Although "A Boy of Good Breeding" is not as well known as other pieces of Canadian literature, it deserves to be paid attention to. This is a story about small town Manitoba and the people who live in it. However, it has two main characters, Knute, who has just moved back to Algren to live with her parents and is facing her demons in the form of an ex-boyfriend, and Hosea, mayor of Algren who will do anything to meet his father. The plot is simple, but "the story is less important than the gentle whimsy and the evocation of a community at once embracing and suffocating" (Cowles). Most readers can relate to the story. Everyone has experienced some aspect of this story, whether it is wanting something so badly that they will do anything to get it, having to realize that people can change, or just knowing what it feels like to live in a community where so many people know so much about you. "A Boy of Good Breeding" can make a connection with almost any reader. "Beneath the surface, there are elemental struggles with death, identity, the meaning of love and the nature of loss" (Wheelwright); it would be difficult to find someone who had not experienced any of these.
"A Boy of Good Breeding" is also significant because of the style of writing. Toews writes to draw in the reader. She presents Hosea Funk's thoughts so that the reader knows more about him and his feelings than he would ever want anyone to know. It is obvious that Toews enjoys her stories and it shows in her language, in her "comedy and one-liners [that create a story where] there is not a slow moment in a too-short tour around what you desperately hope will remain Canada's smallest town"(Katsoulis). As Hosea realizes that he doesn't have to keep everything to himself, that sometimes talking about your problems makes them easier to deal with, Toews stops writing so many of Hosea's thoughts. But the reader now no longer needs them to understand Hosea, because he expresses his feelings willingly for everyone to hear, not just the reader.
"A Boy of Good Breeding" is moving in an unexpected way. I did not begin reading this book ever expecting to be in tears by the end, or even to feel connected to the characters, as if I was actually in the story. Along with the "short sentences, colourful characters, and a lot of charm in the timing of the telling" ("Miriam Toews"), Miriam Toews has created a world that the reader is drawn into completely, and does not want to leave. She creates "affection in her readers for her ridiculous characters and their foibles"(Grandy) causing the reader to feel as if they know them. It becomes hard to not root for Knute and Hosea, even though they are not strong, outgoing characters that are the typical protagonists.
Miriam Toews wrote "A Boy of Good Breeding" long before she was recognized as a great Canadian author. As a result of her new fame, "A Boy of Good Breeding" is now having more attention paid to it. It was revised and re-released, but it is still overshadowed by Toews' award winners. This is unfortunate because this story deserves to be recognized. Toews has made a real contribution to Canadian literary history and with nothing but praise from many sources, "A Boy of Good Breeding" certainly has as well. I believe that Melissa Katsoulis of "The Times" in London, England says it best: "Call a novel about life in small-town Manitoba charming or quirky and you risk damning it with faint praise. But how else to describe a book that, despite containing all the death, disease and heartbreak of life, still binds you in a spell so good-humoured that you never want to leave?" (Katsoulis).
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Explication of Ambition in "A Boy of Good Breeding" by Miriam Toews
Of Polti's Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, ambition fits "A Boy of Good Breeding" the best. Having been raised solely by his mother, Hosea Funk has dreamed his entire life about meeting his father, so when he realizes that he has a chance to, he is not about to let it go. However, Hosea's only knowledge of who his father is, is the dying confession that his mother gave: "'Your father,' Hosea recalled the words Euphemia had spoken on her deathbed, 'is the Prime Minister of Canada.'" (Toews 43). Hosea's chance comes when he receives a letter to inform him that Algren is in the running for the smallest town in Canada and that the Prime Minister will visit the winner. But here in lies the challenge, 1500 is the exact population needed, "one less it would be a village and if it had just one more it would be a bigger town" (Toews 10). And so Hosea sets out on a quest that "was more than a job, though: it was his mission in life and his only dream. He must bring the Prime Minister to Algren" (Toews 45).
