Crow Lake Essay

Isolation - Myth or Fact

Isolation, meaning a state of separation, is often misperceived by many as people frequently believe that isolation is always a negative state of being; that isolation due to emotions is non-realistic, and that isolation is always involuntary. These myths are commonly accepted; however, the novel Crow Lake takes a different stand from these myths. Mary Lawson, author of the novel, demonstrated isolations in many of its forms through the protagonist, Kate, and a small, desolated rural community that represented the primary setting of the novel, Crow Lake. By doing so, Lawson reveals the counterfactual nature of these myths and thus correcting the misconceptions that the society has about isolation.

In Crow Lake, Lawson eliminates the misconception of isolation as always a negative state of being by conveying the positive aspects of isolation through the community that much resembled Crow Lake. The community's surroundings are described as, "...miles and miles of nothing..." (93) and the roads were referred to as, "...a thin grey-while line..." (93), which all signify the isolation of the community. However, by comparing the surrounding land to the moon, the author conveys the idea of beauty and adds a desolating yet mystic feeling to the land; thus, Lawson brings out the admirable side of isolation: "...beautiful and desolate and remote as the moon" (93). Moreover, the protagonist Kate thinks of the community as home and puts an emphasis on the word home which shows her longing for home. Consequently, due to the fact that although Kate's home is isolated and she still misses it, Mary Lawson establishes the notion that isolation can be desirable. Hence, by demonstrating the favourable aspects of isolation, Lawson is able to correct the myth about isolation as strictly a negative state of beings.

Furthermore, emotional isolation is a major theme in Crow Lake, and by using several metaphorical comparisons, Lawson is able to illustrate the power of emotions and rectify the faulty perception that many have around emotional isolation. The protagonist Kate felt detached from her surrounding after her parents' tragic death as she was, "...swamped by unmanageable emotions" (53) This implies that Kate is overwhelmed and engulfed by her emotions; hence, Lawson is able to convey the idea of the formation of an emotional barrier. Moreover, the emotional barrier that keep Kate isolated is metaphorically compared to, "...whirlwind howling through..." (54), which illustrates the intensity and ferocity of Kate's emotions like that of a whirlwind; thus, demonstrating the power of the emotional barriers.