1. Characters & relationships
Resource: Insight Text Guide
Alistair MacLeod’s Island
Resource: Insight Year 12 English by Robert Beardwood
Characters & relationships
Island collected stories
– Alistair macleod

2. Fathers Most significant characters are fathers
The collection portrays fatherhood as a central aspect of life for men
Often, fatherhood is fundamental to the development of the characters and to the shape of the narrative
Fatherhood links with the value of family in the collection
Some men are not fathers to the central characters but are father figures
Discuss a father/father figure in the collection who stood out for you. What was it about this character that caught your attention? Can you connect a key idea being expressed in the story with this character?

3. Mothers Mothers are more peripheral to the narratives than the fathers
Most mothers in the collection are (happily or unhappily) tied to their families through the caring roles they fill
Their influences on their children vary
Mothers in the collection tend to willingly fulfil expectations and responsibilities
Traditional gender roles that were typical of the era
Discuss a mother in the collection who stood out for you. What was it about this character that caught your attention? Can you connect a key idea being expressed in the story with this character?

4. Sons
Son = relationship with a parent (as opposed to just being a boy or a man)
Explores both sides – being a son OR being a father/mother to a son
Their growth and maturation is explored
The collection suggests that a son’s role is to learn, follow, grow and support
Guidance and care is given, but a son should live up to obligations (helping in the family business, looking after parents and elders)
Often experience emotional conflicts (particularly from childhood to adulthood)
Which son within the collection could you identify/sympathise with? What specific elements of the character could you identify/sympathise with and why?

5. siblings
The families portrayed within the collection tend to be large (perhaps due to the socioeconomic context)
An aspect that is only alluded to in the text that might explain the large family size is the impact of Catholicism and its rules regarding contraception
Frequently, all or many of the siblings of a central character remain unnamed
Consider a sibling in one of the stories. What do you know about them? What do you NOT know about them, but would like to?

6. Grandparents
They are portrayed in different ways in each story – some want to continue on with tradition, some don’t agree with this
The relationships with their children and grandchildren vary – some positive, some complex
The consistency is their presence in the collection
They represent the continuation of culture and tradition
Some stories the grandparents make a significant impact, in others the grandparents need their grandchildren just as much as they need them
How important do you think it is to understand one’s past and have a connection to those who have come before you?

7. Activity Select a character from the collection
In dot points, summarise what you know about this character
Describe how the narrator positions you to view the character. Are you sympathetic or unsympathetic? Admiring or critical? Affectionate or hostile? Identify two quotations from the story that support your answer.
Drawing on your answers to the above questions, write one or two paragraphs analysing how the narrative viewpoint constructs the character in a particular way.
HINT: Narrative viewpoint determines not just what we know about the characters, but how we relate to them. First-person narrative (which is what the collection of stories mainly uses) gives the reader a detailed understanding of the narrator’s thoughts and feelings, showing the complexities behind their actions and behaviour.