ENG215H1 Lecture Notes - Thomas Head Raddall, Tinderbox
Document Summary
Essay due on march 6th --> info sheet posted online. More than just an anecdote about past behaviour. Takes folk lore and turns it into something richer. Individuals have to cope with cultural change and primitive living conditions: weather is the antagonist in the story. The wedding gift is like lazy bones and field of wheat: nature & strong female character. Story is set around a set of oppositions: country background of kesia barnes and the refined manners of mr. neeres: kesia - nova scotia. No education, name is common but connects her to her rural roots: mr. neeres - london. Contrast between the two brings into relief the developing pragmatism of the new world against the over refined delicacy of the old world. Theme: as necessity imposes on social cultures and manners, new world ethics are shown as being situational and flexible. She is set apart from her community right away.
