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Grade Level:       Type of Work           Subject/Topic is on:
 [ ]6-8                 [ ]Class Notes    [Essay on Janette Turner ]
 [ ]9-10                [ ]Cliff Notes    [Hospital's 4 vivid      ]
 [x]11-12               [x]Essay/Report   [female Characters in her]
 [ ]College             [ ]Misc           [2 Novels.               ]

 Dizzed: 09/94  # of Words:1659   School: ?              State: ?
ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>Chop Here>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ
          With " beautifully executed images" , Janette
Turner Hospital creates four vivid female character in her
two novels.  The four characters are Juliet and Yashoda in
The Ivory Swing and Elizabeth and Emily in The Tiger in the
Tiger Pit .  Each of the above is invested by Turner Hospital
with a deep consciousness.
          In the view of Janette Turner Hospital, women are
immensely uncertain.  They are never sure of what they want. 
However, when it comes to dealing with external conflicts,
they are very strong-willed.  On the other hand, she also
indicates that maternal love is strong.  Women have
passionate beliefs in the importance  of the family.  As the
stories follow, these feminine personalities are gradually
proved.
          Before leaving for India, Juliet had a hard time
deciding whether to stay with her professor husband, David,
or move to Montreal to stay with her former lover Jeremy. 
Uncertain as usual, all Juliet wants is to " maintain the
balancing act."   She could never summon up the courage to
face new circumstances.  Her mind is never firm enough to
challenge the present state.  So she makes her choice in the
order of morality.  She stays with her husband and leaves for
India with him.  It is more likely that the fate designated
Juliet's future.  She is married to Dave on her own accord. 
Therefore, she does what a good wife is supposed to do.
       
       1. Reviewed in : Booklist v.79 p.994 Apr 1, 1983
       2. " The Ivory Swing " p.18
    
          In Kerala, where David is on sabbatical to study
primitive Indian culture, the couple encounters Yashoda," a
widow who does not accept the fate and rigid rules of her
culture."   Yashoda wants the right to wear jewellery, to
appear in public; most of all, she wants love.  She does not
care about either inauspicious or disgrace.  She even runs
the risk of being penalized to travel with Annie.  For an
Indian woman such as Yashoda, it is considered quite
difficult adjusting to her society.
          Among the four female characters, many similarities
are found between Juliet and Elizabeth.  Like Juliet,
Elizabeth has to choose between her husband and lover.  The
only difference is that the death of her lover has certainly
made her life easier.  She no longer doubts anymore after
Jeremy's death.  Her cross-roads becomes one way and ever
since then her life is as simple as an ordinary housewife. 
Elizabeth still recalls her past, but she appreciates that
fact that fate decides her future for her.  In this case she
avoids family and friendship broken.  And she has something
to remembrance for a life time.
          Elizabeth's youngest child, Emily, is the
mysterious woman of the four.  In Montreal where she happens
to be pregnant and Sydney where she encounters her lover,
Dave.  She thereafter moves to England.  It is obvious that
Emily love Dave a lot; but she is a uncertain as can be.  Her
leaving Dave without even saying good-bye represents her
       3. Reviewed in : Booklist v.79 p.994 Apr,1983
 
 doubts.  She is afraid that once she has to face the
reality, her love for Dave, she would crush.

          Juliet and Elizabeth both stay with their husbands
after all, yet they do not own what they really want.  Dave
has noticed Juliet's " staring from the window of their house
like a woman behind bars"   , so has Emily mentions about her
about her mother's " standing at the French window like a
caged bird."  Emily is aware of her uncertainty.  Therefore,
she decides to leave Dave for England.  In her opinion she
only wants to get away from complicated life to sort things
out; but instead of talking to Dave about it, she leaves
secretly.  Her doing so has hurt Dave and sacrificed her
son's, Adam, happiness as well as her own.

          It is easy to get this kind of impression that
Yashoda might be the exceptional certain woman because it
seems that she fights for her ideas;  however, if she has the
courage to challenge realities, she should be brave enough to
face the results.  On the contrary, Yashoda begs for rescue. 
One can only say she acts as if she was a spoiled kid. The
four women all have something in common.  The problem is they
are afraid to let out their feelings.

       
       4. " The Ivory Swing " p.152 
       5. " The Tiger in the Tiger Pit " p.32

         
          Although Janette Turner Hospital implies that women
are uncertain, she believes that when it comes to dealing
with external conflicts, they are very strong-willed.  At the
same time, maternal love is usually where the strength comes
from.  Not wanting her children to miss out such an
experience, Juliet makes the decision of going to India.  In
the commotion that occurs in Kerala, Juliet circles herself
just to protect her daughter, Miranda.  " Miranda was packed
tight into her arms like a leaden doll."
          Yashoda does not have any children, yet her
compassion toward the orphan, Prabhakaran, has shown that
maternal love is a feminine attitude.  " They wept together,
his head on her mothering shoulder, his hand caressing the
bare kernel of her head with infinite filial tenderness."
          
