Horses of The Night PDF

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Title Horses of the Night Text Creator Margaret Laurence Date & Time 2019-05-29 15:20:36

INITIALLY Character Venessa: - Naive/sheltered, "I never knew I had distant cousins who lived up north", "But how could they grow anything? I thought you said it was up north" (8). - Imaginative, "Shallow Creek seemed immeasurably far, part of a legendary winter country where no leaves grew and where the breath of seals and polar snuffled out steamily and turned to ice" (8). - Lives with her mother, grandmother, and grandfather in the Brick House - Descriptions of Grandmother Connor, "wearing a large mauve apron. I thought it was nicer colour than the dark bottle-green of her dress, but she believed in wearing sombre shades lest the spirit give way to vanity...the only jewellery she ever wore, with its portrait of a fiercely bearded man whom I imagined to be either Moses or God" (9). Grandmother Connor overall is a kind person which is suggested by the fact she is most likely a Christian due to wearing a portrait of either Moses or God. The fact she is kindhearted is reinforced by the fact she "kissed" (10) Chris when he appeared whereas Venessa's mother did nothing. In addition, Venessa also says, "Privately I agreed with this opinion, but I could never permit myself to acknowledge agreement with [Grandfather Connor] on anything. I automatically and emotionally sided with Grandmother in all issues, not because she was inevitably right but because I loved her" (10). The quote shows that Venessa loves her grandmother more her grandfather which may be because her grandmother is kinder. This notion is confirmed when Venessa states, "usually she did her best to protect us" (11). - Descriptions of Grandfather Connor, "standing in the living room doorway in absolute silence, looking as granite as a statue in the cemetery" (10). A harsh tyrant, "This was not correct, as both my grandmother and I knew. But neither of us contradicted him" (10), despite being wrong, no one dares to correct him. Also criticizes others, "when Grather Connor pointed out your shortcomings, you were not expected to reply" (11). Another description being "like a subterranean oracle" (17). Chris: - "Chris was wearing a white shirt, a tie, grey trousers...His face was angular, the bones showing through the brown skin" (9). Evidence of his poverty, does not have abundant food to eat which is why his bones could be seen. - "Heavens, look at the shirt and trousers—must've been his father's, the poor kid" (10). More evidence of Chris's poverty. - "But as for Chris—he gave no sign of feeling anything...curled into the bay window like a black and giant seashell. He began to talk to me...as though he had no heard a word of my grandfather was saying" (11). Ignores the criticism from Grandfather Connor by curling up into his shell. - "What won me was that he would talk to me and wisecrack as though I were his same age. He was—although I didn't know the phrase then—a respector of persons" (12). He talks to Venessa equally despite her being a child. - "Once for my birthday he gave me a leather saddle no bigger than a matchbox...with the criss cross lines that were the brand name of his ranch, he said, explaining it was a reference to his own name" (12). Great ambitions, putting one's name on a brand would make the name last. - "Millions of years ago, before there were any human beings at all, that lake was full of sea monsters...some guy from Winnipeg came up a few years back, there, and dug up dinosaur bones" (12). Chris despite growing up in Shallow Creek that did not offer higher level education, somehow knows about dinosaurs, communicates the idea of his curiosity. - "What I am going to be is an engineer...You take the Golden Gate Bridge...It doesn't seem possible, but it's there...Imagine doing something like that, eh?" (13). More aspirations of Chris. - "I got this theory, see, that anybody can do anything...if they really set their minds to it" (15). Chris belief/outlook on life.

