Today we finished the last story we will analyse closely in class: ‘The Road to Rankin’s Point’. When writing your essays, feel free to discuss the stories that ‘speak’ to you the most…even if we did not discuss them in class. If you would like to discuss any of the other stories…just ask. (Remember: you are NOT to write on: ‘In the Fall’, ‘As Birds Bring Forth the Sun’ or ‘Clearances’)
Homework due Tuesday: write 5 sentences in response to this prompt:
There is no place for the individual in the world of these stories.
What could you talk about?
What is their world?
Physical setting. The land, distances, past, present, the necessities of life are emphasised, there is no place/time for sentimentality, life is immediate, raw, elemental, life & death are intertwined, unforgiving, they are buffeted by impersonal forces of nature
Geospatial. Journeys, so many spaces to bridge, family everywhere in Canada, distances/roads, past/present
Psychological. Dreams, duty, sacrifice, compromise, haunted by the past
Some sample writing for you to consider and add to…
Alistair Macleod’s collection ‘Island’, stresses that there is no place for the individual in the world of these stories. Although most stories focus on the individual’s journey, MacLeod underscores how all the lives of the inhabitants of Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton in particular, are interconnected. Their interconnectivity is reflected in their social, economic and family spheres. Most obviously, the people of Nova Scotia are connected by culture and tradition. The story ‘The Vastness of the Dark’ explores the ties that bind the family and its strong traditions. The protagonist’s parents hope for their children to continue the patterns of life the same way as themselves. When James leaves, it is true he breaks away from Cape Breton, but eventually he realises the strength of his bonds to his family and his past. He may have “thought that going away was but a physical thing”, not fully cognisant of the strength of his connection to his family and this place. *Add another 1-2 sentences and 2 more quotes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Just as it is impossible for the characters to separate from their family ties, so too is it impossible for the character to isolate themselves in their work. The industries that MacLeod’s characters work in require everyone to be connected through the cruel conditions of their work. The strength of this vocational connection is illustrated in the short story …*write 3-4 sentences and add 2 quotes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alistair MacLeod’s characters inhabit a harsh and unforgiving natural setting, often sacrificing their own hopes and dreams to the weight of obligation. However, it is their shared sense of isolation, vulnerability and struggle that ties all of MacLeod’s characters together.
