the collection A Bird in the House

b) Summaryc) Characterization of the main charactersd) Typical and special aspects of a short story in To Set

Our House in Ordere) Relation to the titlef) Autobiographical aspects

3. Analysis of To Set Our House in Order page 5 of 15

A BIRD IN THE HOUSE1970

• Collection of interrelated short stories

• Autobiographic

• Main character and narrator - Vanessa MacLeod

• The story opens on Remembrance Day

• To set our house in order

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a) Relation to other stories in the collection A Bird in the House page 6 of 15

Vanessa• The narrator of the story• 10 years old• Has no close relationship to her grandmother• Likes her aunt Edna (p. 429)• Is unable to comprehend certain things according to

her young age (p.431)• Is about to discover how reality looks like in her family• Does not know if she feels happy or sad about her

new brother (p.432)• Questions the rules and orders of her grandmother

(p. 435)

c) Characterization of the main characters page 7 of 15

Mom Beth

• Has already lost a child before• Can`t assert herself towards grandmother MacLeod

is in an inferior position to her

c) Characterization of the main characters page 8 of 15

Dad Ewen• Doctor in Manawaka • Highly influenced by his mother• He feels guilty that his brother has died – bad conscience• He is afraid of disappointing his mother• He still wants to treat her like a lady

Grandmother MacLeod• She thinks of herself as a lady (p.432)• Likes and lives the British lifestyle• Wealth and prestige matter to her the most• Vanessa claims that grandmother MacLeod “does not

believe in the existence of fear“ (p.426)• She has a lack of sense of reality• Is not aware of the change that has taken place in the

last couple of years – sticks to the “old times“• Contradictory character (p. 428)• Her rules and orders on Vanessa are based on the Bible

(p. 427)

c) Characterization of the main characters page 9 of 15

Aunt Edna• Makes fun of the “Royal Highness“(p.429)• Reveals certain parts of the truth to Vanessa• Helps Vanessa to bare her anxieties• Down-to-earth• Friendly character - the reader sympathizes

with her

c) Characterization of the main characters page 10 of 15

Typical and special aspects of a short story in To Set Our House in Order

• Single main character: Vanessa

• Predominant element: Vanessa‘s feelings during the days when her little brother is born

• Narrator: Vanessa (first person)

• Initial incident: the moment when her mother has to be brought to the hospital

• Primary action takes place in Grandmother MacLeod‘s house (p. 426 / 427)

• Time period: 2 nights and 2 days

d) Typcial and special aspects of a short story in To Set Our House in Order page 11

Relation to the title

• Quotation from the Bible• P. 428 Grandmother: he wants each one of us

to set our house in order• P. 429: (she had) never lived in a messy house• P. 435 Vanessa: I felt that whatever God might

love in this world, it was certainly not order

e) Relation to the title page 12 of 15

Autobiographical aspects• The Vanessa MacLeod stories of the collection

A Bird in the House are known for the highly autobiographical content

• Removal to grandparent’s house• Aunt Edna is similar to Laurence‘s aunt who

encouraged and guided her in writingThe Margaret Laurence House (house of her grandfather John Simpson)

http://www.margaretlaurence.net/about.html

f) Autobiographical aspects page 13 of 15

4. Conclusion

• Is there a morale of the short story?• What is Laurence‘s purpose in writing the

Vanessa MacLeod‘s stories?• Can you identify with Vanessa?• Do you think religion plays an important role

in the short story? – Do you think Laurence wants to criticize the church?

• How do the accidents influence Vanessa‘s thoughts?

4. Conclusion page 14 of 15

5. Bibliography• To Set Our House in Order from A Bird in the House (1970)• Short Story analysis:

http://www.newi.ac.uk/englishresources/workunits/ks3/genre/shortstory.html (22.10.08 19:51)

• http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004552

• http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/laurence.html

• http://www.bookrags.com/biography/margaret-laurence/• http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/margaret-laurence/bird-

in-house.htm

5. Bibliography page 15 of 15

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