INITIALLY Technique

Setting of the Brick House & Depression - The Brick House "looked huge and cool from the outside, the high low-sweeping spruce trees shutting out the sun with their dusky out-fanned branches" (9). The house appears to be oppressive and strong as it is made out of bricks and has branches fanning out. Also gives a sense of security and protection which is why Venessa says, "speaking out...[would result in] having the known world unimaginably fall to pieces" (11). By going against the rules of the house, Venessa world of security and protection would fall apart. This reason is also why Venessa "felt the old rage of helplessness" (11) as she desires to protect Chris from the "bludgeoning words" (11), but is ulimately afriad of going against Grandfather Connor who provides her with a stable world. Also the reason for the reason she feels that, "this seating arrangement was obscurely satisfactory to me, perhaps because predictable" (14). - The Depression in the story does not affect Venessa as she states that, "At that time I saw none of it. For me, the Depression and drought were external and abstract" (13). However, it does affects Chris as he lives in Shallow Creek which Grandfather Connor describes being "[land that is] no use for a thing except hay" (11). The place also did not have a high school which is why Chris had to move to Manawaka in the Brick House. His poverty also stops him from pursuing education in college for becoming an engineer which is why he tries to become a "travelling salesman" (16) to make money. His poverty is also evident in the clothing he wore, "Heaven's, look at the shirt and trousers—must've been his father's, the poor kid" (10).

HOWEVER External - Venessa external conflicts comes from the environment she dwells in — the Brick House. In which, she is ruled by the tyranny of Grandfather Connor whose words are considered to be the law in the house. Laws that she dares not to disobey for the fear that "the known world unimaginably fall to pieces" (11). The world that she knows is where Grandfather Conner's words are absolute, so by contradicting this belief would mean the destruction of the secured reality she dwells in. - Chris external conflicts also comes from his surroundings, but unlike Venessa he is affected by the Depression and poverty. Chris has emourous dreams and fascinations, but is unable to pursue them as a result of his poverty which is also the reason why he went to the Brick House. He could not go to high school in Shallow Creek "because there isn't any high school up there" (9). In a similar manner, he could not go to university as he needed money, therefore decided to take on jobs isntead of returning to the Creek.

HOWEVER Internal - Venessa's internal conflict comes from her belief that she is too young and desires to be older, so she could communicate with other adults. This notion is evident as she says, "Chris had been fifteen. He could be expected to feel only scorn towards me. I detested the fact that I was so young" (9). The quote suggests that the other adults in the household did not treat her equally. For this reason, she calls Chris, "a respecter of persons" (12) as he was willing to talk with her. There is also evidence that the adults do not involve Venessa in their conversations as she says, "[Mother] was too upset to care whether I was listening or not" (16). - Chris is overally idealist and tries to escape from his reality of living in Shallow Creek as he has big ambitions while residing in a shallow place. For this reason he tries to leave the Creek and pursue his unobtainable goals, such as becoming an engineer, believing that "anybody can do anything" (15). He desires to build something that would last a legacy rather than residing in Shallow Creek, but is unable to fulfil this goal as poverty affects him. For this reason, after high school he went off to get a job as that would help pay off his tuition. However, in the end he returns to the Brick House after doing multiple jobs.

HOWEVER Technique -Symbolism: The Golden Bridge Chris desires to become an engineer for the reason of trying to build something that would last a legacy, something is that deemed to be impossible. He suggests this idea when he says, "It doesn't seem possible, but it's there...Imagine doing something like that, eh?" (13). However, the symbol of a bridge can also be expanded into Chris's desire to build connections with others, have people that are able to understand and communicate with him. This notion is suggested by the quotation, "I used to talk with Ewen sometimes. He didn't see what I was driving at, but he'd always listen" (21). Chris also tries to build a connection with Venessa, but she "took refuge in pretending to be asleep" (22). Even in his attempt to communicate with others, it is ironic that Chris does not really try to build any relations as he replies absent mindly to Venessa saying, "What?...Oh—sure. Sure I think you can. Naturally" (15).

