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Margaret Laurence

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	Margaret Laurence
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	Topics Margaret Laurence Topic Home Jean Margaret Laurence (née Wemyss) was a CanadianCanada Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America.... novelNovel A novel is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose.... ist and short storyShort story Summary A short story is a form of short fictional narrative prose.... writer. Born in NeepawaNeepawa, Manitoba Neepawa is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the Yellowhead Highway.... , ManitobaManitoba Summary Manitoba is one of Canada's provinces.... , Laurence was the daughter of solicitor Robert Wemyss and Verna Jean Simpson. Following the death of her mother when Laurence was four, Margaret Simpson, a maternal aunt, came to take care of the family. A year later, Simpson married her father and in 1933 they adopted a son, Robert. In 1935, Robert Wemyss Sr. died of pneumonia. Education In 1944, Laurence attended Winnipeg's United CollegeUniversity of Winnipeg The University of Winnipeg received its charter in 1967 but its roots date back more than 130 years.... (now the University of Winnipeg) on scholarship, pursuing an honours EnglishEnglish studies , [[publishing]... degree. She wrote for the student newspaper and became involved with the "Old Left" socialist reform group. She graduated in 1947. Soon afterwards, she was hired as a reporter for The Winnipeg Citizen, where she wrote book reviews, covered labour issues, and hosted a daily radio column. Personal life Following her graduation from United College, she married John Fergus Laurence, an engineer. His job took them to EnglandEngland England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom.... (1949), the then-British protectorate of SomalilandFacts About Somaliland Somaliland is an unrecognized de facto sovereign state state located in northwest Somalia in the Horn of Africa.... (1950–1952) and GhanaGhana Overview Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa.... (1952–1957). Laurence developed an admiration for AfricaAfrica Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth.... and the African peoples which found expression in her writing. In 1952, Laurence gave birth to daughter Jocelyn during a leave in England. Son David was born in 1955 in the Gold CoastGold Coast (British colony) Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa.... . The family left the Gold Coast just before it gained independence as Ghana in 1957, moving to VancouverVancouver Vancouver is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia.... , British ColumbiaBritish Columbia British Columbia, often referred to as B.C. or BC , is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for it... , where they stayed for five years. In 1962, she separated from her husband and moved to LondonLondon London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom.... , England for a year. She then moved to Elm Cottage where she lived for more than ten years, although she visited Canada often. Her divorce became final in 1969. That year, she became writer in residence at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto The University of Toronto is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario.... . A few years later, she moved to LakefieldLakefield, Ontario Lakefield is a village that is part of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield, Peterborough County, Ontario, although it was formerly a s... , OntarioOntario Ontario is the most populous and second-largest in area of Canada's ten provinces.... . She also bought a cabin on the Otonabee RiverOtonabee River The Otonabee River is a river that runs from Katchewanooka Lake near Lakefield, into the east side of Peterborough, Ontario,... near PeterboroughPeterborough, Ontario Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, 125km northeast of Toronto.... , where she wrote The Diviners (1974) during the summers of 1971 to 1973. Laurence served as Chancellor of Trent UniversityTrent University Trent University is a liberal arts oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.... in Peterborough from 1981 to 1983. In 1986, Laurence was diagnosed with lung cancerLung cancer Lung cancer is a cancer of the lungs characterized by the presence of malignant tumours.... late in the disease's development. According to the James King biography,The Life of Margaret Laurence, the prognosis was grave, and as the cancer had spread to other organs, there was no treatment offered beyond palliative carePalliative care Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of the symptoms of a dis... . Laurence decided the best course of action was to spare herself and her family further suffering. She committed suicide at her home in Lakefield on January 5, 1987. She was buried in her hometown in the Neepawa Cemetery, Neepawa, Manitoba. Laurence's house in Neepawa has been turned into a museum. Her literary papers are housed in the at York UniversityYork University York University is a large comprehensive university, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.... . Literary career Laurence began to write short stories shortly after her marriage, as did her husband. Each published fiction in literary periodicals while living in Africa, but Margaret continued to write and expand her range. Her early novels were influenced by her experience as a minority in Africa. They show a strong sense of ChristianChristian A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as Christ.... symbolismSymbolism Symbolism is the systematic or creative use of arbitrary symbols as abstracted representations of concepts or objects and t... and ethical concern for being a white person in a colonial state. It was after her return to Canada that she wrote The Stone AngelThe Stone