Drama at the Farm: A Canadian Survival Story Essay

Canadian Writer Marg bet Atwood would argue that every earth in the world has a single unite and informing emblem, to diddle as a belief system that keeps everyone together and working for putting green ends. These unifying symbols manifest in the publications produce by authors and literary thinkers whether or not it is done consciously or subconsciously. According to Atwood, in the United States Frontier is the unifying symbol, the exploration of new land, the west and emancipation 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 wealthiness from behind the safety of its metaphorical w tout ensembles 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 wherefore literature, is Survival.As a result of the Canadas geographi cal shape, its Brobdingnagian landmass and bitter climate, as thoroughly as the nations origins as subordinate to imperial rule, Survival becomes the common thread which bonds the defys notion 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 wide detail about this idea of survival and dupeization, she outlines her four dupe flecks with the object of increasing understanding of Canadian literature, and how these guidelines apply to anyone, Canadian or otherwise. In The Watcher, by Guy Vanderhaeghe, Atwoods concepts stinkpot be utilise to identify and understand the position of Vanderhaeghes of import character, Charlie Bradley, as well as increase understanding of Vanderhaeghes work as a piece of clear Canadian fictional Literature.Atwoods four victim positions can be used to understand characters from Canadian fiction from the distinctly Canadian po int of view, survival. The hero of most Canadian fiction is the survivor, the main character or protagonist kick the buckets where the other characters do not, or they survive one ordeal still to succumb to something else, The survivor has no run or victory but the fact of his survival he has elfin after his ordeal that hedid not generate before, except gratitude for having take flight with his liveness.(Atwood 33). The Canadian protagonist or survivor doesnt portray the legend that they can beat adversity to better themselves or their situation, rather they be no better of than before their ordeal, or maybe worse, by ar fortunate to have escaped with their lives. The survivor is therefore inherently and needs 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 original understand the four basic victim position s. A someone of the initiatory victim position is in denial of the fact that they are the victim, usual their slightly elevated status to a higher place their peers makes them feel that anyone can make it if they wanted to and those that dont are just lazy. A person from the foster victim position acknowledges their using but resigns to it because of feelings that it is the result of seditious 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 tether 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 no t 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 short 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. Evidence of Charlies position can be found numerous times throughout the text. From the very first objurgate 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 stand-in of the story centers around Charlies talent for observing events but never participating, the situation he deals with when h e is shipped of to his grandmas farm and forced to deals with his mentally unassured aunt and her freeloading boyfriend Thompson. Charlie fancies himself a spy observing the details and doing nothing. much evidence of his position comes from thoughts on his aunts situation, Charlie says, Evelyn, was evidence adequacy of how firmly 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 extended 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 unless him, to take a risk, when I was more completely in her adhesive friction than he would ever be. He forgot I was a child. I depended on her. (Vanderhae ghe 239). Charlie admits to withholding the truth to save himself, even if it meant hurting 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 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 notion that this coun try, the land changes you, give us 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.