CONSEQUENTLY Outcome - Venessa unlike Chris remains grounded in reality despite her fantasies and imagination. She is introduced as a child with an abundant imagination that slowly dies off as she acknowledges reality. She says, "He did not mention the other horses, Dutchess and Firefly, and neither did I...I guess I had known for some years now, without realizing it, that the pair had only ever existed in some other dimension" (19). Evidence that Venessa knows the difference between reality and illusions is apparent earlier on when she states, "Two years ago, this statement would have seemed self-evident, unquestionable. Yet now, when I had spoken, I knew that I did not believe" (17). - Chris, however, continues repeating his actions of escaping from reality into his fantasy. This notion can be seen throughout the entire text, for instance, when Grandfather Comnnor was criticizing Venessa describes Chris as "[appearing] to be absent, elsewhere" (11). Chris attempts to escape every time he is confronted with reality of being povertous and ending up in Shallow Creek. He does this a few times such as by becoming a "travelling salesman" (16) and by joining the army. However, in both cases he ends up returning to the Creek.

FINALLY Outcome - Venessa, because she knows the difference between reality and fantasies understands Chris as she says, "he had discovered at last a way for himself to make the necessary dream perpetual" (24). She is able to grasp onto Chris way of dealing with reality which is retreating into his imagination and she acknowledges he finally found a way to live his dreams, by withdrawing completely into his own mind. For this reason, Venessa "put[s] away the saddle...gently and ruthlessly" (24). The diction is significant because by putting the saddle gently away, it suggests that Venessa still cherishes dreams and ideals. However, "ruthlessly" (24) communicates the notion that she acknowledges that despit how beautiful dreams are, there is a limit to how far one indulges in that world as one could lose touch with the real world. - Chris ulimately repeats his actions of trying to escape again during the war, but since he could not withdraw physically, he retreats into his mind. This notion is suggested by the letter he wrote, "they could force his body to march and even kill, but what they didn't know was that he'd fooled them. He didn't live inside it anymore" (24). He attempts once again to escape from the truth of the harsh world. This action eventually costs him as he is discharged because of his "mental breakdown" (23) and ends up in an asylum.

OUTCOME Technique -Symbolism: Criss Cross saddle The saddle Chris had given to Venessa of his own ranch ends up becoming a symbol for the last sentence of the story. The saddle is associated with Chris's ambitious dreams and goals such as opening his own ranch that held his own name in the brand. This attempt can be seen as his actions of trying to make a lasting legacy similar to how he wished to become an engineer that would build something alike to the Golden Bridge. - Character foil between Chris and Venessa In the story, Chris and Venessa appears to begin the same, both having great imaginations, Chris with his aspirations and Venessa's way of imagining the stories that Chris tells her. However, Chris ends up being unable to reconcile with his fantasies and reality, resulting in him becoming insane as he retreats deep into his own world. He is unable to accomplish his dreams. In contrast, Venessa has a balance between reality and her dreams which is suggested by the last line, "I put away the saddle...gently and ruthlessly" (24) which was explained in the "Finally Outcome" section of this software. She, unlike Chris, went to college which Chris had never been to because of his poverty and clinging onto hopes by getting a job. - Horse motif Chris, symbolically becomes the horse that drowned in Ewen's story. The horses Dutchess and Firefly are part of Chris's imaginations which Venessa figures out as she says, "Look. His brand...Criss Cross...the one where he kept his racing horses. Dutchess and Firefly" (24). His dreams and ambitions stayed in his imagination as he indulged himself too deep that he drowned in his own world, resulting in mentally dying.

IMPORTANT QUOTATIONS & SIGNIFICANCE Q&S1 "Look—what's the alternative? To believe in a God who is brutal....It would be an insult to him to believe in a God like that" (22). Part of the reason why Chris gets absorbs into his own world of dreams, it is because he rejects reality and choses to pursue his ideals being more beautiful and kind. Compared to the reality he sees being distance and brutal.

