Wild Geese (novel)
Encyclopedia
Wild Geese is a Canadian novel
of the historical fiction
genre written by the author Martha Ostenso
, first published in 1925 by Dodd, Mead and Company
. The story is set on the prairies of Manitoba
, Canada
in the 1920s. The novel details characters struggling against victimization to achieve a better life and follow their respective passions. Although the novel is primarily a realist
novel, it does contain naturalist
themes, especially in the subject of comparing Canadian wild geese to the progression of time and the inevitability of fate, as well as pathetic fallacy
elements.
, which he adores in an almost sexual manner. Caleb is very strict and blackmails several characters throughout the novel.
Amelia is Caleb's wife. She is quite detached from her children because they are also the children of her nemesis, Caleb Gare. She previously had a child out of wedlock
with Del Jordan before she married Caleb.
Judith is one of the main characters of the book. She is a young adult who is constantly described as having 'vigorous beauty' . She is in a relationship with Sven Sandbo.
Martin is one of Caleb's sons.
Ellen is Martin's twin sister.
Charlie is Caleb's favourite son.
Mark Jordan is the child of Amelia Gare and Del Jordan. He does not know who his real parents are. He is under the illusion that his parents are English immigrants. He believes his father was a scholar who died before he was born and his mother died just after his birth.
Sven Sandbo is the love interest of Judith Gare.
Fusi Aronson lived to the south of the Gare family, his land contained the muskeg which Caleb died in.
Bjarnasson Family
Skuli Erickson
Malcolm, also called Goat-Eyes. Has Scottish and Cree ancestry. Love interest of Ellen Gare. He previously worked on the Gare family farm.
Anton Klovacz owns a farm that he leaves in the care of Mark Jordan while he goes to Nykerk to see a doctor about his emaciation.
Del Jordan was Amelia Gares' love interest in the past. He was gored to death by a bul.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
of the historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
genre written by the author Martha Ostenso
Martha Ostenso
Martha Ostenso was a Canadian novelist and screenwriter.-Background:Ostenso was born in Haukeland , in Hordaland County, Norway. Her parents were Sigurd and Olina Ostenso. She emigrated with her family to the United States in 1902...
, first published in 1925 by Dodd, Mead and Company
Dodd, Mead and Company
Dodd, Mead and Company was one of the pioneer publishing houses of the United States, based in New York City. Under several names, the firm operated from 1839 until 1990. Its history properly began in 1870, with the retirement of its founder, Moses Woodruff Dodd. Control passed to his son Frank...
. The story is set on the prairies of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the 1920s. The novel details characters struggling against victimization to achieve a better life and follow their respective passions. Although the novel is primarily a realist
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
novel, it does contain naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
themes, especially in the subject of comparing Canadian wild geese to the progression of time and the inevitability of fate, as well as pathetic fallacy
Pathetic fallacy
The pathetic fallacy, anthropomorphic fallacy or sentimental fallacy is the treatment of inanimate objects as if they had human feelings, thought, or sensations. The pathetic fallacy is a special case of the fallacy of reification...
elements.
Summary
Lind Archer, a teacher from the city, has come to the Gare farm to stay while she teaches in the nearby school. As she continues to learn about life in the country, she begins to realize the plight of the family she is staying with. The strict Caleb Gare uses blackmail and punishment to get what he wants, but how secure is his position? When the young Mark Jordan, the son of his wife with another man, arrives, he tries even harder to retain control over the family. With all of his machinations failing around him, Caleb is quickly losing control over his family and consequently, over his farm.The Gare Family
Caleb is one of the wealthiest farmers in the area, although he is quite cheap. His greatest possession is his flax fieldFlax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
, which he adores in an almost sexual manner. Caleb is very strict and blackmails several characters throughout the novel.
Amelia is Caleb's wife. She is quite detached from her children because they are also the children of her nemesis, Caleb Gare. She previously had a child out of wedlock
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
with Del Jordan before she married Caleb.
Judith is one of the main characters of the book. She is a young adult who is constantly described as having 'vigorous beauty' . She is in a relationship with Sven Sandbo.
Martin is one of Caleb's sons.
Ellen is Martin's twin sister.
Charlie is Caleb's favourite son.
Other Main Characters
Lind Archer is the main character of the novel. She is a teacher who is staying with the Gare Family. Lind is from a city and is in a relationship with Mark Jordan.Mark Jordan is the child of Amelia Gare and Del Jordan. He does not know who his real parents are. He is under the illusion that his parents are English immigrants. He believes his father was a scholar who died before he was born and his mother died just after his birth.
Sven Sandbo is the love interest of Judith Gare.
Minor Characters
Thorvald ThorvaldsonFusi Aronson lived to the south of the Gare family, his land contained the muskeg which Caleb died in.
Bjarnasson Family
Skuli Erickson
Malcolm, also called Goat-Eyes. Has Scottish and Cree ancestry. Love interest of Ellen Gare. He previously worked on the Gare family farm.
Anton Klovacz owns a farm that he leaves in the care of Mark Jordan while he goes to Nykerk to see a doctor about his emaciation.
Del Jordan was Amelia Gares' love interest in the past. He was gored to death by a bul.