For Hosea, this task is not an easy one. The population of Algren is not just going to stay at 1500; "there's not a lot to be done when people die or when they're born. They come and go. They move away. They disappear. They reappear." (Toews 7). To begin with, Knute and Summer Feelin' move back to Algren to help Knute's parents after her father has a heart attack. Luckily the health food store had just closed and the owners had moved away and as a result the population was exactly right. Unfortunately, their arrival was just the beginning. Shortly after Knute arrives in Algren, Max, her ex-boyfriend and father of Summer Feelin', also moves back to town. On top of that, Veronica Epp is on the verge of having triplets. Even with Leander Hamm's death, Hosea has "Max, the triplets, and Iris Cherniski, that's five over fifteen hundred" (Toews 186).
As a result, Hosea is forced to make some sacrifices. His girlfriend Lorna has been hinting at moving up from Winnipeg to live with him and Hosea keeps deferring the conversation, much as he wishes that she could. Luckily for Hosea though, there is one farm that hangs in limbo on the border of Algren. Although Johnny has started to doubt Hosea's excuse that "there's been another mix-up at the top" (Toews 112) again, he agrees to move willingly. This pains Hosea as "Johnny had one passion in life. Putting out fires." (Toews 107), but he is not allowed to be a volunteer if he does not live in town. As much as Hosea wishes that he did not have to take Johnny's dream away, his ambition and desire are too strong. Hosea will do anything to achieve his goal.
It is not until the end that Hosea's luck changes. Veronica Epp leaves her husband and takes the triplets with her. "One Veronica, three babies, that makes four gone. Hurray, hurray, Hosea thought bitterly. And one broken man. Right here, beside me." (Toews 202) is all that it takes for Hosea to realize that his ambition is not worth it. With this change of heart comes more luck though. As Hosea tells Johnny Dranger that he is back in the town, Johnny tells Hosea that he is leaving Algren.
Finally, Hosea realizes that he has been treating the citizens of his town as numbers that he could study and mess with until the answer was what he wanted. Just in time, he realizes that he was wrong, that having the population at 1500 is not the most important thing, that people are more than numbers, that they have emotions. It is at this point that Hosea starts to care about others. The census taker came and counted the population, and it was announced that Algren was officially the smallest town in Canada, but something came up. Not only did Hosea never get to meet the Prime Minister, but he took the bad news with a smile and a wish for "a Happy Canada Day from the mayor of Algren"(Toews 237). This is where "A Boy of Good Breeding" differs from other stories of ambition. Where most other stories act as warnings, with the ambitious person meeting an unfortunate demise, this story makes the reader proud. "A Boy of Good Breeding" makes it clear that ambition is not a bad thing, but there are some things in life that are far more important.
For Hosea, this task is not an easy one. The population of Algren is not just going to stay at 1500; "there's not a lot to be done when people die or when they're born. They come and go. They move away. They disappear. They reappear." (Toews 7). To begin with, Knute and Summer Feelin' move back to Algren to help Knute's parents after her father has a heart attack. Luckily the health food store had just closed and the owners had moved away and as a result the population was exactly right. Unfortunately, their arrival was just the beginning. Shortly after Knute arrives in Algren, Max, her ex-boyfriend and father of Summer Feelin', also moves back to town. On top of that, Veronica Epp is on the verge of having triplets. Even with Leander Hamm's death, Hosea has "Max, the triplets, and Iris Cherniski, that's five over fifteen hundred" (Toews 186).
As a result, Hosea is forced to make some sacrifices. His girlfriend Lorna has been hinting at moving up from Winnipeg to live with him and Hosea keeps deferring the conversation, much as he wishes that she could. Luckily for Hosea though, there is one farm that hangs in limbo on the border of Algren. Although Johnny has started to doubt Hosea's excuse that "there's been another mix-up at the top" (Toews 112) again, he agrees to move willingly. This pains Hosea as "Johnny had one passion in life. Putting out fires." (Toews 107), but he is not allowed to be a volunteer if he does not live in town. As much as Hosea wishes that he did not have to take Johnny's dream away, his ambition and desire are too strong. Hosea will do anything to achieve his goal.
