The Importance Of The Heart Of Stone In The Stone Angel

Charles Darwin, an English natural scientist believed, “A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, -- a mere heart of stone” (Darwin). This idea of a heart of stone is mirrored in Margaret Laurence’s story “The Stone Angel”. Her use of the title “The Stone Angel”, describes the protagonist Hagar and how her mother’s gravestone of the angel reflects upon Hagar as a character. This is the importance of the title “The Stone Angel”.

In the “Stone Angel” Laurence uses the title to describe the main character Hagar. The title has very specific attributions. Stone has no emotion, and is extremely hard, and cold. Just like the protagonist Hagar. “I wouldn’t let him see me cry, I was so enraged” (Laurence 9). This is the part where Hagar’s father scolds her for embarrassing him at his store. It shows how unemotional Hagar is and how she will not let anyone see how she is truly feeling. Just like stone, it is solid and cold. “But all I could think of was that meek woman I’d never seen, the woman Dan was said to resemble so much and when from whom he’s inherited a frailly I could not help but detest, however much a part of me wanted to sympathize. To play at being her – it was beyond me” (Laurence 25). Hagar is such a “stone” that she does not let herself comfort her dying brother Dan. She is so worried that she will look soft, that she allows her pride to take over instead of showing her true emotions. This resembles Hagar in a way that she values her pride and “stone-like” characteristics over exuding her emotions. The “stone-like” characteristics represent the Stone Angel itself. This is the gravestone that sits in front of Hagar’s mother’s grave. The title is so important because it really defines Hagar as a character. S...

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...epresents the title “The Stone Angel” both literally and figuratively. Literally by Hagar having characteristics like the gravestone, and figuratively by Hagar being an angel. “I lie there huge and immovable” (Laurence 251). This represents Hagar being like an angel, she is “immovable”. Hagar is not swayed or persuaded. Like an angel it is fixed in its place, just like the gravestone that is literally an angel made of stone.

Laurence wittingly showed the importance of the title throughout the entire story. She gave very key inferences between Hagar's character and the meaning of the title “The Stone Angel”. She also used the gravestone carved like an angel that reflects Hagar to prove the significance and importance of the title. Whether It be through Hagar's lack of emotion or “angel-like” qualities, the importance of the title was shown through these attributions.