Stone Angel by: Margaret Laurence Chapter 1 Notes

Plot 1-(90 year old Hagar- 2-3 weeks) Hagar, flaunting smoking - she had cared too long what others thought. Marvin, legal power of attorney, her son whom she lives with, and Doris (daughter-in-law), want to sell the house and move to an apartment. Hagar disapproves. Marvin, who has taken over her business affairs, hates confrontation and leaves the conversation. Doris suggest that Hagar meet with Mr. Troy, the priest.

Plot 2 – Young hagar living on the prairies – late 1800’s) Did she feel responsible? Was she to blame? Did her father blame her? Young hagar remembers the stone angel - pure, white, marble, costly, imported from Italy, in memory of her mother who died at hagar’s birth. (No eyes on the statue) hagar feels pressure from Auntie Doll to live “up to” the past. She lives in a new brick house. Father - Jason Currie , brothers - Matt and Dan. Proud family- self-made man - pulled up by the bootstraps. Father appeared disappointed in the boys who tried, but couldn’t please him. hagar appeared to most resemble her father’s strength; she refused to cry when he beat her with a ruler.

Plot 2 hagar’s friends were: Chrolette Tappen - doctor’s daughter Lottie Drieser - Lottie No-Name Telford Simmons - undertaker’s son Mr. Currie never remarried - the housekeeper wanted to marry him, but hagar knew that he wouldn’t due to status. hagar sees her father with Lottie Drieser’s mother, who refuses his advances, thus making him angry. Soon after she dies and he responds: 1. expresses sympathy to her troubled life. 2. declared that her sort wasn’t much of a loss. 3. startled at the thought that she had died of consumption (contagious).

Plot 2 Matt - skinny, wore glasses, hard worker Daniel - delicate, avoided work - died of pneumonia hagar couldn’t help Matt nurse Daniel on his death bed, just as she couldn’t kill chickens at the town dump to spare their misery, but Lottie could.