ninety year old woman who is nearing death and who has very little to look

back on with pride. Her life had been ruled by her concern of outward

appearances and manners. Although she often felt love and happiness, she

refused to show it fearing it may be viewed by others as a weakness. Hagar

inherited this strong pride from her father, Jason Currie, along with other

poor qualities. Throughout her life, Hagar is desperately trying to escape.

First, she tries to escape from her family, mostly her father, but in so

doing she also cuts herself off from her brother, Matt. She also ends up

leaving her husband, Brampton. Secondly, Hagar tries to escape from her

own poor qualities to which she is captive; attempting to fill the

emptiness within her. Finally and futilely, she tries to escape death. All

of these attempts fail dismally. Throughout the narration of the novel many

images are put forth repetitiously to aid the development of Hagar's

character and the main themes. The Stone Angel is a very effective story

due largely to the biblical, water, and flower imagery.

The biblical imagery is very strong and can be found numerous times

replaced the hat with dead June bugs, in an effort to be natural.

The Hagar in the Old Testament bore a wild son, Ishmael, but she also

most of her life in a drought. The water she was deprived of was that of a

although this realization has come very late in her life, she tries to do

well. But I can't help it - it's my nature. I'll drink from this glass, or

difference between the two Hagars if that Hagar Shipley is not confronted

The drink of water symbolizes a cleansing of herself, of her guilt.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Hagar Hagar's, Similarly Hagar, Margaret Laurence's, Manawaka Hagar, Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence, Valley Hagar, Laurence's Hagar, Secondly Hagar, Abraham Laurence's, stone angel, lived life, tries escape, biblical hagar, hagar shipley, hagar returned, cultivated flowers, death hagar, glass water, flower imagery, hagar lived life, development hagar's character, death flower imagery,
Approximate Word count = 1522
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)