It is not until the end that Hosea's luck changes. Veronica Epp leaves her husband and takes the triplets with her. "One Veronica, three babies, that makes four gone. Hurray, hurray, Hosea thought bitterly. And one broken man. Right here, beside me." (Toews 202) is all that it takes for Hosea to realize that his ambition is not worth it. With this change of heart comes more luck though. As Hosea tells Johnny Dranger that he is back in the town, Johnny tells Hosea that he is leaving Algren.
Finally, Hosea realizes that he has been treating the citizens of his town as numbers that he could study and mess with until the answer was what he wanted. Just in time, he realizes that he was wrong, that having the population at 1500 is not the most important thing, that people are more than numbers, that they have emotions. It is at this point that Hosea starts to care about others. The census taker came and counted the population, and it was announced that Algren was officially the smallest town in Canada, but something came up. Not only did Hosea never get to meet the Prime Minister, but he took the bad news with a smile and a wish for "a Happy Canada Day from the mayor of Algren"(Toews 237). This is where "A Boy of Good Breeding" differs from other stories of ambition. Where most other stories act as warnings, with the ambitious person meeting an unfortunate demise, this story makes the reader proud. "A Boy of Good Breeding" makes it clear that ambition is not a bad thing, but there are some things in life that are far more important.
Personal Reflection
"A Boy of Good Breeding" gives an in-depth view into small town Algren, Manitoba and into the lives of the characters. The reader is especially given insight into the mind of Hosea Funk, into his thoughts and feelings, even those that he would not share with his closest friends. By doing this, Toews gave me a new knowledge and understanding of some key aspects of human nature.
Hosea set out on a journey to find his father, but in the process he grew as a person, he found his true love and he found himself. This is a greater accomplishment by far than what he set out to obtain. We could all learn something from Hosea, that sometimes, we decide that one small thing is so important to our lives, that we forget what is really important - friendship and love and other people. We get so drawn into our plan, that everything else, especially everyone else's problems, seems insignificant. There are times that we just need a reality check, to realize what is truly important.
"A Boy of Good Breeding" has also given me a greater understanding of the Canadian identity. Many Canadians would know very little about life in small towns, let alone the phenomena of everyone knowing everything about everyone else. This story gave me an eye into that world. The demographic that it explored is one that is often ignored. As Canada was primarily a country of small rural towns in the past, this way of life is a large part of the Canadian identity. However, as Canada becomes increasingly more urban, fewer and fewer Canadians know about life in small rural towns. By reading "A Boy of Good Breeding", I feel that I now better understand what it is like to live in a community like Algren, and as a result I also have a better understanding of what it is to be Canadian.
Overall, this ISU has helped me grow as a reader. It pushed me to dig deeper, to search for the themes, characteristics and influences. I learned a lot about how to read critically. It has also shown me how to truly appreciate literature. "A Boy of Good Breeding" taught me a lot about human nature, about dedication, love and the true meaning of friendship. But moreover, it made me smile. It gives a whole new perspective to small town Canada, and to life.
Hosea set out on a journey to find his father, but in the process he grew as a person, he found his true love and he found himself. This is a greater accomplishment by far than what he set out to obtain. We could all learn something from Hosea, that sometimes, we decide that one small thing is so important to our lives, that we forget what is really important - friendship and love and other people. We get so drawn into our plan, that everything else, especially everyone else's problems, seems insignificant. There are times that we just need a reality check, to realize what is truly important.
"A Boy of Good Breeding" has also given me a greater understanding of the Canadian identity. Many Canadians would know very little about life in small towns, let alone the phenomena of everyone knowing everything about everyone else. This story gave me an eye into that world. The demographic that it explored is one that is often ignored. As Canada was primarily a country of small rural towns in the past, this way of life is a large part of the Canadian identity. However, as Canada becomes increasingly more urban, fewer and fewer Canadians know about life in small rural towns. By reading "A Boy of Good Breeding", I feel that I now better understand what it is like to live in a community like Algren, and as a result I also have a better understanding of what it is to be Canadian.
