Relection

Reflection

                Every year I have dreaded the novels we would be forced to read and the seemingly endless Socratic circles that would ensue. It seems that no matter how good a novel is, when forced upon me, I immediately but my back up and before I have even opened the book I have made predictions about how awful it will be. I remember laughing at the last semester group about their blogs and thinking how stupid of an idea it was. However, in hindsight I should not have come to such conclusions.

                Initially it seemed that this whole blog thing was going to be an attempt to try to make the curriculum “cool” but I must say I take all that back, it was such a natural fit for doing homework and made completing assignments very easy. My eyes have been opened to what Canadian literature can become when done well, much like any work of literature. I have often found that Canadian novels like “White Fang” by Jack London were all that existed for Canadian literature and for that reason had given up on reading novels by Canadian authors. I must say though when done correctly much like Jane Urquhart has done with her novel “The Stone Carvers” it can be very rewarding. It is also a nice feeling to see all the things critics had to say about her novel and how positive the comments were towards Canada. Being the neighbour to the US, Canada often is overshadowed in many ways so it’s nice to hear about your country every now and then.

                I wouldn’t specifically say that by reading this novel I have gained a heightened sense of reading but what I would comment on is that when it comes down to writing, now realizing that if done well you can write novels about anything you like and if done well will be taken seriously. Trying to implement this into my writing may take time but I think even gaining this knowledge will ultimately help my writing. The other thing that has helped enormously is the peer editing groups. It gave you a vast array of opinions that helped give you a more rounded perspective of your work, rather than one person’s opinions and the direction they feel you should go.

                Overall I feel that I have learned exploring homework through the facet of technology has proved to work exceptionally well. It almost felt natural to do work as I am always near some kind of computer so when ideas would pop into my head I could rush over and write these things down rather than searching for a piece of paper and pen. In short, the ISU has helped develop my opinion of Canadian literature by showing me that there are novels that exist that can be interesting. The other thing I learned throughout this process was how helpful your peers could be, and just how important they were to the overall quality of your work.

Works Cited

Lancashire, Ian. "Jane Urquhart, Biography."University of Toronto. 20 Apr. 2009 

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/urquhart/index.htm

"Jane Urquhart Biography."Biography Base Home. 20 Apr. 2009 

http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Urquhart_Jane.html

Morgan, Melissa. "Bookreporter.com - THE STONE CARVERS by Jane Urquhart." Bookreporter.com. 20 Apr. 2009 

       http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0670030449.asp

Urquhart, Jane. The Stone Carvers. Boston: Penguin (Non-Classics), 2003.

Explication

Explication of Ambition in The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart

                Walking down the road of ambition is one that few take. The simple reason being that before committing to this untraveled road one knows that they may become very prosperous, however, with too much ambition one stands the chance to go down hard, very hard. Jane has captured just this kind of ambition in both of its most extremes; beneficial and harmful. Ambition can be done by just any author but capturing the true reality of its meaning can prove to be a huge obstacle to even the most trained of authors. For these reasons the most suiting of Polti’s thrity-six dramatic situations for the novel “The Stone Carvers” is character ambition. Capturing this theme in a couple of less important characters Urquhart has been able to alter the entire direction of the novel. What seems to be nothing more than a boys dream of flying turns into a novel that is “not just delightful, but essential” (Urquhart Back Page) Although the theme of ambition is not directly placed into any of the main characters it is this that creates a diverse story, also proving to be an immaculate foundation for the novel to reach its true potential.

Every war comes with so many horrors and personal loss that it is not surprising “in the small unimportant village of Shoneval there was an experience of a slightly different nature as only one young man, dressed in a red waistcoat far too heavy for the perfect weather, walked out of town without fanfare” (Urquhart 153). This soldier, Eamon O’Sullivan had been looking for any reason to fly an aeroplane ever since that “catastrophic noise sputtered” (Urquhart 123) in the sky signalling the presence of this majestic piece of machinery.  He was so animated he could not help but exclaim, “This is a miraculous day. What if I hadn’t been there? What if I’d been somewhere else?” (Urquhart 125) Beginning as a boys dream this proves to be a much more crucial element to the novel than is initially understood. Had it not been for this very encounter, Eamon would not have gone to war and would have married Klara saving her from the emotionally struggles she would face. In the end his ambition resulted in her travelling to Vimy Ridge and ultimately allowing her to find love again. Such an inspection reveals how simple an event can cascade out of proportions and ultimately alter our lives. Given this is the product of over ambition (although rare) happens to the best of us, and can get out of hand quick. Thankfully there are more goods that come from ambition but these specific cases of trauma are to be expected, it just comes down to chance on which hand you get dealt.