Q&S2 "He must have understood perfectly well how impossible it would be, with a thirteen-year-old. But there was no one else. All his life's choices had grown narrower and narrower. He had been forced to return to the alien lake of home, and when finally he saw a mean of getting away, it could only be into turmoil" (23). Venessa finally understands that Chris was trying to build a connection with her, but is unable to as she is too young to understand, he has no one else to turn to. As looking back into the story it is evident that he does not even have any communications with his own family. The place he lives in has "monosyllabic husbands" (19) which would be hard to have a conversation as they barely spoke. Even children followed him around "in clusters of three or four" (19) but they no not even pester him. Every time he tried to escape his destiny of being in Shallow Creek he fails and when he finally sees a chance, the opportunity instead ruins him, and in the end he returned to the Creek.

Q&S3 "they could force his body to march and even to kill, but what they didn't know was that he'd fooled them. He didn't live inside it any more" (24). Chris repeative nature of retreating from reality, this time however, since he could not escape physically from reality, he decides to dwell deep inside himself, no longer dwelling in his body, removing himself from the real world.

Q&S4 "I put the saddle away..gently and ruthlessly" (24). Shows that Venessa understands the difference between reality and dreams as she treasures the saddle, but shoves it away in an aggressive manner because she knows that there is a boundary that should not be crossed, lest one dwells too deep as Chris has.

Q&S5 "Ewen told me...about seeing horses in the mud, actually going under...a guy tend to concentrate on the horse because he didn't dare think what was happening to the men, including himself" (22). Foreshadowing and symbolism, Ewen understands the decision Chris is making , despite the fact that Chris does not think he does, the horses drowning becomes symbolic. As Chris is the horse that is drowning into his reality of dreams.

Q&S6 "if there's a war, like it looks there will be...plenty of guys would think it was a godsend, and who's to say they're wrong? It would be a job, and you'd get around and see places" (22). Chris trying to reason with himself about going to war by attempting to make the reality of war suit with his beliefs and dreams. He says, "you'd get around and see places" (22) which seems to be related to his earlier ideas of wanting to become a traveller.

Q&S7 "Violent. I could not associate the word with Chris, who had been so much reverse" (23). Chris becomes broken by dwelling too deeply into his world of imagination and ambitions, so broken that his character changes. Even when Grandfather Connor was criticizing with "bludgeoning words" (11) he did not get angry, but instead "appears to be absent" (11). In addition, despite many children following him "around the yard or to the barn", Chris never chased them away.

Q&S8 "Even supposing he managed to get a scholarship, which isn't likely, it's only tuition and books. What about room and board?" (14). This quote is significant because it discusses about the hopelessness of Chris's financial situation, being in poverty. The quotation also seems to foreshadows Chris's ending in which he did not achieve any of his grand dreams in a similar manner how unlikely he would even get a scholarship.

Q&S9 "No human word could be applied...I looked at the grey reaches of it and felt threaned. It was like the view of God which I had held since my father's death. Distant, indestructible, totally indifferent" (20). Venessa also shares the same view that Chris has of God being distance and brutal. However, unlike Chris, Venessa does not escape into her imagination in face of reality, this action ulimately creates a character foil between her and Chris.

Q & S 10 "I was thinking of all the schemes he'd had, the ones that couldn't possibly have worked, the brave and useless strokes of fantasy against a depression that was both the world's and his" (24). Reinforces the idea how deep Chris indulges into his fantasy world as a mean to escape the harsh reality of life, his actions ulimately was fultile, but he continues hoping it would work.

THEMES

Chris - effect of an individual's perspective on personal beliefs Through the character Chris, Margaret Laurence explicates the notion that individuals may be heavily influenced by their own beliefs on life and rejects reality. As a result, individuals may completely submerge themselves into their own ideas, leanding to their own demise and losing connection with reality. Vanessa - significance of idealism and truth in an individual's life Through the character Venessa, Maragret Laurence communicates the idea that by having a balance between ideals and reality like Venessa has with her fantasies and the truth about such dreams, may prevent an individual from creating their oiwn demise. As she reconciles with her imagination and reality, she does not faces the fate that meets Chris who indulges completely into his ideals....