ISU ENG4U
Coal is only turned into a precious diamond after it undergoes a lot of pressure. Similarly, humans undergo turmoil and hardship but come out of it better and stronger. In Nancy Richler’s The Imposter Bride and Lynn Coady’s The Antagonist, the protagonists are forced to go through hardships only for it to make them better. Loss helps individuals overcome insecurity and gain confidence.
Protagonists in both books lose family members and this unfortunate circumstance causes them to over come insecurities. In Richler’s The Imposter Bride, Lily fled her home abandoning both her husband and her baby daughter, Ruth. Ruth was then raised by extended family members. Though many other families were affected by the second World War, Ruth says they “hadn’t been as abnormal or unheard of” as hers (Richler 133). However, the loss of her mother strengthens the bond between her and her father. When Ruth subtly mentions that she is interested in chemistry, he father exclaims, “ ‘A chemistry set!’ The idea obviously pleased him” (Richler 95). By using the word “abnormal” to describe her situation she is showing her dislike and her insecurity towards it. The word “abnormal” indicates that her she is not following the status quo and is instead standing out from the crowd and being different at a young age is a terrifying thing to be. This example shows how Ruth’s father, Nathan, is involved and plays an active role in his daughter’s life. The punctuation chosen for that line shows how excited he is for his daughter and his response demonstrates how he truly listens to her when he talks as opposed to brushing her petty desires as worthless. This also shows that Ruth has a support system at home and that it is an environment in which she can freely speak her mind without judgment which gives her more confidence therefore wiping away her insecurities. This can also be seen in Coady’s The Antagonist. Rank’s mother, Sylvie, passed away when he was fifteen years old leaving him at the mercy of his father, Gord. Rank describes himself by saying, “imagine you’re a spectacularly grown man. That you tower over other men. That your voice is deep and authoritative – your pronouncements, therefore, not to be denied. That your forearms and chest and gentials are perfectly carpeted” (Coady 62). Gord uses Rank’s appearance as a weapon to ward off unwanted customers and bullies. Rank later admits, “I craved, like any kid secretly does, rules, decency, wholesome surroundings. I didn’t want this, or anything like it, not yet. I still wanted my mother” (Coady 65). This example shows how losing his mother helped him realize that he did not want a lifestyle where there was no support and no nurture. As the single parent, Gord ordered Rank around and Rank did so because his appearance fit the job criteria. However, after getting into fights like Gord asked, Rank realizes that that is not what he wants and that is appearance is nothing to be insecure about. Both...
