The Glass Roses Alden Nowlan Alden Nowlan In

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The Glass Roses Alden Nowlan

The Glass Roses Alden Nowlan

Alden Nowlan • In 1933, Alden Nowlan was born into rural poverty in Stanley,

Alden Nowlan • In 1933, Alden Nowlan was born into rural poverty in Stanley, Nova Scotia, adjacent to Mosherville, and close to the small town of Windsor, Nova Scotia, along a stretch of dirt road that he would later refer to as Desolation Creek. His father, Gordon Freeman Nowlan, worked sporadically as a manual labourer. • His mother, Grace Reese, was only 15 years of age when Nowlan was born, and she soon left the family, leaving Alden and her younger daughter Harriet to the care of their paternal grandmother. • The family believed that education as a waste of time, and Nowlan left school after only four grades. At the age of 14, he went to work in the village sawmill.

Alden Nowlan • At the age of 16, Nowlan discovered the regional library. Each

Alden Nowlan • At the age of 16, Nowlan discovered the regional library. Each weekend he would walk or hitchhike eighteen miles to the library to get books, and secretly began to educate himself. • At the age of 19, Nowlan's started working at Observer, a newspaper in Hartland, New Brunswick. While working at the Observer, Nowlan began writing books of poetry. • Nowlan eventually settled permanently in New Brunswick. In 1963, he married Claudine Orser, a typesetter on his former paper, and moved to Saint John with her and her son, John, whom he adopted. • He became the night editor for the Saint John Telegraph Journal and continued to write poetry. • In 1966, Nowlan was diagnosed with throat cancer. His health forced him to give up his job, but at the same time the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton offered him the position of Writer-in-Residence. • He remained in the position until his death on June 27, 1983.

Characters - Stephen • Stephen associates being a man with the characteristics that his

Characters - Stephen • Stephen associates being a man with the characteristics that his father has modeled. • He doesn’t want to be like his father, but he wants to be recognized as a man. • Realizes that his father has been affected by the war, but Leka has as well, and yet, they both have differing end results.

Characters - Leka • Nowlan describes him as a Ukrainian second world war refugee,

Characters - Leka • Nowlan describes him as a Ukrainian second world war refugee, who has come to New Brunswick to work in the pulp woods. • He is paired with a boy, who is the son of the foreman. • The woodsmen think he is from Poland call him a Polack. • He is a man whose heart is constantly warmed by the memory of the culture he once beheld — cathedrals, castles, cavalrymen — and whose dreams are racked by the spectre of its destruction. • He constantly faces fear: – When Leka is awake, he is persecuted due to his differences. – His nightmares remind him of what he endured during the war. They remind him that he wanted to die; that he had given up.

Stephen’s Father vs. Leka Father • Hard/rough • Hard worker/strong • Demanding • Unemotional

Stephen’s Father vs. Leka Father • Hard/rough • Hard worker/strong • Demanding • Unemotional • Judgmental/Afraid of different people • Lacks compassion Leka • Physically weaker • Finesse/fragile • Friendly • Emotional/sentimental • Open-minded • Respect for nature • Man of religion • Kind and compassionate

Symbols • Glass Roses: – They are valuable, yet fragile and beautiful. – They

Symbols • Glass Roses: – They are valuable, yet fragile and beautiful. – They represent all that is innocent and wonderful, but can easily be broken by others. • The Axe: – Represents the strength and respect. – It is what holds Leka and Stephen back from being recognized as men. • The Cathedral: – They represent a world he once knew and valued. – They provide Leka and Stephen with a point of discussion that most men would not share with each other.

Themes • Search for Identity: Stephen is oscillating between what kind of man he

Themes • Search for Identity: Stephen is oscillating between what kind of man he wants to become. • Illusion vs. Reality: This could be explored on a few levels: – How the men view their relationship vs. how Stephen and Leka view their connection. – What most people believe to be masculine characteristics and what really makes a strong man. • Individuality vs. Conformity: For Stephen to be accepted by his father and the other men, or for him to stand on his own and make the choices.