The Diviners: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Diviners" is a novel centered around Morag Gunn, a complex protagonist and novelist reflecting on her life experiences, particularly her artistic journey and personal relationships. Raised by her foster father, Christie Logan, in a marginalized community, Morag grapples with her Métis heritage and the stories of her family's past as she navigates her identity and creative expression. The narrative intertwines her relationships with key figures, including her first lover Jules "Skinner" Tonnerre, whose Métis background influences her understanding of identity and culture, and her daughter Pique, who seeks her own path away from societal expectations.
Morag's marriage to Brooke Skelton, an emotionally distant professor, highlights the struggles of personal freedom and societal roles, ultimately leading to her independence. Additionally, her relationship with Dan McRaith, a painter, sparks artistic inspiration and exploration of her Scottish roots, but also complicates her life further. The supporting characters, such as Christie, who provides Morag with a foundation of stories, and Royland, a former preacher with a troubled past, enrich the themes of identity and community. Overall, "The Diviners" delves into the complexities of heritage, creativity, and the pursuit of self-discovery against the backdrop of a richly detailed cultural landscape.
The Diviners: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Margaret Laurence
First published: 1974
Genre: Novel
Locale: Manawaka, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada
Plot: Bildungsroman
Time: 1930 to the 1970's
Morag Gunn, the protagonist, a forty-seven-year-old novelist writing the novel containing her story. As she looks back over her life, she believes that her artistic talent always was evident. After her parents died of poliomyelitis, she was reared by Christie Logan in a poor part of town where Métis (half-breeds), like her first lover, Jules, also lived. She grew up listening to Christie haranguing about the muck of life in the past and present. Christie thought he was creating pride and identity in Morag by telling her stories about her family, the Gunns, coming from Scotland to Manitoba. Morag also wrote her own stories, which she later reworked to create stories of family history for her daughter, Pique. Writing for local, college, and Vancouver newspapers enlarges Morag's sensitivities about the Métis, the Gersons, and others. Her passion leads to an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, however, just as her spirit of independence leads her to leave her husband.
Jules “Skinner” Tonnerre, Morag's first lover. While Morag was still in her teens, Jules seduced her in his father's shack. He told Morag tales of the Métis view of encounters with Scottish emigrants, such as his grandfather who fought with Riel at Batoche and lost.
Pique Gunn Tonnerre, Morag and Jules's daughter. In a London school, she does not experience prejudice like she does as a teenager in the high school in the small Ontario town of McConnell's Landing. She stands up to her boyfriend, Dan, who expects her to work as a cashier while he spends their money to raise horses. With her father's and her own songs, she sets off again for Manawaka and Galloping Mountain, alone this time, to find her own identity from her roots. Some peace comes from her decisions and actions to express the views she embodies.
Brooke Skelton, Morag's husband, a professor of English in Winnipeg. He woos her in her senior year to satisfy his sexual needs and enhance his professional career: After they move to Toronto, he becomes chairman of the department. He has difficulty expressing his feelings. Reared in India by an omah who was dismissed when found in his bed, he grew up stoic like his British mother and father. His obsession with controlling Morag leads to her departure.
Dan McRaith, a Scottish painter in his mid-forties who becomes Morag's lover after they meet in a bookshop in London. Each inspires the artistic endeavors of the other. Morag visits Scotland, where his wife and seven children live in Crombruach, near Culloden. Once in Scotland, Morag realizes that the physical place is not as real or as important as what Christie had built in her heart with tales of Piper Gunn and his people coming from there. Dan and Morag correspond for years.
Christie Logan, a garbage collector (“scavenger”) in Manawaka and Morag's foster father. Although his appearance and lack of education alienate Morag, eventually she realizes that he inspired her with stories of Piper Gunn leading Highlanders in Scotland and Canada and with tales of World War I. Always ranting, he divines the character of townspeople according to their garbage. He advises her to get out of Manawaka and go to college, using the money from the sale of her parents' farm. He is pleased when she returns to Prin's deathbed and, later, his.
Prin Logan, Christie's lethargic, fat wife and kind foster mother to Morag. Prin (short for “Princess”) dresses Morag in clothes from the Nuisance Grounds until Morag, working at Ludlow's in her teens, learns to dress smartly.
Royland, a diviner of water at McConnell's Landing. Previously a preacher, he abused his wife, who ran away and drowned herself. His gift of divining water finally leaves him.