Stone Angel - Hagar as a product of its environmentSince the beginning of our world, there have been people like Hitler, Einstein and Hitchcock, whose very name stands out from the crowd; their distinct aura symbolized something much greater than mere human life. Such a statement can be applied to Hagar Shipley, the protagonist of the novel The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence, and is true. Hager is a unique character, whose essence rises above others, so that after understanding the journey of his life, his first name evokes a series of emotions in the reader. Due to his crude nature and uncompromising pride, one wonders if the Currie clan's prestigious past carved such a thing. Additionally, during his young life in 19th-century Manawaka society, great importance was placed on social status. This feeling of superiority over others carried with Hagar into womanhood. Although one could argue that one possesses the ability to control one's own existence, when one considers the complex web of elements that complete Hagar's life, it becomes evident that her life, in its entirety, is a consequence of its environment. From her childhood, Hagar was relentlessly educated on the glory of the Currie family. His father exuberantly reminded the children that the “Curries are Highlanders” (Laurence, 15) of the “Seven of Clanranald MacDonalds” (Laurence, 15). Such episodes of self-righteousness installed a false pride deep within young Hagar, as she wholeheartedly believed that her wealthy Scottish parents “lived in castles” (Laurence, 15). This exaggeration of Currie's past fueled Hagar's sense of superiority over others. It was this Currie... in the middle of a paper... that he brought. The unwavering pride associated with her character was a legacy of her father and Currie's past glory, while the city and her status as a girl shaped her speech and mannerisms. Over the years, Hagar has come to represent the stone angel that marks her mother's grave, but not a beautiful image of serenity, as one might conjure up when thinking of angels, but rather an expression of unwavering pride which led to his disappearance. , April. "Girls in Nineteenth-Century Life". The historian. December 18, 1992 Laurence, Marguerite. The Angel of Peter. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1964 Thomson, Ross. "The Beginnings of the Women's Suffrage Movement". A women's story. January 2000.>