FEATURED ESSAYS 1. Janette Turner Hospital: 4 Vivid ... 2. Nat Turner 3. Turner's Syndrome 4. Artist: Turner: Outline 5. Tintern Abbey 6. Frederick Jackson Turner: Closing... 7. Huck Finn, Violence And Greed 8. Airframe 9. Anne Tyler 10. Alexandre Dumas 11. Winter Moon 12. The Medieval Period 13. The Writing Style Of Charles D 14. Ernest Hemmingway

Janette Turner Hospital: 4 Vivid Female Characters In Her Two Novels


          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.