Falling Victim to the Past
In the novel, Wild Geese, by Martha Ostenso, the members of the Gare household struggle immensely under the oppressiveness of Caleb Gare, the father and Amelia Gare, the mother. The children of the Gare family face many obstacles, such as lack of voice, lack of control, and limited possibilities. Although Ostenso's Wild Geese is an award winning piece of literature, much of the novels significance and power has been lost over time. The control Caleb and Amelia have over their children is vividly realistic but is portrayed in completely different ways; Caleb through his greed and need for control and Amelia's desire to conceal her past. During the 1920's, the time which the novel was written, children had very few rights. A child was seen as property of the family. Children were to be seen but not heard and were to always be obedient. This is definitely the case in the Gare household. This lack of children's rights is further compounded by the isolation of the Gare's farming community in rural Manitoba. Policing would not have been prevalent in the immediate area, especially when it came to household affairs. Although this sort of treatment still exists in some homes, in general, our sense of what a family's responsibi
Amelia's hatred for Caleb is enhanced by his constant threats of breaking his silence and revealing her secret. Amelia has never been able to get over the tragic death of Mark Jordan's father and put the past behind her. She values the future of Mark Jordan more than the lives of the children she shares with Caleb, or even her own happiness.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2115
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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