          Elizabeth, the grandmother stereotype, who manages
to survive the endangered family relationship is most
respectable.  After she hears of the existence of Dave and
how he does for Adam, she writes a letter after she arrives
home.  Her reaction has made Dave feel being a part of the
family and increased the possibility of Dave and Emily's
marriage.  All these Elizabeth has done are out of love
toward her children.
          Emily does not think of her children as much as the
other women do; but her last decision of calling Dave is base
on the need of Adam for paternal love.  It is not easy

       6. " The Ivory Swing " p.177
       7. Idid... p.232

  raising an illegimate child especially when her father
busts out " I will not have a bastard in my house.  I never
wish to see him. Never."
          Juliet and Dave's marriage is base on a very
abrupting way. " `Would you marry me? ' `Oh' she said,
dancing on the toes of other passengers, flinging her arms
around him, `Yes, I would.' "  Juliet accepts Dave's proposal
for several reasons.  First of all, she is already tired of
Jeremy's so-called " staying out of a handful of meaningless
nights."   It is another one those night that Jeremy has not

returned to their apartment.  Juliet could not be angry but
she is extremely upset.  When it comes to dealing with
external conflicts, women are very strong-willed. Therefore,
Juliet has the strength of standing in front of Jeremy
saying" ; I'm getting married.' `The truth is I'm in love
with David.'"   And most importantly, David is completely
opposite to Jeremy.  David is more a serious philosopher, a
family man type.  In the meanwhile, Juliet needs of feel
stable and secure.  They've set a family, where Juliet's
passionate belief lies in, there is no such thing as strong
love between the couple, just a sense of sharing.  With the
belief, though Juliet has some thought of separating, she
remains married.




       8. " The Tiger in the Tiger Pit " p.121
       9. " The Ivory Swing " p.74
      10. Ibid... p.76
      11. Ibid...p.
        
          Because of her educational background, Yashoda is
much more modern than other Indian women. Though she has a
lot of opinions of her own, she accepts the arranged
marriage.  If Yashoda's husband had not died so early, she
might not have done any fighting against traditions.  She
would at least try to maintain her family reputation because
according to her attitude of accepting as arranged husband,
she is meant to have a passionate belief in family.
          It is understandable that most conservative woman
in the two novels, Elizabeth, must have a passionate belief
in family.  Yes, she does have some affairs with a man other
than her husband, Edward.  Nevertheless, she is even happier
when she makes sure the baby she just give birth to is
Edward's.  Watching the negative progress of Edward's
physical condition, Elizabeth knows that she has to bring the
whole family together again, to give Edward at least a chance
of seeing their only grandchild, Adam.  She does make it
possible,  her passionate belief in family has accomplished
it.
          We do not learn what kind of concepts Emily has for
family.  What we can tell is she does not want a marriage. 
She does not want to be trapped like her mother.  Emily is
probably the only woman who does not have a passionate belief
in family in the two books by Janette Turner Hospital, yet
she gets close to settling down at the end of the story.  She
longs for a family though she does not realize it herself.

          To sum up, Janette Turner Hospital thinks women are
likely to be uncertain when making decisions.  They usually
consent to other's suggestions especially their closest male
company.  However, when it comes to dealing with external
conflicts, they would turn to be real strong-willed.  They
would come through all obstacles to reach their goals.  No
matter what the situations are, women would suffer to protect
their children.  Maternal love is always shown in the first
place.  On top of the above, Tuner Hospital also implies that
women have passionate belief in family.  Both of the two
books The Ivory Swing and The Tiger in the Tiger Pit are
written sensitively.  Yet the latter is not as successful as
the former one.  " 50th wedding anniversaries and family
reunions of any kind ought to be left to the manufacturers of
greeting cards."









      12. " Life with Father " by Judith Fitzgerald 
          Reviewed in : Books in Canada v.12 p.33 Nov 1983 




BIBLIOGRAPHY :

              HOSPITAL, JANETTE TURNER,THE TIGER IN THE TIGER
PIT.                TORONTO, McCLELLAND & STEWART LTD. :
1987.

              HOSPITAL, JANETTE TURNER,THE IVORY SWING.
              TORONTO, McCLELLAND & STEWART LTD. : 1982.
