Seeking Home, Constructing Self: Female Identity in Margaret Laurence's The Fire-Dwellers and The Diviners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2026.v11.n10.005Keywords:
Alienation, Empowerment, Patriarchy, Women's Liberation, Psychological JourneyAbstract
Margaret Laurence is one of the most significant women writers of the twentieth century. Her novels portray the challenges, aspirations, and struggles faced by women in a patriarchal society. This paper explores the journeys of Stacey Cameron Mac Aindra in The Fire-Dwellers and Morag Gunn in The Diviners. Through Stacey, a suburban housewife, and Morag, an independent writer, Laurence presents two contrasting dimensions of women's lives. The study examines their search for identity, selfhood, and belonging.
References
[1] Daly, Mary. Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women's Liberation. Boston: Beacon P, 1973.
[2] Frye, Northrop. Anatomy of Criticism. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1973.
[3] Laurence, Margaret. A Jest of God. 1966. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1989. Page references are to this edition. Abbrev. JG in text.
[4] The Fire-Dwellers. 1969. Toronto: McCleland - Bantum, 1988. Page references are to this edition. Abbrev. FD in text.
[5] The Diviners. 1974. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1982. Page references are to this edition. Abbrev. D in text.
[6] Stovel, Nora. Stacey's Choice: Margaret Laurence's "The Fire-Dwellers". Ontario: ECW P. 1993.
[7] Woodcock, George. Introducing Margaret Laurence's "The Stone Angel". Ontario: ECW P. 1989.