Angel *The Stone Angel, first published in 1964 by McClelland and Stewart, is perhaps the best-known of Margaret Laurence's ser... , the book for which she is best known. Set in a fictional prairiePrairie Prairie* refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically supported grasses and herbs, with few trees, a... small town, the novel is narrated retrospectively by Hagar Shipley, a ninety-four year old woman living in her eldest son’s home in Vancouver. Published in 1964, the novel is of the literary form that looks at the entire life of a person, and Laurence produced a novel from a Canadian experience. After finishing schoolFinishing school A finishing school is a type of private school for girls that emphasizes cultural studies and prepares students especially f... , the narrator moves from TorontoToronto Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario, located on the northwestern shore of Lake Onta... to Manitoba, and marries a rough-mannered homesteader, Bram Shipley, against the wishes of her father, who then disinherits her — disinheritance a recurring theme in much of Laurence's fiction. The couple struggles through the economic hardship and climatic challenges of Canadian frontier existence, and Hagar, unhappy in the relationship, leaves Bram, moving with her son John to Vancouver where she works as a domestic for many years, betraying her social class and upbringing. The novel is often assigned reading in Canadian secondary and post-secondary schools. Laurence was published by Canadian publishing company McClelland and StewartMcClelland and Stewart McClelland and Stewart is a Canadian publishing company.... , and she became one of the key figures in the emerging Canadian literatureCanadian literature Canadian literature may be divided in two parts, somewhat like a tree with two great roots.... tradition. Her published works after The Stone Angel express the changing role of women's lives in the 1970s. Although on the surface, her later works like the The DivinersThe Diviners *The Diviners* is a novel by Margaret Laurence.... depict very different roles for women than her earlier novels do, it is safe to say that Laurence throughout her career was faithfully dedicated to presenting a female perspective on contemporary life, depicting the choices — and consequences of those choices — women must make to find meaning and purpose in life. In later life, Laurence was troubled when a fundamentalist Christian group succeeded in briefly removing The DivinersThe Diviners *The Diviners* is a novel by Margaret Laurence.... as course material from Lakefield High School, her local secondary school. The Stone AngelThe Stone Angel (film) *The Stone Angel* is a 2007 Canadian film, made by Kari Skogland.... , a feature-length film based on Laurence's novel, written and directed by Kari Skogland and starring Ellen BurstynEllen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn is an Academy Award-winning American actress.... will premiere in Fall 2007. Awards and recognition In 1967, Laurence won the Governor General's AwardGovernor General's Award Summary Since their creation in 1937, the Governor General's Literary Awards have become one of Canada's most prestigious prizes, aw... for her novel A Jest of God (1966). In 1972 Laurence was made a Companion of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada The Order of Canada is Canada's highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Order's Latin mo... . The Stone AngelThe Stone Angel *The Stone Angel, first published in 1964 by McClelland and Stewart, is perhaps the best-known of Margaret Laurence's ser... was one of the selected books in the 2002 edition of Canada ReadsCanada Reads Canada Reads* is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the ... , championed by Leon RookeLeon Rooke Leon Rooke is a Canadian novelist.... . The University of WinnipegUniversity of Winnipeg The University of Winnipeg received its charter in 1967 but its roots date back more than 130 years.... named a Women's StudiesFacts About Women's studies Women's studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics.... Centre, and an annual speaker series, in Laurence's honour. Bibliography A Tree for Poverty (1954) — anthology of Somali poetry and folk stories This Side Jordan (1960) The Tomorrow-Tamer (1963) — collection of ten short stories set in West Africa The Prophet's Camel Bell (1963) — non-fiction account of Laurence's life in Somaliland The Stone AngelThe Stone Angel *The Stone Angel, first published in 1964 by McClelland and Stewart, is perhaps the best-known of Margaret Laurence's ser... (1964) was set in the fictional town of ManawakaManawaka Manawaka* is a fictional town in the Canadian province of Manitoba, frequently used as a setting in novels and short stories ... , Manitoba (based on Neepawa, Manitoba, where Laurence grew up). ISBN 0-226-46936-0 A Jest of God (1966) was also set in Manawaka. It won the Governor General's Award in 1967. The book was made into the 1968 movie Rachel, RachelRachel, Rachel *Rachel, Rachel* is a 1968 film which tells the story of a repressed school teacher, living with her mother, who suddenly ... , starring Joanne WoodwardJoanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an Emmy Award and Academy Award-winning American actress.... . Long Drums and Cannons: Nigerian Dramatists and Novelists 1952-1966 (1968) The Fire-Dwellers (1969) A Bird in the HouseA Bird in the House *A Bird in the House* is the title of a short story sequence written by Margaret Laurence.... (1970) — collection of short stories Jason's Quest (1970) — children's book The DivinersThe Diviners *The Diviners* is a novel by Margaret Laurence.... (1974) Heart of a Stranger (1976) — essays Six Darn Cows (1979) — children's book The Olden Days Coat (1980) — children's book A Christmas Birthday Story (1982) — children's book (1989) External links entry in University of Winnipeg's