A bird in the House-

A detailed Summary of A bird in the House-


In A Bird in the House, Margaret Laurence develops many patterns common throughout her collection of short stories. Among these themes is the passing of character traits from one generation to another. Many of the characters develop characteristics demonstrated by their predecessors. For example, Piquette inherits traits from her family, Ewan from his father and Vanessa from her grandfather.

Whether Piquette Tonnerre chooses to be a product of her environment or not, her family has a strong influence on her character as society's scapegoat disallows her to attain any other identity. One inheritance is her fowl mouth. Expected to care for her father, Piquette's education is "sporadic and her interest in school-work negligible". This leaves Piquette to learn broken English from the Tonnerres which is "full of obscenities". Evident early in life at the age of fourteen, Piquette tells Vanessa she "doesn't know what the hell [she is] talking about... by Jesus". Years later Piquette refers to the women of Manawaka as "old bitches an' biddies". Appearing to be trapped on "the wrong side of town" as a "dead loss" "half-breed", Piquette attempts to


Vanessa grew to become Grandfather Connor. Grandfather Connor often recoils to basement, his "den", to escape his family. Vanessa as a child hides away in the "many nooks and crannies" of her home. Affection and emotionless, Grandfather Connor wears his bear-skinned jacket. Vanessa too keeps her emotions behind a mask, as to avoid "being rejected." Vanessa also inherits her work ethics from her Grandfather. As a child Vanessa says, "I did now know then the real torment that the day of rest was for [Grandfather Connor]." Connor is always fixing this and that and is never at rest. Later in life Vanessa returns to Manawaka for the last time to see her predecessor's monuments. After seeing the grave of her parents she drives by Grandfather Connor's brick house, acknowledging that this home was his monument. Pointing out the work that needs done on the home, she realizes her work ethics replicate her Grandfather. It is evident that Vanessa has become her Grandfather in many respects and she admits, "[she] had feared and fought the old man, yet he proclaimed himself in [her] veins."

escape her circumstances. She travels from Saskatoon to Winnipeg for years only coming back

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jules Tonnerre, Vanessa Grandfather, Grandfather Connor, Granfather MacLeod, Saskatoon Winnipeg, Piquette Tonnerre, Margaret Laurence, Jesus Piquette, Grandmother MacLeod, Grandfather MacLeod, grandfather connor, father vanessa, grandfather macleod, ewan father, product environment, isolated lonely, feared fought, granfather macleod, doctor father, ewan believes,

Approximate Word count = 792
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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