On the other spectrum the colours are much more vivid and bright as Urquhart incorporated a positive spin on her central theme of ambition into more than just one of her characters. Tilman was never one to take confinement well, he could not keep the rolling pastures and sweeping mountains from his mind. Tilman journeyed for days at a time enjoying the feeling of freedom. He never returned home for any specific reason but rather a feeling inside him told him to go home. Finally departing for the final time Tilman felt at home as “he had always enjoyed the far view of this familiar world, distance having knit together the disparate components of barn, orchard, pasture, and house into a satisfying whole-a picture he could take with him in his mind” (Urquhart 173). Enjoying this sense of freedom Tilman remained ambitious and at the mention of his freedom being taken away he “stiffened, preparing as always, for flight at the suggestion of confinement” (Urquhart 183). Although Tilman may not have became the next brain surgeon what mattered to him was his freedom and he strived to keep this status quo with his environment. Sticking to your gut feeling is something that takes guts quite literally. It is only for a select crowd but is a incredible quality that should be commemorated to those that have it.

Whether the concept of ambition be harmful or beneficial it is a quality that is easily understood but creating this within a character can be rather tricky as it defines who a person is rather than a person that defines their emotions. Jane Urquhart should be commemorated for her effective use of Polti’s dramatic situation of ambition, not only showing one side of the situation but showing both and their gains/losses associated with each. For this reason it only seems fit that this novel be used a perfect example of its dramatic situation; ambition.

Apologia

Apologia

                Canadian literature can often be the center of literary jokes, however, “The Stone Carvers,” by Jane Urquhart crushes these stereotypes as it was, “a finalist for both the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award” (“Biography Base”). Not to mention the author’s ongoing list of awards which even includes a Governor General’s Award and a Trillium Award. Novels may win awards all the time, but, Jane’s extensive list has allowed her work to reach global recognition and has proved Canadian literature on the world’s stage. So who then seems more befitting to be a Canadian icon (and creator of “The Stone Carvers,” the canon of Canadian literature) than her?

Jane has been rooted in Canadian soil since her birth in, “Little Longlac, Ontario” (“Biography Base”). Being brought up in Canada (more specifically Toronto) Jane has brought her experiences into her novels as she talks, “of the migrating birds and the winding roads and trails of Ontario” (“Bookreporter”).  Due to Jane’s personal firsthand experience with the our great country of Canada and her stories of it her novels “have been published in many countries, including Holland, France, Germany, Britain, Scandinavia, Australia, and The United States” (“Biography”) and to top it off have “been translated into several languages” (“Biography”). There are many qualities Jane possesses but one that seems to really stand out is the fact that she writes about Canada’s wilderness and creates intricate settings that revolve around Canada and its participation to global events. So often authors are more pre occupied on the necessity of income that they often overlook Canada’s potentials in fiction and as a result choose to root their novels in settings where they will attract a larger base of people that can relate to their material, rather than emphasizing the true beauty Canada has to offer. Essentially Jane has shaped herself into a respectable individual not only recognized for her work in Canadian literature but also on a global scale.

Understanding Canada’s significance to the war and wanting to eternalize the losses of war are emotions that only overcome the most patriotic of citizens. In “The Stone Carvers,” Jane has used her literary influence to place a large emphasis on Vimy Ridge (and all those that fought for it). She has accomplished this because of the fact that she has produced outstanding works of literature that has established her fame and renown. This means that now any novel she creates will be read by an extensive crowd and the central themes in her novels are realized and recognized on a global scale. Had she not taken the time to research this expansive topic the monument may have otherwise slipped away from the world’s collective memory, turning into nothing but a chapter in the history books. To top things off the novel is very informative as it gives various accounts about different industries as well as feelings from local settlers, which (when meshed together) led to an intriguing reality of the time. Even in the introduction in the priest's narration you were able to grasp the conflicts present at the time when Canada was being settled. Due to this it creates a great foundation for the story to build upon. What better way to learn about your nation than by researching its development.

Accumulating this information and weaving it together would have been no easy task, and yet, Jane Urquhart has found a reason to complete this exact task, and must I say with considerable effectiveness. Many citizens of this great country take our situation for granted and fail to realise the numerous soldiers that fought for the incredible lifestyle we lead today. For the reasons already stated it only seems fit that “The Stone Carvers” by Jane Urquhart should remain a canon of Canadian literature.

4th Reading Response "Stone Carvers"

The final quarter of the novel truly does fulfill its potential by bringing all the characters together to form a tightly knit story. Considering the author spent almost the entire novel (first 3 quarters) laying down character foundation it’s nice to see that the author produced results and didn’t let the novel slip away.

