Essay Questions

What makes A Jest of God novel by Margaret Laurence an award-winning book?

Margaret Laurence is a tactical writer who not only passes educative knowledge but also makes use of the twofold appearance of time as an augmentation and rots in an illogical and sarcastic manner. For instance, the reader notices that Cameron's aging signifies supremacy and revolution. However, her mother sees aging from a different viewpoint because she believes that aging symbolizes a sluggish way of death.

How does Margaret Laurence use ordinary mythology in her novel A Jest of God to represent the coming-of-age?

Margaret Laurence uses the character, Rachel, to indicate her mythology of coming-of-age. It is ironic that Rachel does the opposite of what many parents do. Mostly, children are conditioned to respect their parents. Children view parents as the symbol of authority. Rachel learns most of her manners from her unbiased mother who values truth and all other morally acceptable standards. Rachel believers that she must be held responsible of her actions despite being a parent. Therefore, Rachel’s decision to abandon the natural authority imposed on her to take responsibility is in itself a universal mythology, which indicates the coming-of-age.

Does Margaret Laurence depict romance as the answer to the female problem in the novel A Jest of God?

The love affair discussed in this novel as the hub of this story’s plot is very ironic. According to Rachel, love is a complex layer that she has to deal with in her life. She thinks that understanding oneself and acknowledging responsibility is vital to one’s identity. Rachel is of the opinion that the proper way to solving women’s problems is self-identification and accepting responsibility. Therefore, Laurence does not depict romance as a solution to woman’s problems in her novel A Jest of God.