Overall, this ISU has helped me grow as a reader. It pushed me to dig deeper, to search for the themes, characteristics and influences. I learned a lot about how to read critically. It has also shown me how to truly appreciate literature. "A Boy of Good Breeding" taught me a lot about human nature, about dedication, love and the true meaning of friendship. But moreover, it made me smile. It gives a whole new perspective to small town Canada, and to life.
Works Cited
Cowles, Gregory. “Canada Dry.” The New York Times. 3 Sept. 2006. Web. 2 Apr. 2009.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/books/review/Cowles.t.html?_r=1>.
Grandy, Karen. “Toews, Miriam.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2009.Historica. Web. 2 Apr. 2009. <http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE& Params=A1ARTA0009948>.
Katsoulis, Melissa. “It’s a small world; Novel.” The Times [London,England] (26 Aug. 2006). Gale Cengage Learning. 18 Apr. 2009. Web. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/default>.
“Miriam Toews.” Literature Resource Centre (8 Nov. 2004). Gale Cengage Learning. 2 Apr. 2009. Web. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?ste=1&vrsn=3&locID=stra52402&n=10&finalAuth=true>.
Toews, Miriam. A Boy of Good Breeding. Toronto: Random House of Canada Ltd, 2005. Print.
Wheelwright, Julie. “A Boy Of Good Breeding by Miriam Toews.” The Independent [London, England]. 26 July 2006. Web. 2 Apr. 2009. <http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/a-boy-of-good-breeding-by-miriam-toews-409352.html>.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/books/review/Cowles.t.html?_r=1>.
Grandy, Karen. “Toews, Miriam.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2009.Historica. Web. 2 Apr. 2009. <http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE& Params=A1ARTA0009948>.
Katsoulis, Melissa. “It’s a small world; Novel.” The Times [London,England] (26 Aug. 2006). Gale Cengage Learning. 18 Apr. 2009. Web. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/default>.
“Miriam Toews.” Literature Resource Centre (8 Nov. 2004). Gale Cengage Learning. 2 Apr. 2009. Web. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?ste=1&vrsn=3&locID=stra52402&n=10&finalAuth=true>.
Toews, Miriam. A Boy of Good Breeding. Toronto: Random House of Canada Ltd, 2005. Print.
Wheelwright, Julie. “A Boy Of Good Breeding by Miriam Toews.” The Independent [London, England]. 26 July 2006. Web. 2 Apr. 2009. <http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/a-boy-of-good-breeding-by-miriam-toews-409352.html>.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Journal Response #4
I wouldn't say that A Boy of Good Breeding had a "happily ever after" ending, but everything turned out for the better, definitely. A lot changes in Hosea's character in this last section, but somehow that didn't surprise me. Hosea realizes that he's been treating the citizens of his town as numbers that he could study and mess with until the answer was what he wanted. Just in time, he realizes that he was wrong, that having the population at 1500 isn't the most important thing, that people are more than numbers, that they have emotions. It is at this point that Hosea starts to care about others. Hosea really made me proud. It's hard to imagine working so hard for a something that you want so badly, being told that you've succeeded and then to turn around and be told that it couldn't happen. The census taker came and counted the population, and it was announced that Algren was officially the smallest town in Canada, but something came up. Not only did Hosea never get to meet the Prime Minister, but he took the bad news with a smile and a wish for "a Happy Canada Day from the mayor of Algren"(237). Hosea set out on a journey to find his father, but in the process he grew as a person, he found his true love and he found himself. I believe that that is a greater accomplishment by far. I think we could all learn something from Hosea, that sometimes, we decide that one small thing is so important to our lives, that we forget what is really important, friendship and love and other people. We get so sucked into our plan, that everything else, especially everyone else's problems, seems insignificant. There are times that we just need a reality check, to realize what is truly important.
