Drama at the Farm: A Canadian Survival Story Essay

Canadian Writer Margaret Atwood would argue that every country in the world has a single unify and informing image, to act as a belief system that keeps every hotshot together and working for ordinary ends. These unifying symbols manifest in the literature produce by authors and literary thinkers whether or not 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 secureling its lands and wealth from prat the safety of its metaphorical w completelys this symbol is perfectly represented by the chivalric castles and fortresses of that nation. With these examples in mind Atwood states that the unifying symbol for Canadian Lifestyle, and consequently literature, is extract.As a result of the Canadas geographical sh ape, its vast land mass and bitter climate, as well as the nations origins as subordinate to imperial rule, selection becomes the common thread which bonds the lives thought and experiences of all Canadians. It is more real to us than the frontier or the island. In her essay, Survival A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature, Atwood goes into coarse tip about this idea of survival and dupeization, she outlines her four victim steads with the intention of increase discovering of Canadian literature, and how these guidelines apply to anyone, Canadian or otherwise. In The watchman, by Guy Vanderhaeghe, Atwoods concepts house be used to come in and understand the site of Vanderhaeghes main acknowledgment, Charlie Bradley, as well as increase understanding of Vanderhaeghes work as a humans of distinctly Canadian fictional Literature.Atwoods four victim positions arsehole be used to understand types from Canadian fiction from the distinctly Canadian point of view, surviva l. 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 further the fact of his survival he has little later his ordeal that he did not have before, except gratitude for having escaped with his life.(Atwood 33). The Canadian protagonist or survivor doesnt portray the myth that they can beat adversity to better themselves or their bureau, rather they are no better of than before their ordeal, or maybe worse, by are halcyon to have escaped with their lives. The survivor is therefore inherently and unavoidably a victim in one form or another, and Atwoods position 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 mortal of the first victim posit ion is in denial of the fact that they are the victim, usual their roughly elevated status above their peers makes them feel that anyone can succeed if they treasured to and those that dont are effective lazy. A person from the second base victim position acknowledges their development tho resigns to it because of feelings that it is the result of uncontrollable out-of-door 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 original 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 ene rgy to rise above the existence of victimization and are positively creative with their situation.Vanderhaeghes main character from his short base, 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. Evidence of Charlies position can be plunge 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 universe 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 centers 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 unstable auntie and her freeloading boyfriend Thompson. Charlie fancies himself a spy observing the details and doing nothing. More state of his position comes from thoughts on his aunts situation, Charlie says, Evelyn, was evidence enough of how intemperately 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 pick up 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 refuse th e truth to save himself, even if it meant hurting Thompson. Charlie is the survivor, he is the victim of concomitant be he has the foresight to save himself even if it isnt the effective thing to do.Canadian short stories are full 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 source 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 cross section of writers from various cultural backgrounds. Their diversity only reinforcing the judgment that this country, the land changes you, give us all something in common, that unifying symbol that Atwood praises as the center of everything Canadian. 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. while Descending. Toronto Macmillan of Canada, 1982.