The prominent life of Margaret Laurence, one of Canada's most renowned female authors, began on July 18, 1926, in the quaint prairie town of Neepawa, Manitoba. Unfortunately, at a very young age, Laurence suffered the tragic loss of both her parents. Laurence's love for literature gradually developed with the support and guidance of her stepmother, a teacher and a librarian. Early in life, Laurence decided she would fulfil her passion for literature by turning to a career in fictional writing. She used her brilliant writing skills to express her personal concern; the progress of women as they struggle for self-realization in a male-dominated world, thoroughly in many of her novels. Laurence's dedicated devotion to the female movement has been the powerful basis of several novels throughout her career, but most significantly in A Jest of God (1966) and The Fire-Dwellers (1969). However, even after completing numerous novels concerning the equality of women, Laurence continued supporting significant issues, such as world peace, social justice, and environmental protection. Her life story is inspirational and her works emit an influential persona. Sadly, Laurence lo

Laurence has the remarkable talent of starting from scratch and gradually creating personality traits to bring her characters to life. In A Jest of God, readers are introduced to the wearisome life of Rachel Cameron. Rachel is an elementary school teacher in Manawaka, Manitoba where she balances an unfulfilling existence between personal problems and problems of friends and family. At the age of thirty-four she still resides with her widowed mother in a small apartment above a Funeral home. Rachel seems respectful towards her mother on the outside, but fights back the urge to challenge her from within. She experiences a streak of bad luck that convinces her to commit suicide. Luckily, her attempts to take her own life are weak and force her to search for an alternative solution to her problems. Rachel takes a different approach in solving her dilemma. She realizes that her problem is not with those around her, but with herself. Rachel begins soul-searching and strives to find her "true" identity. Gradually, she learns to be defenceless towards love, to take risks, and to even realize her own foolishness. On occasion, Rachel loses sight of her identity and begins to pity her miserable life. Situations like these always conclude with a reference to Stacey, her older sister who escaped Manawaka to be free on her own. Rachel's jealousy towards Stacey is briefly explained when readers glimpse into Stacey's seemingly carefree life through Rachel's eyes. Laurence uses this clever tactic to connect the story of Rachel in A Jest of God to Stacey in The Fire-Dwellers.

There. That's stating it as its most brutal possibility. Look at it, Rachel. And yet I don't believe it ... do I deceive myself? More than likely. I don't know - that's the thing.

In A Jest of God, the hidden characteristics of the once timid Rachel are eventually exposed through her relationship with an old schoolmate, Nick Kazlik. Rachel is described as the confident, yet quiet character, miserably trapped in a fabricated existence. She loses her love of teaching, struggles with her mother's old age, and falls out of touch with her "true" self. With time, readers realize that Rachel subconsciously lives two separate lives. She portrays herself as being strong, hardworking, and loving, but secretly shares her genuine feelings with readers. Laurence demonstrates this by introducing Rachel's intimate thoughts after a superficial conversation with her mother:

It is the tale of The Fire-Dwellers, which sets Stacey's story straight. Rachel describes her sister as being a loving wife and mother, however in The Fire-Dwellers she is simply a heartbroken housewife who longs for a passion-driven life. She maintains a home in Vancouver, takes constant care of her four young children, helps her struggling salesperson husband, and deals with her bothersome father-in-law. Craving for a richer lifestyle, Stacey gambles her marriage and children in search of answers. Progressively, she learns to be grateful as a mother, wife, and woman, and learns to deal with her fears, desires, and marital problems. Laurence's talented writing uncovers Stacey's exceptional traits as a loving, courageous, and strong woman. As Laurence reveals the heroic stories of each individual character, readers begin appreciating and identifying with their admirable traits.

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Approximate Word count = 3164
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)