Tom's will to survive to help his friend achieve his dream, is a testament to true and pure friendship. How many friends would will themselves not to die, just so that their friend can have a chance to meet their long lost father? I'd like to think that I would be able to, but I don't know that I could. The way that Toews wrote about Tom's death ignites emotion in the reader, even though Tom wasn't a main character and we didn't really know him that well. I especially liked the way that everyone present at his death heard him say something different: "Max said he'd heard Tom say 'Damn ticker'...S.F. was sure he'd been trying to sing, and Knute was sure he'd told her he loved her"(236-237). But his last words, the ones that Dory heard were "'Where is...' and something Dory couldn't understand, but sounded like '...horses'"(236), or possibly 'Where is Hosea?', a testament to the friend whom it had been Tom's last wish to help. I couldn't help but tear up. That scene was extremely effectively written.
Tom's will to survive to help his friend achieve his dream, is a testament to true and pure friendship. How many friends would will themselves not to die, just so that their friend can have a chance to meet their long lost father? I'd like to think that I would be able to, but I don't know that I could. The way that Toews wrote about Tom's death ignites emotion in the reader, even though Tom wasn't a main character and we didn't really know him that well. I especially liked the way that everyone present at his death heard him say something different: "Max said he'd heard Tom say 'Damn ticker'...S.F. was sure he'd been trying to sing, and Knute was sure he'd told her he loved her"(236-237). But his last words, the ones that Dory heard were "'Where is...' and something Dory couldn't understand, but sounded like '...horses'"(236), or possibly 'Where is Hosea?', a testament to the friend whom it had been Tom's last wish to help. I couldn't help but tear up. That scene was extremely effectively written.
I was disappointed that Knute didn't have as large a part in this last section, however I did really enjoy the part that she did have. I actually learned a lot from Knute. She had some real philosophical moments, such as when she realized that "fighting and anger don't necessarily drive a person away...[and that]love and friendship don't necessarily keep a person from going away"(211). That hit home with me. It is not your actions that determine what other people will do in the end, but their thoughts and feelings, usually in the heat of the moment, and there is nothing that you can do about that. She also learned the valuable lesson that people can change, which is something that many of us could stand to learn.
I learned a lot from A Boy of Good Breeding. But moreover, it made me smile. It gives a whole new perspective to small town Canada, and to life.
I learned a lot from A Boy of Good Breeding. But moreover, it made me smile. It gives a whole new perspective to small town Canada, and to life.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Journal Response #3
For both Knute and Hosea, this section of A Boy of Good Breeding has been about realizations. Knute decides that letting Max back into her life won't be such a bad thing. She sees how much Summer Feelin' likes being around him and how much he loves Summer Feelin' and she can't say no. They are even able to rekindle their old romance, much to the dismay of Knute's parents. However, some complications arise when Knute's father becomes depressed and confines himself to his bed. Although it makes no difference, Knute and her mother come to the conclusion that he's not sad because he's afraid of dying or because he wants to die. It's not even that he's sad really, but that "his bed is safe...sleep is easy"(148). I wonder if that's the case with a lot of other old and potentailly dying people. We all just assume that they're scared or depressed, but maybe shutting the rest of the world out is really just easier.
Hosea also has several realizations throughout this section. The first occurs on one of his visits to the hospital. As he is talking to Dr. François about the doctor wanting to move to a bigger city, Johnny Dranger is brought in having an asthma attack caused by fighting a fire. Hosea realizes that if Johnny is willing to risk his life, or at least his well being, to help others, he deserves to be fire chief. That means that regardless of the fact that the population is too high, Hosea tells Johnny with a smile, "'I'm putting you back in, John'"(139). The changes don't stop there for Hosea though. It takes Lorna announcing that she's pregnant and giving Hosea an ultimatum, to make him realize that he needed to tell her his plan. And of course, Lorna understands, and she is willing to help Hosea sort through all the people and find a solution. Not only that, but their relationship gets instantly less strained. And their goodbye at the bus station ends significantly better than their last. It makes me think that if only Hosea could have gotten up the strength to tell Lorna everything from the beginning, he could have saved them both a considerable amount of stress. As Hosea realizes that he doesn't have to keep everything to himself, that sometimes, talking about your problems, makes them easier to deal with, Toews stops writing so much of Hosea's thoughts. But the reader now no longer needs them to understand Hosea, because he expresses his feelings willingly for everyone, not just the reader, to hear.
