A Life Of Regret Abid Saleem 12th Grade

As one reflects on the past, he or she will be full of pride and guilt. Margaret Laurence uses her protagonist Hagar Shipley from her fictional novel The Stone Angel to explain bitterness, longing, and reverence is the result of contemplating the past. Despite being born a Currie, Hagar is unable to possess the honor that the Currie name symbolizes. As a result, Hagar lives a life of bitterness and longs for the relationships she could not attain due to unwillingness to express emotion. In her old age, Hagar consumes herself with pride and guilt when she ponders the past.

Throughout her life, Hagar tries to live in accordance to the Currie name. The prestige that comes with the Currie name is what Hagar deeply respects and longs for. Mrs. Shipley first shows her affection of the Currie name when she reminisces to her childhood. Hagar is fond of her reputable father as she refers to him as a “self-made man” who “had pulled himself by the bootstraps” (Laurence 7). She is proud of her father’s ability to rise from an initial state of poverty to a prominent figure in the community. Moreover, Hagar admires the family lineage and holds it in high regard: “The Curries are Highlanders… The Highlanders must be the most fortunate men on...