Oldal 64 [64]
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CANADIAN LANDSCAPES/ PAYSAGES CANADIENS 280). Hagar’s ensuing sense of indebtedness compels her to transcend self-centredness and physical frailty and offer Sandra assistance, which Davis sees as “a reparative moment” resonating through generations (88-89). Hagar’s story thus extends beyond her lifetime, weaving together ancestral stories in an attempt to reconcile with the complicated legacies of the past. In The Diviners, Laurence deepens her exploration of the house as a symbol of identity and belonging and examines the intergenerational dynamics between the Pioneer settlers and their descendants. Laurence portrays the rebellion of her generation’s women, who stand in stark contrast with their forebears, who were constrained by entrenched cultural and societal norms. Nonetheless, she also acknowledges the remarkable resilience demonstrated by the Pioneer settler women when confronted with the challenges of the Canadian wilderness. Upon Morag’s return from her transformative journey to Scotland, she relocates to a century-old cabin by the river, fully embracing life in the wilderness. Seeking guidance, Morag turns to Catharine Parr Traill’s Canadian Settlers’ Guide, a guidebook on the life of settlers published in the middle of the 19" century. Traill embodies one of the essential Canadian myths of a “hardy settler woman living a tough life in great hardship, walking through the snow to help sick neighbours, ploughing, raising children and suffering from the cold and isolation with grit and determination” (Wisker 256). Morag regards Traill as a mentor and engages in mental debates with her. Initially, Morag holds Traill in high esteem, perceiving her as an indisputable authority. However, as she fails to match Traill’s level of competence, Morag gradually grows weary of the archetypal ideal of the hard-working Pioneer woman that Traill represents. Morag’s evolving perspective leads her to realize that despite their remarkable competence, the early settler women were also victims of their circumstances, forced to persevere amidst harsh conditions. Morag reflects on the toll these hardships took on them, pondering how many of those “women went mad? Loneliness, isolation, strain, despair, overwork, fear. Out there, the bush. In here, a silent worried work-sodden man, squalling brats” (Laurence, The Diviners 77-78). These introspective moments prompt Morag to reconcile with the Pioneer Woman archetype, embracing not only the Pioneer Woman’s strength and endurance but also recognizing that she is no longer a threatening ideal. Instead, the Pioneer Woman becomes a symbol of resilience and adaptability, reflecting the enduring spirit of the women who came before her. Laurence recurrently juxtaposes the ancestral houses of Manawaka’s wealthiest and poorest residents, the settlers and the Métis, represented by the Tonnerre family, highlighting the stark contrasts of their histories and backgrounds. The first settlers, with their European perceptions and traditions, encountered a landscape that did not always conform to their established norms. In contrast, + 62 +