Hosea also has several realizations throughout this section. The first occurs on one of his visits to the hospital. As he is talking to Dr. François about the doctor wanting to move to a bigger city, Johnny Dranger is brought in having an asthma attack caused by fighting a fire. Hosea realizes that if Johnny is willing to risk his life, or at least his well being, to help others, he deserves to be fire chief. That means that regardless of the fact that the population is too high, Hosea tells Johnny with a smile, "'I'm putting you back in, John'"(139). The changes don't stop there for Hosea though. It takes Lorna announcing that she's pregnant and giving Hosea an ultimatum, to make him realize that he needed to tell her his plan. And of course, Lorna understands, and she is willing to help Hosea sort through all the people and find a solution. Not only that, but their relationship gets instantly less strained. And their goodbye at the bus station ends significantly better than their last. It makes me think that if only Hosea could have gotten up the strength to tell Lorna everything from the beginning, he could have saved them both a considerable amount of stress. As Hosea realizes that he doesn't have to keep everything to himself, that sometimes, talking about your problems, makes them easier to deal with, Toews stops writing so much of Hosea's thoughts. But the reader now no longer needs them to understand Hosea, because he expresses his feelings willingly for everyone, not just the reader, to hear.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Journal Response #2
A Boy of Good Breeding is full of conflict. Many of these conflicts are person vs. person, but not all. One minor conflict is between Hosea Funk and Dr. François, the town's only doctor who happens to be from Quebec. Not only does Hosea insist on constantly checking up on the hospital's patients so that he can be the first to know if anyone is dying or having babies, but, in an attempt at humour, he repeatedly calls the doctor Dr. Bonsoir. Both of these misdemeanors on Hosea's part cause the doctor much irritation and when he finally confronts Hosea, Hosea nearly has an anxiety attack. Another conflict caused by Hosea is with Johnny Dranger. Johnny owns a farm right on the outskirts of Algren. As a result of the unlucky placement of his farm, Hosea uses him as a way to balance out the population. When there are too many people, Johnny gets moved outside of the town limits, when the population is under, he gets moved back in. Although Johnny has started to doubt Hosea's accuse that "there's been another mix-up at the top"(112) again, he agrees to move willingly. This pains Hosea as Johnny's dream is to be the chief of the volunteer fire department in order to avenge his young wife's death and to save others from similar tragedy, but he can't even be on the force if he doesn't live in town. Both of these conflicts are fairly minor, but they do reveal a significant amount of Hosea's character.
One much larger conflict arises between Hosea and is long-time girlfriend Lorna. Lorna repeatedly hints at moving to Algren from Winnipeg to live with Hosea, which causes Hosea considerable stress as the population is already above 1 500 and he is running out of options. As a result, Hosea worries that he is losing Lorna. Not only does he not sound enthusiastic about her suggestions to move, he also screws up every attempt that he makes to be romantic, ending up sounding ridiculous, or even in the case of their conversation about cinnamon buns being an aphrodisiac with Hosea's response "Well, good. That should help."(87), insulting.
Both Hosea and Knute exhibit some inner conflict. Hosea beats himself up over balancing the population out. With the birth of Veronica Epp's triplets and Max's return, even the death of Leander Hamm and moving Johnny Dranger out of town limits doesn't solve the problem. He keeps attempting to find temporary solutions, telling himself that "after the Prime Minister's visit, it would all be different"(102). His inner conflict is especially strong as his goal is extremely personal. Knute struggles throughout this section with whether or not she should let Max into Summer Feelin's life. When Max returns to Algren in the middle of the night and asks to see Summer Feelin', Knute's automatic response is no. However, when Max decides that he is willing to wait "you know, five, six, twenty-five years"(105) and as "there aren't any cops in Algren"(105) for Knute to call to get him to leave, she caves. Although he only was able to watch Summer Feelin' sleeping, it leaves Knute beating herself up about what the right thing to do is. On the one hand, she doesn't want Max to be a part of her life again, but on the other, after his visit "she couldn't stop grinning"(106).
