Drama at the Farm: A Canadian Survival Story Essay

Canadian Writer Marg atomic number 18t Atwood would argue that every country in the world has a single unifying and informing symbolic representation, to act as a belief system that keeps everyone together and working for common leftovers. These unifying symbols manifest in the literature produce by authors and literary thinkers whether or non it is done consciously or subconsciously. According to Atwood, in the get together States Frontier is the unifying symbol, the exploration of new land, the west and independence from imperial powers. In the United Kingdom the Island is a distinct symbol of common national sentiments, the idea of the central island nation controlling its lands and wealth from behind the safety of its metaphorical walls this symbol is perfectly represented by the medieval castles and fortresses of that nation. With these examples in mind Atwood states that the unifying symbol for Canadian Lifestyle, and consequently literature, is Survival.As a result of the C anadas geographical shape, its vast landmass and bitter climate, as well as the nations origins as subordinate to imperial rule, Survival becomes the common tramp which bonds the lives thought and experiences of all Canadians. It is much real to us than the frontier or the island. In her essay, Survival A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature, Atwood goes into outstanding detail about this idea of choice and development, she outlines her cardinal dupe strengths with the intention of increasing understanding of Canadian literature, and how these guidelines apply to anyone, Canadian or oppositewise. In The sweetheart, by Guy Vanderhaeghe, Atwoods concepts fuel be employ to identify and understand the mystify of Vanderhaeghes main character, Charlie Bradley, as well as augment understanding of Vanderhaeghes work as a piece of distinctly Canadian fictional Literature.Atwoods four victim topographic points can be used to understand characters from Canadian fiction from the distinctly Canadian point of view, survival. The hero of most Canadian fiction is the survivor, the main character or protagonist survives where the other characters do not, or they survive one ordeal only to succumb to something else, The survivor has no triumph or victory but the fact of his survival he has little after his ordeal that hedid not have before, except gratitude for having escaped with his life.(Atwood 33). The Canadian protagonist or survivor doesnt stage the myth that they can beat adversity to better themselves or their situation, rather they are no better of than before their ordeal, or maybe worse, by are fortunate to have escaped with their lives. The survivor is therefore inherently and unavoidably a victim in one form or another, and Atwoods speckle can be use to identify and grasp a greater understanding of the survivor character, his actions, thoughts, and decisions.To understand Charlie Bradley one must first understand the four basic victim positions. A person of the first victim position is in denial of the fact that they are the victim, usual their slightly elevated attitude above their peers makes them feel that anyone can succeed if they wanted to and those that dont are just lazy. A person from the second victim position ac dealledges their using but resigns to it because of feelings that it is the result of uncontrollable exterior forces such as fate, they feel their position as a victim is inevitable and cannot be changed. Individuals of the third position acknowledge their victimization but refuse to accept the role is inevitable as in position two.However a person in position three doesnt use their frustration at their victimization in a creative manner, they dont use their energy to change their position they just loath themselves and are jealous of those who are not victims. A person in position four is what Atwood calls a creative non victim (Atwood 38). For these individuals victimization is not a reality, they use their energy to rise above the existence of victimization and are positively creative with their situation.Vanderhaeghes main character from his minuscule story, The Watcher,Charlie Bradley fits perfectly into Atwoods definition of the second victim position. Charlie Acknowledges his victimization but feels there is nothing he can do about it. secernate of Charlies position can be found numerous times throughout the text. From the very first sentence of Vanderhaeghes story one can cast type Charlie. He says, I suppose it was having a bad chest that turned me into an observer, a watcher, at an early age. (Vanderhaeghe 207).From this statement you already know that Charlie blames his situation as being an observer on his bad chest, an uncontrollable external for, he cannot control his sickness and so resigns to be a victim of it. The rest of the story circle rounds around Charlies talent for observing events but never participating, the situation he deals with when he is shipped of to his grandmas farm and forced to deals with his mentally explosive aunt and her freeloading boyfriend Thompson. Charlie fancies himself a spy observing the details and doing nothing. More evidence of his position comes from thoughts on his aunts situation, Charlie says, Evelyn, was evidence enough of how firm bound we all are to the wretched wheel of life and its stumbling desires. (Vanderhaeghe 221). Again resigning everything to the whims of fate.Charlies true position as the surviving victim comes at the end of the story when he is forced into the game, no longer a watcher, and must chose between taking the side of his Grandma or that of Thompson in identifying the assailants, who identity he does know to be the Ogden Brothers hired by his Grandma to beat up Thompson. And now he is asking me to save him, to take a risk, when I was more completely in her clutches than he would ever be. He forgot I was a child. I depended on her. (Vanderhaeghe 239). Charlie admits to withhold ing the truth to save himself, even if it meant bother Thompson. Charlie is the survivor, he is the victim of circumstance be he has the foresight to save himself even if it isnt the right thing to do.Canadian short stories are climb of survivors, the characters created by Vanderhaeghe as well as those of many authors face different challenges than the characters of literature from other nations. Canada is a nation of survivors, if only just barely. Margaret Atwood is one Canadian writer who fully understands this survivor position and the levels of victimization that come along with it. Canadian heroes are the ones who face adversity to gain something, but those who are pounded by the outside world and are just able to have on to their lives.This situation, at least metaphorically, will be familiar to all Canadians and the great impair section of writers from various cultural backgrounds. Their diversity only reinforcing the notion that this country, the land changes you, give u s all something in common, that unifying symbol that Atwood praises as the center of everythingCanadian. Survival. As Atwood aptly puts it, A writers job is not to tell a society how it ought to live but how it does live.(Atwood 42)Works CitedAtwood, Margaret. Survival. Survival A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature. Toronto Anansi, 1972. 25-43.Vanderhaeghe, Guy. The Watcher. Man Descending. Toronto Macmillan of Canada, 1982.