Like, how could a fellow do that to a person he’s just had a long conversation with, once you let them know you’re human, you have a life too, I don’t see how they could go ahead with it, right? I mean, I know it happens but I just don’t understand it, that’s the part I really don’t understand.
Prior to this quotation, Estelle has been pondering a series of darkly comedic scenarios during which she either comforts, dissuades, or distracts her potential rapist. Now, however, the story takes a far more serious turn. She ponders how—in reality, where real women are raped—anyone could fathom doing that to another human being. She speaks specifically to the fact that most rapes are committed by someone very close to the victim. Though Estelle has tried to make light of the situation with her dark humor, it’s clear she recognizes that the reality is anything but funny. She wonders how anyone could possibly stand to violate another human in such a vile manner.
I had no thought of refusing it but I felt that now Buddy had something on me. Perhaps he was handing over to me his identity, some part of himself that I was expected to keep for him and watch over. Another interpretation was that he was putting his name on me, like an ownership label, or a tattoo on a cow’s ear, or a brand. When I was back at the log house, I took off the identity bracelet and hid it under the bed. I was embarrassed by it, though the reason I gave myself was that I didn’t want it to get lost.
This quotation from “Hurricane Hazel” sets the stage for Hazel’s unhappy marriage in the future. It is here that we discover that Hazel based this relationship with Buddy off of a give-and-take scenario. When Buddy handed over his bracelet, Hazel felt as if he had offered him some piece of his identity. Because of this, she couldn’t help but feel like Buddy now had some ownership over her. This quotation helps to pinpoint Hazel’s problems with relationships—which ultimately leads to her unhappy marriage. As this exchange with Buddy highlights, Hazel’s relationships operate on an owned/owed basis. She can’t help but feel as if she’s been owned by this offering, which causes intense feelings of disgust and conflict.
Looking at them fills her with a wordless unease. Despite the fact that there are no people in them or even animals, its as if there is something, or someone, looking back out.
In this quotation, Lois—this story’s primary character—refers to all the emotions (or lack thereof) she feels when she examines paintings that are meant to inspire. Though these paintings are meant to fill its observer with peace and serenity, it only bring Lois an intense sense of unease. She refers to a strange sensation of “someone looking back out.” This likely refers to Lois’ experiences with camp when she was younger. When she was at camp, surrounded by wilderness, she felt a tremendous sense of unease. It is likely due to the uncertainty of her childhood experiences that she feels so uneasy when looking at these paintings.
Inside John, she thinks, is another John, who is much nicer. This other John will emerge like a butterfly from a cocoon, a Jack from a box, a pit from a prune, if the first John is only squeezed enough.
Unlike Version A, the character development in Version B is a bit more nuanced and in-depth. This quotation—which offers insight into Mary’s thoughts—come just after Mary has made John dinner and after the two have had sex. Though John has fallen asleep, Mary has come out to the kitchen to finish dishes. It is whilst she is doing the dishes that she has these thoughts about John. This insight into Mary’s wishes are particularly interesting, as they explain why Mary and John’s relationship continues to function as it does. Though John does not contribute to the relationship at all, and though he is not particularly kind to Mary, she continues to serve, help, and love him because she believes that, if she only loves him enough and works hard enough for him, she will eventually uncover the John she wants to love. These thoughts suggest that—deep down—Mary realizes that John will never change. She convinces herself that he might in an effort to remain sane in this relationship.
“I knew enough to realize, however, that it was a bad tactic to appear too smart. But if I had chosen to show off, Buddy might not have minded: he was the kind of boy for whom cleverness was female. Maybe he would have liked a controlled display of it, as if it were a special kind of pie or a piece of well-done embroidery.”
This quote portrays the sexism the young narrator feels from society. At a young age, she already recognizes that she shouldn’t appear too smart in front of her boyfriend so as not to be unattractive or threatening in any way. Even when she concedes that he was nice and maybe wouldn’t have been overly offended by her intelligence, she still imagines he would’ve seen smartness in a girl as he would a domestic nicety. He would have viewed her as simply clever, rather than intelligent in any challenging way toward him.
“Chickadees, Bluejays, Ravens, and Kingfishers - these were the names Camp Manitou assigned to the different age groups, a sort of totemic clan system. In those days, thinks Lois, it was birds for girls, animals for boys: wolves, and so forth.”
This quote displays the blatant sexism that was common at camps during Lois’ childhood. The girls are given names of pretty birds, while the boys are named for fierce animals, highlighting the idea that the girls should be attractive and delicate, while the boys were brave and strong.
“Girls of her age whose parents could afford it were routinely packed off to such camps, which bore a generic resemblance to one another. They favoured Indians names and had hearty, energetic leaders, who were called Cappie or Skip or Scottie.”
This quote shows the built-up idea of nature that was marketed toward wealthy North American families. It is only well-off, privileged girls that can afford to go to places like Camp Manitou and other similar overnight camps, which is at odds with the idea of living primitively. The camps have mostly Indigenous names, though they are far removed from anything Indigenous and are a completely white, European construction of nature.
“Looking back on this, Lois finds it disquieting. She knows too much about Indians: this is why. She knows for instance, that they should not even be called Indians, and that they have enough worries without other people taking their names and dressing up as them. It has all been a form of stealing.”
This quote is indicative of the inherent racism that was prevalent at Camp Manitou and other summer camps like it in Canada. Activities mimicking Indigenous cultures are performed for fun by the leaders at Camp Manitou, without any cognizance of the fact that they are taking advantage of stolen land and marginalized people. The Indigenous people have been erased from the landscape, yet their customs are being romantically appropriated for entertainment. As an older woman, Lois is more aware of this now and is therefore uncomfortable remembering her complicity in it.
“Phil went on to say that Loulou, as a name, conjured up images of French girls in can-can outfits, with corseted wasp-waists and blonde curls and bubbly laughs. But then there was the real Loulou - dark, straight-haired, firmly built, marmoreal, and well, not exactly bubbly.”
This quote highlights the dilemma that Loulou’s poet lovers have in reconciling the images her name conjures for them with her actual appearance. It is indicative of the sexist and advantageous way in which they have treated her, trying to define her by their own parameters.