Monday, February 23, 2009
Journal Response #1
A Boy of Good Breeding so far has focused mainly on character development. Knute (pronounced "Noot") McCloud is clearly the main character and therefore much of her character is exposed. However, the story wouldn't be what it is without Hosea Funk, the mayor of Algren, the smallest town in Canada and so much must be learned about Hosea as well.
Knute is a single-mother, raising her daughter Summer Feelin', a four-year-old with a "strange way of shaking when she was excited"(1). Knute's life had been a bit of a let down in Winnipeg, but she see's the chance to improve it, even slightly when she moves back to her home town. However, Knute realizes that moving back means facing her demons. The news that Max, Summer Feelin's father, has decided to move back to Algren after he ran away to Europe and "wants to see his goddamned daughter"(52), comes as a shock. Not only is Knute conflicted over whether she should let Max meet Summer Feelin', but as her friend suggests, she may still be "hot for Max"(54). This combined with having to aid her mother in taking care of her father who was left impaired after a heart attack and taking on a job as Hosea Funk's assistant mean that she is thrown back into small town life hard.
The story of Hosea Funk's life is very important to the understanding of his character and therefore the major plot line of the book. It is Hosea's goal to ensure that Algren remains Canada's smallest town. It is not the title of smallest town that is the attraction though, so much as the fact that the Prime Minister will be visiting the record holder. Hosea is determined to meet P.M. John Baert as, on her death bed, Hosea's mother confessed to him that the Prime Minister was his father. Hosea's childhood had undoubtedly been confusing. He was raised by his mother under the the story that "a mysterious man on a horse"(19) handed his mother the baby one night when she stepped out to use the outhouse. Hosea was the only one who knew that this was an elaborate story that his mother had created to cover up her teenage pregnancy. Hosea is a perfectionist and extremely goal-oriented. So much so, that he is willing to put his love on the line to make sure that the population of Algren stays at exactly 1500 people, the minimum population to be considered a town. Although Hosea Funk appears to be very calm and put together to all those around him, he has much more depth to him. Without his thoughts being presented to the reader, his actions and motives would be very difficult to understand. This fact plays well into the story as, clearly, the people of Algren have no idea of the detailed planning in his scribbler and can't even begin to understand why he does what he does.
Knute is a single-mother, raising her daughter Summer Feelin', a four-year-old with a "strange way of shaking when she was excited"(1). Knute's life had been a bit of a let down in Winnipeg, but she see's the chance to improve it, even slightly when she moves back to her home town. However, Knute realizes that moving back means facing her demons. The news that Max, Summer Feelin's father, has decided to move back to Algren after he ran away to Europe and "wants to see his goddamned daughter"(52), comes as a shock. Not only is Knute conflicted over whether she should let Max meet Summer Feelin', but as her friend suggests, she may still be "hot for Max"(54). This combined with having to aid her mother in taking care of her father who was left impaired after a heart attack and taking on a job as Hosea Funk's assistant mean that she is thrown back into small town life hard.
The story of Hosea Funk's life is very important to the understanding of his character and therefore the major plot line of the book. It is Hosea's goal to ensure that Algren remains Canada's smallest town. It is not the title of smallest town that is the attraction though, so much as the fact that the Prime Minister will be visiting the record holder. Hosea is determined to meet P.M. John Baert as, on her death bed, Hosea's mother confessed to him that the Prime Minister was his father. Hosea's childhood had undoubtedly been confusing. He was raised by his mother under the the story that "a mysterious man on a horse"(19) handed his mother the baby one night when she stepped out to use the outhouse. Hosea was the only one who knew that this was an elaborate story that his mother had created to cover up her teenage pregnancy. Hosea is a perfectionist and extremely goal-oriented. So much so, that he is willing to put his love on the line to make sure that the population of Algren stays at exactly 1500 people, the minimum population to be considered a town. Although Hosea Funk appears to be very calm and put together to all those around him, he has much more depth to him. Without his thoughts being presented to the reader, his actions and motives would be very difficult to understand. This fact plays well into the story as, clearly, the people of Algren have no idea of the detailed planning in his scribbler and can't even begin to understand why he does what he does.
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