We are finally able to see Klara overcome the grief that once surrounded her with thoughts of Eamon with the help of Tilman returning. Deciding to go work on the Vimy ridge memorial currently underway in France Klara demonstrates her ability to carve. Although the author has told us that she was an incredible carver, it is truly put into perspective when William Allward makes the comment that, “You suffer from an excess or originality.”(P.346) For this reason he only allows Klara to carve the face of her young lover. (Eamon) This is an immense point of recognition as Allward is so obsessed with this memorial that he spent five years just searching for the right stone. Receiving a comment like this for Klara was so important because, being a spinster she had felt that she needed no ones help or opinion. However, now that she was relieving this grief we see her character develop past points never thought possible. 

As I had mentioned in the previous response as to whether all these side characters developed during Tilman's journey the author did indeed bring them back into the story. Giorgio being the one to fall in love with Klara. Re-igniting in her a sense of desire and to the story her entire character. Slowly the author was intending to let her slip away from the reader so that when brought back to life she stood out and returned to the bright character we once remembered.

Although a smaller theme in the grand scheme of the novel, Klara and Tilman develop an understanding for each other and the life that they once lived. Being a recurring theme throughout the novel it was nice to have some closure that they finally understand each other and recognize the feats each has overcome. Although the novel developed into a love story as Klara finds new love and desire inside herself, it still managed to give close to all the characters you as the reader had become attached to. In the end the novel did a very good job of character development and used this as a way to interconnect everything in the novel. Good book.

 

3rd Reading Response "Stone Carvers"

It seems that every quarter of the novel slowly changes and progresses to a different character and then proceeds to start fresh and give us their entire life’s story. Nonetheless due to the nature of the story this is a critical step as each character has a very unique journey but not one that necessarily interconnects with the others.

This section focuses on Tilman (Klara’s brother) who has always been one to wonder away from his life and explore the outside communities. Reverting back to the beginning of his life away from home the author is then able to help you make a better connection within all the characters that would otherwise be impossible. It almost seems as if the author is using Tilman as a tool to create characters that she can then later bring back and weave into the story. Although nothing decisively has been done to demonstrate this yet, it seems peculiar. The reason for this is because she is creating very in-depth characters for someone related to Tilman who is likely to move around and flee from containment in any posed situation.

Capturing the height of the depression as well as the state of the country is not an easy task. Yet, the author is doing an impeccable job of describing the state of the country during the depression. Everything from riding the rails to the moral state of communities were achieved through Tilman’s experiences travelling the world. I found it very intriguing because everything was based in Canada so Tilman faced experiences like being, “. . thrown off the train twice in Saskatchewan, near Moosejaw on the way out,” and his description of the “huge marble palace of Union Station.”

It will be interesting to see whether these well developed characters will tie back into the story or whether the author just decided to add extra focus to these auxiliaries. Either way she continues to focus on excellent character development and has now (at least seemingly) introduced to all the characters. For this reason it will be interesting to see what becomes of them all.

2nd Reading Response "Stone Carvers"

Throughout the novel so far I remain perplexed at how the author is able to capture very fine details of character even when the scope of characters is large. On top of this she is able intertwine all of their pasts and personalities together to create a very effective story. During the second quarter of the novel we have moved past Father Gstir and have now turned to Klara Becker and her coming of age story and her influences from Eamon (boyfriend).

Although there are a variety of ways the author has captivated Klara's unique story there are a few that stood out to me. The first of these methods are how her grandfather notices a reflection of Klara's emotions through the abbess (superior of a convent of nuns) she is carving. In the novel he notes, "This abbess, he said, is too young. And far too cheerful. She looks as if she has spent most of her short life dreaming in a field of flowers. No man would accept advice from her. No pope would listen to her for one minute!" By doing this we see that her emotions are so passionate that they are reflecting into everything she does, whether it be a conscious action or not. However, this is not the only time her grandfather comments on the abbess. He also makes note of an anger in the abbess as well as her being too resolute. The authors subtly to convey this emotion based from her grandfathers observation I felt to be very effective. It helps you as a reader to grasp the magnitude of her emotions. The second method takes on a similar shape in the way that as news arrives that Eamon is MIA Klara pulls her hair back and takes on the attitude of a spinster. This metonymy the author used was helpful as it showed (without directly stating in the text) Klara's emotions and state of mind. The relation to spinster being that they often do not seek help and feel as though they can accomplish everything on their own, and refuse any outside help. Again this subtle step taken by the author really helps when in combination with everything else, to better connect with the characters and in this case Klara's emotions during her adolescence.